NEW DELHI: Union road transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari on Thursday announced that India will roll out vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication technology that will bring the number of road accidents significantly down. The technology, according to the minister, will enable cars to directly communicate with one another and issue automatic warnings to drivers.
The system, currently deployed in a few countries, allows vehicles to exchange safety alerts without entering a mobile or internet network, Gadkari said.
Gadkari said V2V communication will work across the front, rear and sides of vehicles, and will factor in terrain and road curves, allowing alerts even when hazards are hidden from a driver’s line of sight. The technology will be integrated within Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), substantially enhancing their effectiveness.
He said the estimated cost of the system would be ₹5,000– ₹7,000 per vehicle. The ministry is finalising standards and regulations, after which a notification will mandate installation in new vehicles first, followed by retrofitting in older vehicles.
To support its implementation, the department of telecommunications will provide free spectrum under the National Frequency Allocation Plan, allowing vehicle manufacturers and on-board unit makers to deploy the system without additional spectrum costs. Gadkari said the government aims to fully implement the technology within the current year.
Explaining how the move will strengthen existing safety features, V. Umashankar, secretary, ministry of road transport and highways, said the new system would complement ADAS by expanding what vehicles can respond to. “ADAS today largely depends on what the vehicle’s sensors can detect,” Umashankar said. “V2V communication adds another layer by enabling vehicles to warn each other about hazards beyond visual range—around curves, in poor visibility or when an obstruction is hidden—allowing earlier and automatic intervention.”
Sudipto Mukherjee, vehicle safety and intelligent transport systems expert at IIT Delhi, said, “In principle, V2V can significantly strengthen ADAS by allowing vehicles to share warnings even when a hazard is not visible, such as around curves or in poor visibility. The real assessment, however, will be how it performs in on-road social context.” He also cautioned of complexities involving situations where vehicles both with and without V2V operate.
As of 2024, over 20 million vehicles were equipped with V2V-ready onboard units, with Asia-Pacific contributing 24% of deployments, said an industry estimate. (Congruence Market Insights’ Vehicle-To-Vehicle Communication Market Intelligence report)
Gadakri was addressing reporters at the conclusion of the two-day annual consultation between MoRTH and state transport departments.
Other than V2V, the minister also said that a comprehensive cashless scheme for the treatment of road survivors and good Samaritans will be launched by the Prime Minister.
In light of recent sleeper bus fire incidents, he said from September 2025 only original manufacturers built bus bodies will be allowed and all buses need to have fire detection systems. Furthermore, all public buses will be made disability-friendly with hydraulic lifts and wheelchair access.