State’s Potential in EV, Software-defined Vehicles to be Showcased at KATS 2025

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will inaugurate Kerala Automotive Technology Summit (KATS 2025) on Thursday to showcase the state’s strategic advantages and competitiveness in futuristic automotive technology in the backdrop of the fast-paced global shift to electric and software-driven vehicles.

Minister for Industries P Rajeeve will preside over the function to be held at Hotel Hyatt Regency here at 10 am.

KATS 2025, a precursor to the February 21-22 Invest Kerala Global Summit in Kochi, is being organized by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in collaboration with Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC).

A P M Mohammed Hanish, Principal Secretary, Industries & Commerce; S Harikishore, Managing Director, KSIDC; and Jijimon Chandran, Co-Chairman, CII KATS 2025, Chairman, CII Thiruvananthapuram Zone & Founder & CEO, Acsia Technologies, will deliver keynote addresses on the occasion.

Stefan Juraschek, Chairman, CII KATS 2025 & Former VP R&D (E/E), BMW Group, will speak on the theme of the event, “Enabling the SDV Future of Mobility.”

Top policymakers and automobile industry experts attending the event will deliberate on measures to position the capital city as a global leader in automotive R&D and technology.

“KATS 2025 is Kerala’s opportunity to showcase its potential to the world. The event is a stepping stone to positioning the state as a strategic destination for automotive software development, electric mobility solutions, and advanced manufacturing,” said Rajeeve.

Prior to the inaugural ceremony, a session on ‘Opportunities for Automotive OEMs and Tier-1s in Kerala’ will be held at 9 am, to be attended by Mr C Balagopal, Chairman, KSIDC; Mohammed Hanish, and Harikishore.

K R. Jyothilal, Additional Chief Secretary, Transport & Power, Govt. of Kerala, and Dr. Rathan U. Kelkar, Secretary, Electronics & IT, Govt. of Kerala, will attend the valedictory session of the event.

The conclave will bring together Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), Tier-1 suppliers, policymakers and technology leaders to explore investment opportunities in the state’s Electric Vehicle Research and Industrial Park.

The topics to be deliberated at the conclave include ‘Enabling the SDV Future of Mobility’; ‘SDV Landscape: Opportunities and Challenges’; ‘Preparing for the SDV Future’; ‘How New-Gen OEMs are Disrupting the Automotive World?’; ‘Driving Innovation: India as an Automotive GCC Hub’; ‘Shaping the Future of E-Mobility Technology’; and ‘Starting up in Kerala’. More than 300 delegates, including top executives from leading automotive and technology firms, are to attend the summit, which will set the platform for new collaborations, policy discussions, and investment commitments that could shape Kerala’s future in the global automotive ecosystem.

The impressive line-up of speakers and participants at the event include Vinod Manjila, Chairman, CII Kerala State Council & Chairman, Manjilas Food Tech; Anoop Ambika, CEO, Kerala Startup Mission; Aditya Khera, CEO, BMW TechWorks India; Santosh Iyer, MD & CEO, Mercedes-Benz India; Nitin Pai, CMO & CSO, Tata Elxsi; Rahul Singh, VP Software Engineering, Visteon; and Sudheer Kumar Lanka, Director, Mobility, Embitel, Volkswagen Group; Uday Narang, Founder & CEO, Omega Seiki Mobility; and Naved Narayan, VP & Head, R&D Centre, Bosch Global Software Technologies.

Among the other speakers are Vinodkumar Ramachandran, Partner & Head, Business Consulting, KPMG; Latha Chembrakalam, VP & Head, Technical Centre India, Continental Automotive Components; Mathew Vachaparampil, CEO, CareSoft Global Technologies; Naveen Philip, MD, Popular Vehicles & Services; Vinoth Kumar Ranganathan, Head, Global Strategy, Planning & Communication, Switch Mobility; Christo George, CMD, Hykon India; Madhu Ganguly, Head, Global Vertical and Strategic Accounts, AWS India; and Franklin George, MD, dSPACE India.

The summit will also feature an exclusive EV Display, bringing together some of the most advanced electric vehicles from leading global and domestic manufacturers. Mahindra’s Born Electric Vehicles 6 and 9e will make their debut showcase in Kerala, marking a significant milestone for the brand’s electric vehicle expansion in the region. The display will also include cutting-edge EV models such as the Mercedes-Benz EQA and EQS-SUV, Hyundai IONIQ 5, BMW, BMW Motorrad, and BYD, offering visitors a glimpse into the future of sustainable mobility.

In addition to the vehicle showcase, KATS 2025 will host booths from leading automotive technology companies, where industry pioneers will present their latest innovations in infotainment, e-mobility, telematics and autonomous driving solutions. This segment of the summit is set to provide a comprehensive view of the rapidly evolving landscape of electric and intelligent mobility, reinforcing Kerala’s position in the global automotive technology ecosystem.

KATS 2025 is envisaged as a launch pad for establishing Thiruvananthapuram as a global hub for SDV and EV innovation. Kerala, with its robust integration of software, hardware, and clean energy solutions, world-class infrastructure, and engineering talent pool, has the potential to emerge as a front-rank player in the mobility sector.