India’s roads remain among the busiest in the world, and improving rider safety has become a shared priority for manufacturers, policymakers and road safety advocates. As two-wheelers continue to dominate personal mobility across the country, integrating advanced safety features into everyday motorcycles and scooters is increasingly seen as a key step toward reducing road fatalities.
Hero MotoCorp, which has been the world’s largest two-wheeler manufacturer by volume for 25+ years, says it aims to democratize intelligent and preventive safety technologies to riders across price segments, reflecting its belief that road safety must be embedded in how vehicles are engineered, how riders are educated and how communities engage with mobility.
In a conversation with The Logical Indian, Mr. Kasbekar, Executive Director and Chief Technology Officer at Hero MotoCorp, discusses how the company is integrating safety innovations into mass-market models, collaborating with institutions under the government’s road safety framework, and designing products for India’s evolving rider demographics.
Edited excerpts:
Making Advanced Safety Features Accessible Across Segments
The Logical Indian: You mentioned that Hero MotoCorp is “democratizing safety through intelligent and preventive features.” As CTO, how is this vision being integrated into entry-level and mass-market models?
Mr. Kasbekar: At Hero MotoCorp, we believe road safety is a shared social responsibility, and technology plays a crucial role in mitigating road fatalities. While education helps change rider behaviour, technology provides an important safety net and our focus is on democratizing safety innovations for two-wheelers. When we talk about democratizing safety, we mean that advanced safety technologies should not remain limited to premium motorcycles but should reach everyday riders across India.
By integrating smart technologies into our core portfolio, we are ensuring that riders across India can benefit from the world’s most advanced safety innovations. We have brought significant rigour and intelligence into our New Product Development (NPD) process. Our approach is to bring what were once considered “big-bike” safety features into everyday motorcycles and scooters in a scalable way.
For instance, Hero MotoCorp has been among the first to introduce features such as Alternate Light Unit (ALU) and Panic Brake Alert in commuter models like the Glamour and Xoom. The Xoom 110 also features Intelligent Corner Bending Headlamps, a segment-exclusive technology designed to illuminate blind spots during turns.
In the commuter-premium segment, the Xtreme 125R is the first in its category to offer Dual Channel ABS, providing braking stability typically associated with higher-displacement motorcycles. This is complemented by the Panic Brake Alert system, available on both the Xtreme 125R and Xtreme 160R 4V, which automatically flashes the tail lamp and indicators during sudden braking to alert trailing vehicles.
For performance and adventure riders, models like the Xtreme 250R and Xpulse 210 come equipped with LED winkers with hazard indicators to improve visibility during emergency situations or adverse weather conditions. Additionally, all our motorcycles include side-stand detection systems to make everyday riding safer.
Our long-term vision is clear: safety should not be determined by price point, but by responsibility.
Integrating Technology & Partnerships For Safer Roads
The Logical Indian: The Ride Safe India campaign aligns with the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways’ 5Es framework. How is Hero MotoCorp addressing the Engineering, Education Enforcement aspects?
Mr. Kasbekar: Our commitment to safer mobility rests on two inseparable pillars: Social Responsibility and Technological Breakthroughs. Our road safety initiatives are aligned with the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways’ 5E framework: Engineering, Education, Enforcement, Emergency Care, and Enactment (policy), ensuring a holistic, data-driven approach that integrates infrastructure, behaviour, regulation, and institutional mechanisms to deliver measurable and long-term impact.
From an engineering perspective, our approach combines regulatory compliance with proactive innovation. We are integrating intelligent and preventive safety technologies into entry-level and mass-market models in a scalable manner. Our new product development process follows strict safety validation standards supported by best-in-class testing infrastructure.
Hero MotoCorp operates extensive testing facilities with 14 different track types spanning over 17 kilometres, allowing us to validate vehicle safety and performance under diverse conditions. Our ecosystem also includes modern test laboratories, advanced simulation tools and the use of AI and machine learning to strengthen safety validation during vehicle development. Our systems are calibrated specifically for mixed road usage. We focus on identifying “vulnerable road users”.
We are also working on advanced technologies such as Advanced Rider Assistance Systems (ARAS), which include features like collision alerts and stability aids that act as a “second pair of eyes” for the rider. Also, telematics can be used to provide riders with behavioral ‘nudges’— feedback on their riding style, patterns, etc. which could help a whole generation become safer, more self-aware riders.
