Decoding MapmyIndia and Qualcomm’s deal, Airtel’s complexity and TikTok unbanned

We’ll discuss a bit concerning the intersection of automobiles and expertise this week. Maybe, a refreshing break from an incessant AI chatter. I’ll begin with a quite fascinating announcement that dropped just a few days in the past. Indian mapping specialists MapmyIndia and international chip making giants Qualcomm will likely be working collectively to make tech for automobiles, business autos and 2-wheelers. I’ve a sense you’ll be interfacing with the rising expertise options , within the subsequent line of auto launches later in 2025. A little bit of context right here, since MapmyIndia has been within the information just lately. In December, the corporate detailed plans to emerge its B2C, or enterprise to shopper vertical, into an impartial entity (shares dropped round 4%, within the aftermath). Now, with the Qualcomm partnership being the primary huge announcement because the company realignment, the imaginative and prescient’s turning into clearer (inventory went up round 4%). Final 12 months, I spoke with Rohan Verma who was then the CEO of the corporate—and he talked about combating in an area dominated by Google Maps, specializing in constructing distinctive options and constructing options for governments too, resembling an emergency system that works with catastrophe response businesses to analyse water degree and predict modifications utilizing AI. I’m sure there’s extra to come back from MapmyIndia, with B2B and B2C.

Again to the matter at hand, which is underlined by the truth that Qualcomm’s broad spectrum Snapdragon Digital Chassis platform will now discover a layer of MapmyIndia’s experience. That’ll be mapping, as an example, with cloud-based connectivity than we’re maybe accustomed to. Each corporations make it clear, the concept is to combine in-car connectivity to ‘mid-tier and low-tier autos’. Which means extra reasonably priced autos will get extra related options. For now, the ballpark tends to be upwards of ₹10,00,000 for a automotive to have the good-to-have connectivity choices resembling built-in mapping and smartphone based mostly monitoring.
The define is obvious—MapmyIndia will use the make the most of Qualcomm Applied sciences’ Snapdragon Auto Connectivity Platform and likewise combine Snapdragon Automotive-to-Cloud Companies with its MAPPLS automotive providers to create complete (after all, customisable as a carmaker calls for it) answer for 2W, 4W and business autos that make the most of the Snapdragon Digital Chassis answer. Car administration and person information, maps and navigation in addition to a number of different providers (typically extra related for business autos which can be a part of bigger fleets).
Just a few days in the past, Qualcomm introduced a bunch of partnerships with automakers together with Indian model Mahindra, with generative AI as the important thing element. There may be additionally affirmation that Mahindra’s upcoming BE 6 and XEV 9e electrical autos, are powered by the Snapdragon Digital Chassis and Snapdragon Cockpit Platform. That is one instance of the place Qualcomm’s partnership with MapmyIndia, might discover simple integration. Qualcomm can also be working with Hyundai to develop the next-generation superior driver help techniques (ADAS) and digital cockpit techniques.
INTERESTS?
At first look, most of you could have brushed apart this official launch as one thing quite innocent. However after I noticed it, the alarm bells went off. Bharti Airtel and Bajaj Finance have entered right into a “strategic partnership”, the concept being to leverage Airtel’s 370 million (and counting) use base for Bajaj Finance’s claimed 27 product traces. Let me simplify this for you — Airtel’s touchpoints together with the Thanks app for smartphones and even Airtel’s bodily shops, will likely be used to promote monetary providers. If you happen to’re considering of this as a competitor to Jio Finance, you’d be completely on level.
Enterprise dealings aren’t the explanation I’m fearful, and that is no totally different. As a substitute, my worries stem from how this partnership successfully implies that the numerous, many numbers utilized by the Bajaj Finance tele-calling military, to spam customers, will seemingly now not be marked as “suspected spam”. Airtel after all hasn’t stated something on these traces (after all they wouldn’t), however that is at odds with the community degree spam detection warning label Airtel was excitedly speaking up just some months in the past.
I’ve stated it earlier than and I’ll say it once more — this is the reason you want Truecaller in your telephone, if you happen to actually are severe about spam name warnings. Much more so, since they’ve simply launched the overhauled app for iPhones, with dwell caller identification. They don’t have these distractions alongside the best way (at the least not until now), resembling attempting to construct a monetary providers platform to compete with Jio’s app. A spam combating community is barely combating spam, until the spammers don’t change into mates. It’s the best way of the company world.
MOVE
Again to the automobiles and expertise conversations. Name it the Auto Expo or the Bharat Mobility Expo, the dimensions doesn’t change and neither does the curiosity of the lots. This version was no totally different, with quite a lot of new automotive launches taking the headlines (as they need to, this technology of automobiles is probably going a particular step ahead in most features). Just a few themes stood out extra prominently, and I’ll take this chance to run you thru these.

- Electrical autos (EVs), not fully surprisingly, is the place most automotive makers are specializing in. Mahindra made their bets clear with the BE 6 and the XEV 9e just a few weeks in the past, and the competitors panorama can also be shaping up. The necessity of the hour, if EV adoption in India is to extend, is affordability (alongside public charging infra). The decrease the higher, to summarise this. Having extra choices within the ₹10 lakh and ₹20 lakh worth band is essential. That appears to be occurring with Hyundai Creta EV and certain the Maruti eVitara (costs haven’t been introduced, however they’ll compete with the Creta EV).

- Even past the extra worth centered EVs which can be anticipated to (considerably) gentle up the gross sales charts, electrical mobility could be very a lot in Vogue. Kia’s EV6 and EV9, the Tata Harrier.EV, the returning Tata Sierra in an EV avatar, and the MG Cyberstar electrical sports activities automotive underline that broad development which nonetheless isn’t backed by gross sales figures. Based on official information, whole EV gross sales for the 12 months 2024 was pegged at 14,08,245 models—the important thing right here is, this contains electrical 2W and business autos, which might have made the foremost chunk of those numbers. Complete inside combustion engine car gross sales in the identical interval? Round 43 lakh models.
- SUVs proceed to be standard. The primary glimpses of the Tata Harrier.EV, a much-awaited Tata Harrier petrol, the brand new Skoda Kodiaq and the MG Majestor level to this. Clearly, Indian automotive patrons are blissful shelling cash for a kind issue that doesn’t at all times have the very best driving dynamics, or use of area contained in the cabin. Preferences, as they are saying.
TICK-TOCK
The ban was being celebrated. Making America nice once more, maybe. Then the rug was pulled, and an un-banning was equally celebrated. We nonetheless don’t know what’s up between america and TikTok, and I for positive can’t say with certainty what the state of affairs will likely be by the point you learn this. The Trump administration has put ahead the proposal that “a three way partnership between the present homeowners and/or new homeowners whereby the U.S. will get a 50% possession in a three way partnership setup…”—at the least that’s what Donald Trump defined in a put up on Fact Social. Let’s see how this unfolds, inside a window of 75 days.