26th SAFE Annual Convention Reinforces Commitment to Road Discipline and Sustainable Transport
The 26th SAFE Annual Convention saw key government dignitaries, industry leaders, and experts from top OEMs express insights, enriching discussions and advancing efforts for safer roads and greener mobility.
September 22, 2025. By News Bureau
Prashant K Banerjee, Executive Director, SIAM, opened the ceremony by sharing SIAM’s vision for safer roads and greener mobility with the audience. He emphasised that SIAM owes it to the next generation to build a better tomorrow and that the event reflects its commitment to safer roads and green mobility. He added that this event takes India a step closer to a safer and sustainable future.
The convention was graced by the presence of Rekha Gupta, Chief Minister, Government of NCT of Delhi, as the Chief Guest and Sardar Manjinder Singh Sirsa, Minister for Environment, Forest & Wildlife, Industries, Food & Supplies, Government of NCT of Delhi, as the Guest of Honour. The convention also witnessed participation from several other distinguished dignitaries from the government, along with industry leaders and experts from leading corporations and OEMs, who shared valuable insights, further enriching the discussions and strengthening the collective efforts towards safer roads and greener mobility.
In a video message, HD Kumaraswamy, Minister of Heavy Industries and Steel, Government of India, explained that the event’s theme calls for collective action, emphasising that growth must go hand-in-hand with responsibility.
He added, “The Ministry of Heavy Industries has invested over INR 60,000 Crore to boost domestic manufacturing in order to strengthen battery energy storage and support clean energy adoption. EV adoption crossed two million in 2024, driving a circular transport economy. This is India’s opportunity to lead the world in innovation, responsibility and inclusivity.”
On this occasion, the Delhi Chief Minister launched SIAM’s SAFE Road Safety Context Paper, highlighting India’s readiness for safer roads along with a new initiative to engage college students on road safety.
Speaking on the occasion, she reiterated, “Accidents happen every minute, every hour—and it is not the vehicles, but our behaviour that causes them. We must shed the mindset that breaking rules is a badge of pride. Stricter enforcement is vital, but real change will come only when we follow traffic rules for our own safety, not out of fear of penalties. Delhi is committed to cleaner, safer mobility. We aim for every third vehicle in the city to be electric and will achieve 100 percent public transport electrification by 2026. Together, with road safety and sustainable mobility, we can build a safer, greener future for Delhi.”
During the inaugural session, Guest of Honour Sardar Manjinder Singh Sirsa thanked SIAM for its initiatives. He said that a progressive country is the one that advances in sustainability and moves toward net-zero goals, a vision also championed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He highlighted the PM’s slogan, “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam,” which inspired global dignitaries to plant trees, and praised the Chief Minister for her efforts, noting a 40 percent reduction in Delhi’s garbage dumps since her tenure began.
“Road safety needs collaboration between government, policymakers, industry and users. We're building a comprehensive accident database through EDAR, integrating it SARTHI for licensing, VAHAN for vehicle registration and PM Gati Shakti. Road safety can be truly enforced by bringing together the entire chain, from driver to database to court,” espoused Mahmood Ahmed, Additional Secretary, MoRTH.
Similarly, Sanjay Bandopadhyaya, Member, Supreme Court Committee on Road Safety, added, “Despite our target to halve accidents, cases rose drastically in 2023. Hence, we must adopt digital vehicle systems and strengthen electronic enforcement to curb recklessness. Safer roads and green energy can only be achieved if we combine them.”
“Delhi has cut accident fatalities by eight percent, but we cannot stop here,” emphasised Ajay Chaudhry, IPS, Special Commissioner of Police (Traffic), Delhi Police. He highlighted that the city still sees a very high number of challans for speeding and violations, and called for even stricter penalties with zero leniency.
During the inaugural session, Sushant Naik, President, SAFE and Global Head—Government and Public Affairs, Tata Motors, implored, “Safety cannot be an afterthought, it must start from design and manufacturing and become a culture we live by. Over 1.73 lakh lives are lost each year, a stark reminder that action should be urgent and collective. Industry, government and citizens must work together. Road safety cannot succeed without its 5Es- Education, Engineering, Emergency Care, Enforcement and Evaluation.”
Adding further to the discussion, Saurabh Dalela, Director, ICAT, said, “We lose 1.7 lakh lives every year, making road safety a shared duty. By studying accident data, we know speeding and missing road signs are major causes. Every stakeholder must have a clear SOP, just like in Viksit nations, to act swiftly in case of accidents.”
The first plenary session, “Empowering Change through Education and Engineering,” highlighted how education and engineering together can drive safer roads by promoting awareness, responsible driving, better infrastructure design and innovative solutions to reduce accidents.
The second plenary session, “Strengthening Road Safety through Enforcement, Emergency Care and Evaluation,” emphasised the need for strict enforcement, swift emergency response and continuous evaluation to build a robust framework for reducing accidents and saving lives.
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