Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has issued draft notification in which it proposes making vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication systems mandatory in L, M and N category vehicles manufactured from October 1, 2028. Vehicles equipped with the technology from October 2027 would also have to comply with the new AIS-230 standard, suggesting a one-year transition period before the mandate takes effect.
The proposal builds on work that began earlier this year, when the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (
TRAI) released a consultation paper on Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X), a communication framework that allows vehicles to exchange information not just with one another, but also with road infrastructure, pedestrians and telecom networks. While that proposal focused on the broader ecosystem, the latest draft rules identify V2V as the first connected mobility technology that could become mandatory in vehicles sold in India.
The government says the technology is aimed at improving road safety by allowing vehicles to exchange information such as speed, position, direction and braking status in real time. Unlike conventional safety systems that rely only on onboard sensors, V2V enables vehicles to receive warnings about hazards beyond their direct line of sight, supporting proactive accident prevention and future intelligent transport systems.
What is V2V and how is it different from V2X?
Vehicle-to-vehicle communication is one component of the broader Vehicle-to-Everything, or V2X, ecosystem.
At its core, V2X creates a communication layer where vehicles continuously exchange information with different elements of the transport system. Instead of operating independently, vehicles become connected participants capable of sharing information in real time.
The ecosystem consists of four primary communication layers:
- Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V): Vehicles communicate directly with one another to share information such as speed, braking events, direction and location. This helps generate warnings for collision risks, sudden braking and unsafe lane changes.
- Vehicle-to-Infrastructure (V2I): Vehicles communicate with roadside infrastructure such as traffic signals, tolling systems and road sensors. This enables applications including smart traffic management and barrier-free toll collection.
- Vehicle-to-Pedestrian (V2P): Connected vehicles exchange information with pedestrians or cyclists carrying compatible devices to reduce accidents in areas with limited visibility.
- Vehicle-to-Network (V2N): Vehicles connect to cloud platforms over telecom networks for navigation, traffic information, software updates and other connected services.
The latest proposal only covers V2V communication. However, it forms part of the wider V2X roadmap India has been developing over the past few months.
How does V2V work
Unlike cameras or radar, V2V does not depend on what a vehicle can physically see. Vehicles fitted with factory-installed onboard communication units continuously broadcast information including their speed, position, acceleration and direction. Nearby vehicles receive these messages almost instantly and determine whether a potential safety risk exists.
According to AIS-230, the technology supports applications including emergency brake alerts, forward collision warnings, wrong-way driving alerts and emergency vehicle notifications. The communication takes place using Cellular Vehicle-to-Everything (C-V2X) technology operating in the 5.875 GHz to 5.925 GHz frequency band, which the Department of Telecommunications exempted from licensing requirements earlier this year.
Consider a vehicle braking suddenly several cars ahead on a highway. Drivers behind may not see the incident immediately because another vehicle blocks their view. Through V2V, the braking information can be transmitted to nearby vehicles before the hazard becomes visible, allowing earlier warnings and quicker responses.
Similarly, a vehicle travelling in the wrong direction, an approaching ambulance or a car emerging from a blind junction can all trigger alerts before conventional onboard sensors detect the danger.
Why is India planning to introduce V2V before the rest of V2X
The phased rollout reflects the complexity of deploying a nationwide connected transport network. Vehicle-to-vehicle communication primarily requires compatible onboard units installed in vehicles. More advanced applications such as V2I depend on roadside infrastructure, including connected traffic signals, roadside communication units and sensor-equipped highways.
Similarly, V2P requires compatible pedestrian devices and urban communication infrastructure, while V2N relies on broader telecom integration.
Starting with V2V allows safety applications to be deployed without waiting for cities and highways to build the supporting infrastructure needed for the rest of the ecosystem. This phased approach also gives manufacturers time to prepare before the proposed mandate takes effect in 2028.
The latest proposal is also not an isolated initiative. It builds on the regulatory framework proposed by TRAI earlier this year, which outlined how telecom networks, vehicles and public infrastructure could be integrated into what regulators described as an Intelligent Transport System.
Where do smart highways and barrier-free tolling fit in?
India has already begun deploying some parts of the broader V2X ecosystem.
Earlier this year, the government launched a pilot Multi-Lane Free Flow (MLFF) toll plaza on the Urban Extension Road-II in Delhi NCR. The system removes physical toll barriers and uses RFID-based FASTag readers, Automated Number Plate Recognition cameras and LiDAR sensors to identify and classify vehicles while they continue moving.
Although MLFF is primarily a tolling system, it represents one of India's earliest vehicle-to-infrastructure deployments. The roadside equipment continuously exchanges information with vehicles and backend systems without requiring vehicles to stop.
The government is also exploring Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS)-based tolling, where onboard units calculate tolls based on the distance travelled instead of fixed toll plazas. Together with V2V communication, these technologies form different parts of the connected transport ecosystem India is gradually building.
How are other countries approaching V2X
While the idea behind V2X remains the same, countries have taken different approaches depending on when they started building connected transport systems and the technologies they already had in place.
Europe was among the first regions to experiment with connected vehicles and initially built its ecosystem around Dedicated Short Range Communications (DSRC), a Wi-Fi based technology designed specifically for vehicle communication. Over time, it has also begun supporting Cellular V2X (C-V2X), allowing both technologies to coexist. This has given manufacturers flexibility but has also created interoperability challenges, where vehicles using different communication standards may not always work seamlessly together.
China has taken a different approach by standardising early on Cellular V2X. Backed by government policies, dedicated spectrum allocation and coordinated deployment plans, the country has integrated C-V2X into production vehicles and road infrastructure simultaneously. This has allowed connected vehicle deployments to scale much faster than in most other markets.
The United States initially invested in DSRC but has gradually shifted towards Cellular V2X as mobile networks evolved. Instead of a nationwide rollout, deployment has largely been driven through pilot projects and collaborations between automakers, technology companies and transport agencies, focusing on applications such as collision warnings, work zone alerts and traffic signal information.
Automakers have also adopted different strategies. Companies such as Ford, Audi and several Chinese manufacturers have begun integrating C-V2X into production vehicles for connected safety features. Tesla, however, has taken a different route. Rather than relying on direct communication between vehicles, it primarily depends on onboard cameras, sensors and data collected from its fleet to understand road conditions, making its approach largely independent of the standard V2X frameworks.
What happens next
The draft notification remains open for stakeholder comments before the government issues the final rules.
If notified in its current form, vehicles fitted with V2V systems from October 2027 will have to comply with AIS-230, while new category L, M and N vehicles manufactured from October 1, 2028, would be required to include compliant V2V communication systems.
 "What is V2V, India's connected vehicle system to make roads safer from 2028")
