The Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) successfully organized the 1st Summit on Automotive Future Advancement in Road Safety (SAFAR) at Bharat Mandapam, Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, on the sidelines of the Bharat Mobility Global Expo 2025. The event, themed “United Efforts for Road Safety: Safer Roads, Our Responsibility”, aimed to foster collaborative approaches to improving road safety in India through impactful discussions, interactive activities, and innovative initiatives.
The summit commenced with an opening session, where key dignitaries addressed the audience on “Driving a People-Centric Future: A Vision for Safer Roads in India”, and included two impactful Panel Discussion Sessions. The sessions featured high-level discussions, engaging strategies, and innovative initiatives to address key challenges and solutions for road safety.
During the Opening Session, the SIAM’s “Surakshit Safar Initiative Report (2025-2026)” booklet was launched by the Chied Guest Mr. V Umashankar, Secretary, Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, Government of India, which offers a comprehensive coverage of SIAM initiatives on road safety in FY25.
Welcoming the dignitaries, Prashant K Banerjee, Executive Director, SIAM, said, “This is a momentous occasion as we organize this significant event during Road Safety Month. With 80% of India’s annual vehicle population comprising two-wheelers, who are among the most vulnerable road users, it is crucial to address this concern. This is the perfect time to reaffirm our commitment to safer roads and responsibly contribute to nation-building.”
Second and last Panel Discussion Session, themed “Pivotal Role of Engineering, Emergency Care and Evaluation in Improving Road Safety”, focused on collaboration among stakeholders, public awareness and engagement in road safety efforts. Prashant K Banerjee moderated the session, which was graced by road safety stakeholders across the industries.
The summit also featured a range of interactive activities for public engagement and road safety awareness, including the “Road Safety Awareness Run”, with participation from over 1,200 students. The event was flagged off by the summit’s Chief guest. Highlighting the importance of road safety, the run was organized on the side of the Surakshit Safar Pavilion, which beckons attendees through its four gates for 4Es of Road safety. With interactive VR games, simulators, vehicle models as well as “CPR Training & Certification” on display, the pavilion saw great participation from visitors. Additionally, school students showcased their creativity through competitions including poster-making, show and tell, extempore speech, road safety qawwali, nukkad natak (street play) on road safety themes, and daily street plays. Attendees also experienced an immersive VR journey into road safety, focusing on two-wheeler riding safety, four-wheeler driving safety, and pedestrian safety awareness.