India’s VLTD mandate signals a national commitment to matching faster mobility with stronger public safety, powered by connected device eSIM technology.
India is moving faster than ever. Its highways are expanding, cities are stretching, logistics networks are deepening, and public transport is carrying the aspirations of a country on the move. The Supreme Court’s direction to all states and Union Territories to enforce Rule 125H by ensuring the Vehicle Location Tracking Devices, along with emergency buttons, are present in public transport vehicles, should be seen as a strong signal of national commitment: the country’s pace on the road must be matched by an equally sharp focus on public safety.
In the fast lane, with safety at heart
The vehicle manufacturing and retrofitting industry should view this not as a legal reminder but as a call to convert road safety from paperwork into verifiable, live infrastructure. The Court has also tied fitness certificates and permits to verified installation and reflection in the Vahan system, pushing compliance into a national digital workflow. Every bus, taxi, school vehicle, and public transport fleet should become part of a trusted, connected safety network. When vehicles are traceable, emergency alerts are actionable, and compliance is reflected in national digital systems such as Vahan, road safety becomes more than a policy objective. It becomes a living, responsive infrastructure.
The next leap lies in how these devices stay connected. Vehicle Location Tracking Devices are only as effective as the connectivity that supports them. A panic button without a working network is a false promise. A compliance certificate without real-time verification is bureaucracy dressed as reform. The real destination is a trusted device-to-cloud ecosystem where every bus, taxi, school vehicle and public carrier can be located, authenticated, updated and supported across states.
The role of eSIMs in the mandate for verification to be device-linked
Device eSIMs, or embedded eUICC technology, offer that missing link. Unlike removable SIM cards, they can be built into VLTD hardware, remotely provisioned, securely updated and managed across telecom circles. That matters in India, where public transport routes cross districts, networks and jurisdictions every day.
For a country as vast and mobile as India, where vehicles cross districts, states and telecom circles daily, embedded device eSIMs offer a powerful technology enabler. Built into the device, remotely manageable and capable of supporting secure updates, eSIM technology can help make VLTD deployments more reliable, scalable and future-ready – both for new vehicles under design and production as well as those retrofitted.
Kigen’s case for eSIM-enabled vehicle tracking is precisely that flexibility: remote updates for evolving AIS-140 compliance, availability in compact form factors that reduce design re-spins, and can enable retrofitting. Further, extensively supported by all major operators across telecom circles, multi-profile IoT eSIMs enable better uptime with vendor choice, so manufacturers and fitters can serve wider regions without SKU sprawl across India’s transport ecosystem.
Our work in enabling various smart vehicle fleets and retrofitted accurate tracking has also brought the learning that trust must be built in: data minimisation, end to end security through standards for IoT such as GSMA IoT SAFE, and clear audit trails in network operations on the device – all much accompany the VLTD development in a way that is simple for manufacturers. We are committed to this journey with our expertise, driving these standards globally.
Introducing VLTDs and panic buttons affordably with eSIMs
This matters because India’s mobility future will be increasingly digital. Public safety systems, emergency response networks, transport databases, fleet operators and device manufacturers must work as part of one ecosystem. Device eSIMs can help bridge that ecosystem by enabling secure provisioning, remote lifecycle management and stronger continuity of service. In practical terms, this means fewer operational barriers for fleets, better resilience for devices, and more dependable safety outcomes for passengers.
The vision is compelling: a school bus that is visible throughout its journey, a public transport vehicle whose emergency button can trigger a trusted response, a fleet operator who can manage connectivity remotely, and authorities who can verify compliance through digital records rather than fragmented processes. This is road safety designed for a connected India.
The VLTD mandate also creates an opportunity for Indian manufacturing and technology leadership. In a recent discussion with vehicle manufacturers and operators, Vincent Korstanje’s words cast this opportunity in a new light:
“India’s move to make roads safer through trusted digital infrastructure is more than a national mandate; it is a blueprint for the world. By proving device eSIM-enabled VLTDs at scale across one of the densest and most dynamic transport networks, India can show export markets how road safety, compliance and connected mobility can move together.” — Vincent Korstanje, CEO, Kigen
As device makers align with AIS-140 requirements and connected mobility platforms mature, India can build not only safer transport systems but also a stronger domestic ecosystem for secure IoT devices, eSIM management and intelligent fleet infrastructure.
Looking ahead
The Court’s direction arrives at an important moment. India’s roads are becoming central to economic growth, urban mobility and social inclusion. Ensuring that this movement is safe, visible and technologically supported is a natural next step in the country’s development journey.
The destination is road safety. And device eSIMs for IoT present a ready-solution for the always-on link that helps India’s VLTD mandate move towards trusted digital infrastructure.
About the author
Papiya Raipal is Country Director for India and VP of Engineering at Kigen, a global leader in secure eSIM hardware and management solutions for IoT and consumer manufacturers participating in Make in India and Digital India, as well as exporters with global ambition. Raipal brings more than two decades of technical and industry experience. She has spent much of her career specializing in deep tech, engineering, and the security domains powering the Internet of Things (IoT) and is a celebrated alumna of BITS Pilani. Kigen India represents over 30% of Kigen’s globally recognized expert and customer excellence headquarters in Noida, with local sales in Mumbai, Bangalore, and Pune. Find out more at https://kigen.com/india/ and follow Kigen for key developments and career opportunities on LinkedIn.
