Tata Motors, Microsoft ink tech collaboration deal

Tata Motors to showcase its first connected vehicle at Geneva Motor Show

Tata Motors and Microsoft India today announced a strategic agreement to redefine connected and personalised driving experiences for Indian customers.

Tata Motors will leverage Microsoft's connected vehicle technologies that bring together artificial intelligence (AI), advanced machine learning, and the internet of Things(IoT) capabilities on the global hyper-scale Azure cloud, to traverse the digital and physical worlds and create a highly personalised, smart and safer driving experience across the digital life of a vehicle owner.

The first vehicle show-casing the vision for these enhanced driving experiences will be unveiled at the 87th Geneva International Motor Show on March 7, 2017, the company said.

In future, Tata Motors vehicles will offer drivers and passengers a highly digital driving experience. Based on their profile and location data, vehicle owners can receive proactive point-of-interest, shopping and route assist recommendations enabling them to achieve more on the go. These connected technologies will also provide pre-emptive service alerts based on vehicle health data, cloud-based diagnostics and analyse the road conditions among other things, according to Tata Motors.

"With the aim to develop innovative and technologically leading products that excite customers, we at Tata Motors, understand the need for a connected ecosystem that can integrate into the digital lives customers. We are using Microsoft's connected vehicle technologies on Azure intelligent cloud to bring the digital lives of our customers into the cars they drive. Making the most of fast-paced innovation cycle that Microsoft has to offer, we will create a fully connected and seamless driving experience for our customers," Guenter Butschek, CEO and managing director of Tata Motors, said.

Microsoft India president Anant Maheshwari said: "We are excited to partner with Tata Motors as they embark on a new journey of innovation with Microsoft Azure cloud. Using IoT, AI and machine learning technologies, we will provide vehicle owners in India and and across the world with a safe, productive and fund driving experience."