From an ecosystem standpoint, we believe long-term change requires sustained collaboration, not one-off interventions. Through our decade-long Ride Safe India initiative, we have positively impacted over 1.67 lakh individuals to date through structured rider training programmes, community awareness drives, and on-ground interventions such as traffic parks and safe riding modules.
We have been working closely with government institutions, traffic police authorities, and regional transport offices to embed road safety into everyday behaviour, targeting students, women riders, and gig workers, while also supporting safer school zones and community-led engagement.
By combining on-ground execution with sustained multi-stakeholder partnerships, the initiative continues to scale impact across cities and communities, reinforcing road safety as a shared, everyday responsibility rather than a one-time campaign.
Designing Two-Wheelers For India’s Changing Rider Demographics
As India’s rider base diversifies across urban commuters, rural users, women riders and gig workers, vehicle design is increasingly focused on ergonomics, accessibility and rider confidence.
The Logical Indian: As rider demographics evolve across urban and rural markets, how is Hero MotoCorp incorporating diverse user needs into product and safety design?
Mr. Kasbekar: India’s rider base is evolving rapidly, with growing participation from urban commuters, rural riders, women riders and gig economy workers.
At Hero MotoCorp, ergonomics and accessibility are central to our product development philosophy. Factors such as seat height optimization, weight distribution, maneuverability and intuitive controls are carefully designed to ensure comfort and safety across different rider groups.
Safety is not only about braking systems. It also involves stability, visibility, rider posture and overall confidence while riding.
By understanding the needs of diverse rider segments, we aim to create motorcycles and scooters that are accessible, confidence-inspiring and safe across demographics.
Ultimately, technology must serve the rider. Whether across internal combustion engine platforms or electric mobility solutions, our goal remains consistent: making mobility safer, more intuitive and more inclusive for every Indian rider.
Training Delivery Riders As First Responders
With the rise of the gig economy, delivery riders have become one of the most visible groups on Indian roads. Initiatives such as Surakshit Saathi aim to equip them with safety training and emergency response skills.
The Logical Indian: The Surakshit Saathi initiative aims to train delivery executives as first responders. How is Hero MotoCorp ensuring the program leads to sustained safer riding practices?
Mr. Kasbekar: Delivery riders represent one of the most exposed groups on Indian roads today. Through the Surakshit Saathi initiative, we aim to train and empower more than 2,500 delivery executives initially, with plans to scale the program to 5,000 participants as it progresses.
The program follows a 1.5-hour hybrid format conducted at Traffic Parks, combining emergency response training with behavioural guidance and practical riding interventions.
Participants undergo scenario-based, simulation-led and practice-oriented sessions delivered in partnership with the International Road Federation. The training focuses on real-world riding challenges such as speed management under delivery pressure, helmet compliance, traffic discipline, night riding awareness and intersection judgement.
The initiative also includes a First Responder component where participants are trained in trauma response, golden hour awareness and emergency escalation procedures.
The larger objective is to create safety ambassadors within the gig economy who can influence peer behaviour organically and encourage sustained adoption of safer riding practices.
Measuring The Long-Term Impact Of Road Safety Initiatives
With road accidents continuing to be a significant public safety challenge in India, measuring the effectiveness of safety programs has become just as important as implementing them.
The Logical Indian: Hero MotoCorp has impacted over 1.6 million people through its road safety initiatives. How do you evaluate their effectiveness and long-term behavioural impact?
Mr. Kasbekar: We use a multi-level measurement framework to evaluate the effectiveness of our programs.
For over a decade, our flagship initiative Ride Safe India has been central to our CSR strategy and reflects our long-term vision of creating a zero-fatality road ecosystem.
At the first level, we track implementation indicators such as the number of individuals trained, the geographical spread of programs and the scale of institutional partnerships.
To assess behavioural change, we conduct pre- and post-training assessments and collaborate with traffic police authorities to observe behavioural patterns on the road.
We also measure systems-level indicators such as the integration of safety programs with enforcement agencies and the adoption of structured safety modules by partner institutions like schools.
Importantly, we continuously refine our programs based on participant feedback and align them with global road safety frameworks such as the WHO Safe Systems approach and Vision Zero models, focusing on the integration of Education, Engineering, Enforcement, Emergency Care and Evaluation.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
Improving road safety in India requires more than regulations, it demands collective responsibility, innovation and awareness.
Efforts that bring advanced safety technologies to everyday riders and promote community-based training reflect an important step toward a safer mobility culture.
Initiatives that prioritise accessibility, education and responsible riding can help foster empathy on the roads, encouraging motorists to view safety not just as compliance, but as a shared commitment to protecting lives.
