Automotive software developers in India, who are mostly focused on innovations around software-defined vehicle (SDV), are witnessing long development cycles, highest globally, as several regulatory pressures are compounding existing development bottlenecks, reported QNX, a division of BlackBerry Limited, a Canadian software firm that specialises in secure communications and IoT.
The company here on Tuesday said automotive software developers teams in India faced the longest development cycles and highest recall impact due to challenges around regulatory compliance and integration complexity, yet they remained the most resilient and forward-looking in the SDV space.
The firm also said, the majority of automotive software developers across Asia (including India), North America and Europe, expect AI to play a major role in software development in the near term and estimate AI could replace 43% of current roles by 2035.
A study, which surveyed 1,100 automotive software developers across North America, Europe, and Asia, including 100 in India, highlighted the growing strain of long development cycles, integration challenges, and the need for OEMs to rethink their software strategies.
According to QNX, developers are navigating an increasingly complex regulatory landscape. More than one quarter (26%) of Indian respondents reported delayed timelines as a direct result of evolving compliance demands, perhaps unsurprising given that over 500 new regulations and legislative proposals affecting in-car technology were introduced globally in 2024.
Some of these legislative proposals included: software update and OTA mandates, cybersecurity regulations, data privacy laws and functional safety standards including ISO 26262.(international standard standard for functional safety in road vehicles)
A majority of Indian automotive developers believed that automotive OEMs should focus less on foundational software infrastructure development and more on application-layer innovation – a move seen as key to accelerating time-to-market and delivering differentiated consumer experiences.
QNX to power India’s urban rail network
QNX in a separate announcement at the media conference said that its technology has been selected by Medha Servo Drives, a provider of rail automation and control technologies, as its software foundation for a next-generation railway protection system to be deployed across various monorail and metro rail projects throughout India.
At the heart of the deployment is Medha’s Communications-Based Train Control (CBTC) solution, powered by the QNX OS for Safety to enable precise, real-time control of train operations. Designed for integration into a range of urban transit systems, the solution supports safe, efficient, and automated train movement across diverse rail environments, claimed the company.
“We are proud to support Medha in delivering a next-generation CBTC solution for India’s rapidly evolving urban transit landscape,” said Dhiraj Handa, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Asia-Pacific at QNX.
“Our collaboration with QNX marks a significant step forward in modernising India’s transit infrastructure,” said Arunachalam Agastian, General Manager – Signalling at Medha Servo Drives. “With QNX’s proven software foundation, we’re not just meeting safety and reliability benchmarks – we’re setting new standards for automation and control in urban rail. This deployment will help deliver a smarter, safer, and more efficient travel experience for millions of daily commuters,” he added.
BlackBerry stopped designing and manufacturing mobile phones in 2016 and shifted its focus entirely to software and cybersecurity. It’s firm QNX offers operating systems, hypervisors, and development tools for safety-critical embedded systems and it also supports the automotive industry in infotainment, autonomous driving and connected cars in addition to connected devices for medical and industrial systems.
Published – September 23, 2025 11:17 pm IST
