The Transformation of Vehicle Ownership Through India's Digital Road Initiatives India's digital road has a substantial contribution towards shaping the future of vehicle ownership. Online platforms such as VAHAN and SARATHI allow access to online vehicle registration and driver licencing services.
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More than 260 million two-wheelers and half a million cars are registered in India. This makes car ownership a significant economic, political, and social driving force. Under Digital India, road transport is being digitalised through registration, tolling, and compliance platforms.
For example, the FASTag digital toll system covers approximately 98% of national highways. These programs not only help streamline paperwork but also transform the way cars are purchased, owned, insured, and managed.
The following sections provide detailed insights into the future of vehicle ownership.
The Contribution of India's Digital Road Towards the Future of Vehicle Ownership
India's digital road has a substantial contribution towards shaping the future of vehicle ownership. Online platforms such as VAHAN and SARATHI allow access to online vehicle registration and driver licencing services. With the DigiLocker-linked system, it is easier to recognise electronic registration certificates and driving licences legally.
Some of the key contributions include:
- Quicker Documentation: Enables vehicle owners to submit ownership transfer and registration online, eliminating the need for physical visits to Regional Transport Offices.
- Enhance Trust and Reduce Fraud: Access to the digital record makes it easier to verify a vehicle's history. This helps build trust and reduce fraudulent activity.
- Enhanced Compliance: Online toll and tax payments, digital challans, and a linked system keep vehicle owners up to date.
- Data-driven Decisions: With approximately ₹1.1 billion earned from sharing access to the vehicle database, the government utilises the data to monitor ownership and compliance.
Thus, vehicle ownership in India is gradually moving towards a more efficient and transparent system. This kind of change benefits all the vehicle owners and insurers.
The Key Digital Platforms Transforming Vehicle Ownership
India's digital platforms allow for a smoother verification of both car insurance and bike insurance for insured individuals. Those key digital platforms include:
- VAHAN: This platform keeps records of the vehicle's tax, registration, and ownership details. Insurers consider VAHAN data for instant verification of car or bike insurance.
- SARATHI: This helps with easy renewal and online driving licence applications.
- E-Challan System: e-challan records any traffic violations through digital mode. This enables vehicle owners to view their violation history and pay fines online.
- DigiLocker: This platform tracks the records of insurance papers, RCs, and DLs, making the documentation process easy and hassle-free.
How Digital India is Reshaping Vehicle Ownership
Here's how Digital India has changed the way people handle vehicle ownership:
Seamless Traffic Challan Check Online
Vehicle insurers can now visit the e-challan platform, check and pay fines online. The system reflects payment status and traffic violations, and also detects images. Challans can also be issued through the official portals. This transparency reduces disputes and helps owners stay compliant.
Digital Car Issuance
Through digitisation, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has enhanced service quality. Introduction of new software such as VAHAN and SARATHI helps in the easy and fast processing of driving licences and vehicle registrations.
Digital Car Insurance Availability
The majority of insurers can now issue both bike and car insurance digitally. Policies are closely linked to VAHAN for instant verification. This also helps reduce fraudulent activities and settle claims through data verification.
Convenient Toll Payment Through FASTag
With FASTag, toll payments are easier and more convenient. No longer do the vehicle owners need to wait in long queues at toll plazas. Thus, the waiting period has reduced by up to 20%, as revealed by the NHAI data. Also, FASTag helps in easy tracking of travel history and expenses.
Instant Information Update
With easy access to online portals, updating addresses, contact numbers, and insurance details is easier. The SARATHI system helps retrieve quick updates to driving licence records. This also helps save time and reduces the need to call the RTO multiple times.
Enhanced User Experience
With government-approved APIs, nowadays, fintechs, insurers, and insurance companies can easily access vehicle details. These APIs help in instant insurance checks, easy RC verification, and claim automation, particularly for vehicle insurance. For example, the majority of private insurers prefer VAHAN APIs for validating policy details within seconds.
Bottom Line
The Indian digital road projects are transforming vehicle ownership in India into a more secure, streamlined, and information-oriented experience. As platforms enable real-time updates, visits to RTOs have decreased significantly. Services are also more closely linked to car insurance, bike insurance, and an expanded vehicle insurance ecosystem. With highways shifting to connected highways, not only in India but globally, the future of vehicle ownership is no longer about wheels and roads alone.
