The modern vehicle is a computing system on wheels

Rajiv Pandey, CTO and VP, Tata Motors, on how software, data, and Al are driving modern business

- By Jatinder Singh | [e-mail]

For much of the past century, the car was defined by mechanical engineering. Power, durability, and manufacturing scale determined success. That hierarchy is now shifting. Software, data, and artificial intelligence are beginning to shape how vehicles are designed, built, and operated.

Tata Motors, says that this transition has unfolded steadily rather than suddenly. The company says that it has been systematically collecting data across vehicles, manufacturing plants, dealers, service networks, and parts logistics since two decades. What started as operational record keeping has since evolved into a system that increasingly influences how decisions are made.

“Data started as something we observed,” says Rajiv Pandey, chief technology officer and vice-president of Tata Motors. “Today, it is something that drives the business.”

That shift, he argues, mirrors a broader change across the automotive industry. “The modern vehicle is no longer just a mechanical product. It is a computing system on wheels, making decisions in real time.”

An industry redefined by software

The automotive sector is undergoing one of its most consequential transitions since the advent of mass production. Electrification, emissions regulation, and changing consumer expectations are forcing manufacturers to compete on intelligence as much as on hardware.