Cars in India are entering a more connected era, and the next logical step could be cars communicating with each other. In August 2026, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways proposed a phased roll out of Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) communication. V2V communication could potentially become mandatory for new L, M and N category vehicles manufactured from October 1, 2028 as per the draft rules.

What Is V2V Communication?

V2V communication enables cars to communicate with each other on a close range and share information like speed, position, direction, and acceleration in real-time. The idea is simple. It involves having the car warn the driver of any potential danger that it detects beyond the driver's line of sight, and provide a warning before the driver can actually see the danger.

Some potential safety applications for the technology are

sudden-braking alerts, forward-collision warnings, wrong-way alerts, emergency-vehicle warnings, and warnings of oncoming traffic hidden by corners or blocked views. Unlike conventional cameras and radars, V2V communication can go beyond the line of sight and is meant to be an add-on to current Advanced Driver-Assist Systems (ADAS).

What Changes For Indian Drivers?

For now, buyers can only hope that connected safety technology becomes yet another feature that comes standard with airbags, ADAS, better brakes or crash-test ratings. The proposed system will make use of C-V2X technology and the 5.875–5.925 GHz spectrum, with the technical, performance and cybersecurity requirements specified in the AIS-230. It also represents a shift towards the connected and digital future of vehicle ownership. Indian drivers are already managing a lot digitally from RC details and insurance renewals to PUC, FASTag, and challan checks. Managing the car's connectivity and digital information could eventually become another aspect of vehicle ownership.

Is V2V Communication The Same As Self-Driving Cars?

Not really.

V2V communication is a connectivity and safety technology. While it does enable cars to communicate with each other and warn the drivers, it does not mean that the car will be able to drive itself.

The Connected Car Is Only One Part of Digital Vehicle Ownership

As vehicles become more connected, the way owners manage them is changing too. Today, drivers can already handle routine tasks such as RC details, insurance, PUC, FASTag and challan checking digitally.

Platforms such as MyMotor bring these services together, while its GloveBox feature helps owners access important vehicle documents through DigiLocker.

This shift from connected vehicles communicating with each other to owners managing vehicle information digitally shows how technology is becoming part of everyday vehicle ownership.

The Bigger Picture

India's automotive technology ecosystem is witnessing a transition from driving cars that are aware of their surroundings to driving cars that share information with each other and the environment. If the proposed rules are approved, the cars of the future may be able to see more than just their surroundings.