3 Questions for… Anup Sable, CTO of KPIT
“Global OEMs are under pressure”
Co-inventor of 4 patents in the areas of electric vehicle technology and automotive safety: Anup Sable.
KPIT
“Speed of change” is the most critical KPI in SDV strategy, says Anup Sable—because innovation must be fast, efficient, and scalable to succeed in the global race. As CTO of KPIT, he is one of this year’s AEK speakers, whom we interviewed ahead of the conference.
As whole-time Director and Chief Technology Officer of KPIT, Anup
Sable brings over three decades of experience in leading automotive software
innovation. Ahead of his talk at the Automobil-Elektronik Kongress 2025, he
shares why "speed of change" is more than a performance metric—it's
the key enabler of SDV competitiveness.
In the past, he has
held a position on the Board of Directors of GENIVI Alliance. He was also a
member of the NASSCOM engineering council, where he supported the council’s
vision of making companies in India achieve the ‘Engineered in India’ dream.
In this interview,
Sable outlines how KPIT measures and accelerates the time to release new
features, why agility in SDV development requires rethinking the entire
operating model, and how AI and modular architectures will shape the future of
automotive software development.
ADT: Why is the speed of change the most
critical KPI in SDV strategy?
Sable: The SDV is not just
a technological evolution—it is a business transformation. At its core lies a
promise: to deliver continuous innovation, enhanced customer experience, and
new revenue streams through software. We have seen that the first generation of
SDV programs struggled due to fragmented architectures and weak integration
processes. Global OEMs are under pressure: over 40% of recalls in 2024 were
software-related, and more than half of new SDV launches since 2020 have been
delayed. The problem of program delay is further amplified by the “consumer
euphoria” caused by Chinese OEMs such as Xpeng, Zeekr, Huawei, NIO, and many
more who are redefining the pace of innovation. These players are launching
feature-rich vehicles with advanced autonomy, immersive cockpits, and OTA
capabilities—often at significantly lower cost and with faster cycles. Their
ability to compress development timelines and scale software updates across
models is setting a new benchmark for the industry. Hence, the “SDV promise” is
only as strong as the ability to deliver change and innovation—fast. At KPIT,
we define the “speed of change” as the time it takes to conceptualize, develop,
validate, and release new features or updates. This is the most critical KPI
because it directly impacts customer satisfaction, monetization potential, and
competitiveness.
We can say that “speed of change” is also a proxy for architectural maturity.
We have learned that harmonized E/E architectures and modular, reusable
software stacks are most essential to accelerate change.
How does KPIT Technologies measure
and improve the time to release new features and updates?
We measure
time-to-release using a combination of metrics across the software lifecycle,
covering all phases from feature definition to integration, validation, and
deployment. Key indicators include the feature lead time from concept to
release, the integration cycle time across domains and ECUs, as well as the
early identification of errors within the V cycle. In addition, we track
validation coverage along with an automation index, and we assess OTA readiness
together with deployment velocity. To systematically improve these metrics, we
have institutionalised a "Shift Left" approach. This involves moving
validation and integration earlier in the development cycle, enabled by the use
of virtual ECUs, digital twins, and AI-assisted test automation. Within this
approach, continuous integration and validation are conducted across both
virtual and physical environments, which significantly reduces validation time.
We also utilise accelerators such as the AURORA Software Hub—with timing and
functional analysis tools at the E/E architecture level—alongside BaSIK, our
Base Software Integration Kit, and UniKore, a Unified Toolchain. Complementing
these are AI-based triaging and coding tools, all of which serve to reduce
manual effort and enhance predictability. Moreover, we work with a structured
repository of test scenarios across various domains to streamline validation.
These elements are not isolated tools, but part of a broader, systemic
transformation in the way we build and release software.
What strategies are employed to
maintain agility in software development for SDVs?
Agility
in SDV development is not just about adopting Agile rituals—it’s about
rethinking the entire operating model. At KPIT, we focus on several strategic
levers to maintain this agility. One of the most important is a modular,
data-first architecture that harmonizes communication and software structures
while streamlining high-speed Ethernet. Another central aspect is the
deliberate decoupling of software from hardware: by designing software stacks
with clear separations between hardware, middleware, and applications, we
enable parallel workflows across teams and significantly reduce integration
friction. We also emphasize the use of open APIs and scalable middleware. This
strategy fosters open innovation for non-differentiating components and allows
us to separate ease of development from the complexity of deployment. In
addition, our integrated DevOps approach, in combination with virtualization,
supports CI/CD pipelines that are tightly connected with virtual test
environments. This enables early and continuous validation, reduces defect
leakage, and accelerates iteration cycles. Cross-functional collaboration is
equally critical. We embed domain experts, system architects, and validation
engineers directly into agile squads. Governance in these teams is not based on
timelines alone but is guided by performance indicators such as defect density,
test coverage, and release velocity. Lastly, we are increasingly leveraging
artificial intelligence to support a more augmented approach to software
development and validation across the board. Externally, we collaborate closely
with ecosystem partners, including semiconductor firms, cloud providers, and
open-source communities, to ensure our teams remain ahead of technological
trends. Internally, we invest consistently in upskilling our workforce,
integrating AI-assisted development methods, and fostering a strong culture of
ownership and innovation.
