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The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has proposed making acoustic vehicle alerting system (AVAS) mandatory for all electric cars, buses and trucks with effect October 1, 2027, keeping road safety in mind. The ministry in a draft notification said that all new models of electric passenger and goods vehicles manufactured after October 2026 must be equipped with AVAS, a safety feature in EVs to emit an artificial sound to alert pedestrians and other road users about their presence. "Provided also that, on and after 1st October 2026 in case of new models and 1st October 2027 in case of existing models, electrified vehicles of category M and N shall be fitted with AVAS meeting requirements with regard to audibility as specified in AIS-173, as amended from time to time," the notification said. Electrified vehicles of Category M include electric cars and buses designed for passenger transport, while Category N comprises electric-powered trucks and goods vehicles. Countries like the
French consumer electronics brand Thomson, through its brand licensee Super Plastronics Pvt Ltd (SPPL), on Thursday announced its foray into the Indian audio market with the launch of soundbars here. Thomson, which is already present here in the TV and other appliances segments, also has plans to expand its play into the audio segment by launching more products in the soundbar and entering into the larger speaker and party speakers segment, SPPL CEO Avneet Singh Marwah said. As part of SPPL, it has invested Rs 50 crore to set up a new manufacturing unit at its existing Noida plant, which will produce half a million units in a year, he added. "We are aiming to have a 10 per cent market share of the audio segment in the online channels," Marwah said. According to Marwah, the Indian audio market is experiencing rapid growth. Sales of products such as soundbars have increased after a rise in sales of 4K smart TVs and the growing consumption of OTT content. "Now 85 per cent of customer