India, Aug. 9 -- Union minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari on Friday said collaboration among the government, academia, industry and research institutions is essential to build a robust automotive cybersecurity ecosystem in India as connected and software-defined vehicles become increasingly common.

Gadkari made the remarks while virtually inaugurating the "Automotive Cybersecurity Principals Meet 2026", organised in Pune by the Central Institute of Road Transport (CIRT) and partner organisations.

He said automotive cybersecurity is now directly linked to road safety, public safety, national security and consumer confidence.

"Cybersecurity is no longer limited to protecting vehicles alone. It has become a critical pi...