Tata Motors joins hands with Microsoft to focus on connected car tech

Tata Motors and Microsoft India on Thursday announced a strategic agreement to develop connected and personalised driving experiences for Indian customers.

As per the deal, the Indian auto major will leverage Microsoft's connected vehicle technologies that bring together artificial intelligence (AI), advanced machine learning, and the Internet of Things (IoT) capabilities on the global hyper-scale Azure cloud. This will help to create a personalised, smart and safer driving experience for driver according to the company statement.

Also read: Is Tata Elxsi planning to test driverless cars on Bengaluru roads?

Using Microsoft technology will help Tata Motors to provide connectivity features on mass-market vehicles at affordable prices. The connected services and applications are expected to aid people to stay connected, while maximise better use of in-car free time. Microsoft Azure cloud computing technologies will allow advanced navigation, predictive maintenance and vehicle centric services, remote monitoring of car features, external mobile experiences and over-the-air updates.

Tata Motors cars in future may provide vehicle owners proactive point-of-interest, shopping and route assist recommendations based on profile and location data. Service alerts based on vehicle health data and updating key vehicle settings remotely over the cloud are other benefits.

The technologies will also allow vehicle owners to increase safety, optimise vehicle performance by avoiding roadblocks and rough terrain. By unifying navigation, data elements like maps, weather, traffic, and parking the solution can deliver optimised routing.

"We are excited to partner with Tata Motors as they embark on a new journey of innovation with Microsoft Azure cloud. Using IoT, AI and machine learning technologies, we will provide vehicle owners in India and across the world with a safe, productive and fun driving experience," said Microsoft India President Anant Maheshwari.

The first vehicle showcasing the enhanced driving experiences will be unveiled at the 87th Geneva International Motor Show on March 7. It will also be the first product of Tata Motor's new sub-brand TAMO. The product is rumoured to be a two-seater sports car dubbed as Futuro.