Maruti Suzuki’s Dr Tapan Sahoo Calls for Re-Engineering Trust in the Digital Mobility Era

Why It Matters

Without robust, built‑in cybersecurity, the rapid expansion of connected vehicles could expose manufacturers to costly breaches, eroding consumer confidence and hindering digital transformation across the automotive sector.

Key Takeaways

• Connected vehicles increase automotive cyber risk exponentially
• Security must be integrated from day one
• Legacy systems need simultaneous protection with new platforms
• Continuous monitoring essential for threat visibility
• Trust re‑engineering critical for scalable digital mobility

Pulse Analysis

The automotive landscape is shifting from pure mechanical engineering to a complex digital mobility network where vehicles act as data hubs. This transition fuels new revenue streams—over‑the‑air updates, predictive services, and shared mobility platforms—but also expands the attack surface. Trust, once taken for granted in traditional manufacturing, now hinges on how securely data moves between cars, cloud services, and third‑party partners. Companies that embed trust at the architectural level will differentiate themselves in a market where consumers demand both innovation and safety.

Cyber risk in the sector does not rise linearly; each additional connected function multiplies potential vulnerabilities. Sahoo’s call for security‑by‑design reflects a broader industry consensus that retrofitting protection is too costly and often ineffective. OEMs must adopt zero‑trust principles, enforce rigorous code‑review pipelines, and embed threat‑modeling into every development sprint. Simultaneously, legacy vehicle platforms—still in service across millions of units—require continuous patching and secure communication gateways to prevent exploitation of older, less resilient systems.

Re‑engineering trust also reshapes the broader ecosystem of suppliers, dealers, and service providers. As data flows across multiple stakeholders, standardized security frameworks and real‑time monitoring become non‑negotiable. Regulators are tightening mandates around vehicle cybersecurity, pushing firms toward transparent incident‑response processes. For Maruti Suzuki and peers, aligning these practices with carbon‑neutral and electrification goals creates a unified roadmap where sustainability, digital innovation, and security reinforce each other, ensuring long‑term competitiveness in the digital mobility era.