Smart Highways, Connected Mobility: How ATMS and V2X Will Save Lives on India's Roads
Imagine 2030. Fog on the expressway. A truck stalls 2 km ahead. Before you can see it, your car already knows. So does the scooter beside you. The highway control room has already dispatched help. No one crashes.
This is not science fiction. India is building it now. On 27 October 2026, I will moderate Session V: Smart Highways, Connected Mobility: The ATMS–V2V Revolution at the Confederation of Indian Industry’s Highways of India’s Future: Smart, Safe and Sustainable at Hotel Taj Mansingh, New Delhi. Here is why this conversation matters, and where India is heading.
Why India needs smart highways now
India lost 1,77,175 lives in road crashes in 2024, about 485 every single day, according to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways’ Road Accidents in India 2024 report. National Highways form only about 2% of the road network, yet account for 36.6% of these deaths. Two-wheeler riders alone make up 46.2% of all fatalities.
Behind every number is a family that waits at the door in vain. Smart highways are not a luxury for India; they are a life-saving necessity. This is the heart of what I call Road Safety 2.0: preventing crashes by design, not merely reacting to them.
2026: India's breakthrough year for ITS and safe mobility
In more than three decades in highways and technology, I have not seen a year like this one. Policy, technology and the courts are finally moving together:
- Electronic enforcement with purpose. The Electronic Enforcement SOP, reinforced by Supreme Court directions in September 2026, links violation detection by AI cameras and IoT sensors to e-challans and e-courts, enabling faceless and efficient enforcement.
- The next-gen ITMS/ATMS boom. The Union Cabinet approved a ₹1,790 crore AI-powered Intelligent Traffic Management System for Delhi. Bihar has approved its AI-enabled ITMS, and Jaipur, Bhubaneswar, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Surat and many more cities are in the pipeline. ATMS is planned across 52,647 km of National Highways and expressways. Read my detailed guide to ITMS in India.
- Barrier-free tolling. India moved to Multi-Lane Free Flow (MLFF) tolling on National Highways. The first plazas processed 1.1 crore vehicles in three months, with 121 plazas planned.
- Spectrum for V2X. The Department of Telecommunications delicensed the 5.875–5.925 GHz band for vehicle-to-everything communication.
- AIS-230: a world first. MoRTH’s draft notification proposes mandatory V2V communication in every new vehicle, including two-wheelers, from October 2028. No country has done this before.
- PM RAHAT. Cashless treatment of up to ₹1.5 lakh for road crash victims, protecting the golden hour.
- A breakthrough for active travel. The Supreme Court declared the right to walk on safe footpaths a fundamental right.
ATMS gives highways eyes. V2X gives them a voice.
Advanced Traffic Management Systems (ATMS) are the eyes and control room of a highway. AI-based video incident detection, number-plate recognition, speed displays, variable message signs and command centres detect incidents, warn road users and dispatch help within the golden hour.
But ATMS sees the road from the outside and speaks to drivers mainly through roadside signs. V2X (Vehicle-to-Everything) communication closes that gap. Vehicles, roadside units, control centres and vulnerable road users exchange warnings in milliseconds, even beyond line of sight: in fog, at night, around a blind curve.
The real value lies in convergence. An ATMS that detects a stalled truck, fog or a wrong-way vehicle should broadcast that warning straight into every approaching vehicle, while anonymised vehicle data flows back to the control centre. The future is when the road talks to every vehicle on it. I explain the technology in depth in my V2X and C-V2X guide for India.
Why two-wheelers must come first
Nearly half of India’s road deaths are two-wheeler riders. Most die not because they were not seen, but because they were not seen in time. With V2V:
- The truck driver knows a scooter is in the blind spot.
- The bus driver is alerted before turning into a motorcyclist.
- The rider is warned of a vehicle closing in from behind, in fog or at night.
When every vehicle can “see” every two-wheeler, the biggest killer on Indian roads loses its power. That is why India’s decision to include two-wheelers in AIS-230 is world-first thinking.
The way forward
- A clear owner and PPP model to build and run roadside units, so vehicles and roads grow together.
- OEMs, telcos and industry moving in step to meet the 2028 AIS-230 deadline without dilution.
- ITS for every Indian: solutions that protect the rider on a ₹70,000 bike, not just the premium car.
- Trust in enforcement: minimal false detections and a simple, fair way to challenge an incorrect challan.
Join the conversation at CII, New Delhi
I am honoured to share the stage with Shri Vishal Chauhan (Chairman, IHMCL, and Member, NHAI), Shri RS Singh (DDG, Department of Telecommunications), Anoop G. Prabhu (Vehant Technologies), Suman Sehra (HARMAN Automotive), Rajat Mishra (EFKON STRABAG) and Arindam Das (Qualcomm), on a day featuring Hon’ble Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Shri Nitin Gadkari Ji.
📍 Hotel Taj Mansingh, New Delhi | 🗓️ 27 October 2026 | ⏰ 3:05 PM
See all my upcoming events and past keynotes, including the ITS World Congress 2026 in Gangneung, South Korea.
Smarter highways. Safer journeys. Every life returns home.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is V2X and how will it improve road safety in India?
V2X (Vehicle-to-Everything) lets vehicles, roadside infrastructure and road users exchange safety warnings in milliseconds, without depending on mobile network coverage. It can warn drivers of hidden hazards such as stalled vehicles, wrong-way drivers, sudden braking and two-wheelers in blind spots.
What is AIS-230?
AIS-230 is India’s proposed Automotive Industry Standard for vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication. Under MoRTH’s draft notification of August 2026, V2V would become mandatory in all new two-wheelers, three-wheelers, cars, buses and trucks from 1 October 2028.
What is the difference between ATMS and ITMS?
ATMS (Advanced Traffic Management System) is typically deployed on highways and expressways for incident detection, enforcement and traveller information. ITMS (Intelligent Traffic Management System) is the urban equivalent, managing traffic signals, junctions and enforcement in cities.
Who is Akhilesh Srivastava?
Akhilesh Srivastava is the President of the ITS India Forum and a global technology leader in intelligent transport and road safety. He is the former COO of IHMCL (FASTag), former CEO of NHAI InvIT and former Chief General Manager at NHAI, and leads the World Economic Forum’s Road Safety 2.0 initiative in India. He is the author of A Dream of Billions: Road Safety 2.0, Artificial Intelligence in Infrastructure Development, Digital Construction Management and Construction Industry 2.0.
About the author
Akhilesh Srivastava is President of the ITS India Forum, Chairman of the Bitumen India Forum, Chair of the CII Road Safety Committee and Road Safety Ambassador of the International Road Federation. An IIT gold medallist and former COO of FASTag, he advises governments and global organisations on intelligent transport, digital infrastructure and road safety.
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