From left) Alexander Schoen, Chief Financial Officer of Daimler India Commercial Vehicles and Ashwin Mahalingam, Dean (Alumni and Corporate Relations), IIT Madras with the MoUs signed on January 30, 2026
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
The Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) and Daimler India Commercial Vehicles have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to develop a rating system for commercial driving. The system would be designed in a way that rating system is made an essential component of commercial driving, insurance, and background checks. The partnership would seek to develop a technology stack to build a digital public infrastructure before a nationwide rollout.
The driver rating system will use data-driven approaches that leverage smartphone-based inputs and sensor data. The system aims to fill the void left behind due to the absence of a comprehensive regulatory framework for monitoring driver performance, safety, and well-being, weak enforcement of policies, and inconsistent standards and limited accountability within the sector.
The driver rating system would incentivise responsible driving improving safety and compliance while also enabling tracking of vehicles real time, a press release stated.
Gitakrishnan Ramadurai, Professor, Transportation Engineering Division, IIT Madras, Alexander Schoen, Chief Financial Officer, Daimler India Commercial Vehicles, and Ashwin Mahalingam, Dean – Alumni and Corporate Relations, IIT Madras, were present.
Published – February 03, 2026 03:12 pm IST
