Autonomous vehicles represent a major advancement in transportation technology, aiming to improve safety, efficiency, and mobility. In India, several indigenous projects have contributed to the development of self-driving cars.
Among these, WIRIN and zPod are often discussed as pioneering efforts. While both showcase autonomous capabilities, they differ in purpose, design, and level of autonomy. Understanding these differences helps clarify India’s journey toward driverless mobility.
What is ZpOD?
India’s first autonomous car milestone is widely attributed to the zPod, a fully self-driving electric prototype unveiled by the Bengaluru-based AI startup Minus Zero. The zPod is designed to navigate roads without a human driver or steering wheel, using an advanced camera-sensor suite and artificial intelligence to interpret traffic and environmental conditions.
Minus Zero claims this vehicle can achieve Level 5 autonomy, meaning it could operate without any human intervention under all conditions. Although still in prototype and controlled-area stages, the zPod represents a significant leap in India’s autonomous mobility innovation. Its development highlights the growing capabilities of Indian tech firms in the global self-driving vehicle landscape
What is WIRIN?
WIRIN (Wipro-IISc Research and Innovation Network) is an indigenous driverless car prototype developed collaboratively by Wipro, the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), and RV College of Engineering in Bengaluru. Unveiled in late 2025, this vehicle uses advanced technologies like artificial intelligence, machine learning, sensor fusion, and 5G-based communication to navigate without a human driver, showcasing India’s home-grown strides in autonomous mobility.
The WIRIN project began in 2019 and represents several years of research focused on adapting self-driving systems to India’s unpredictable road conditions. A viral video of the prototype operating autonomously on a college campus captured public attention and highlighted the innovation’s potential. While still in development and testing stages, WIRIN is widely reported as India’s first fully indigenous driverless car prototype
zPod Vs WIRIN – Comparison:
WIRIN: Developed by Wipro, IISc, and RV College of Engineering, WIRIN is a research-oriented autonomous car prototype designed to study and adapt self-driving technology for Indian road conditions.
zPod: Created by Bengaluru startup Minus Zero, zPod is a purpose-built autonomous electric vehicle with no steering wheel or pedals, aiming for Level 5 autonomy.
WIRIN focuses more on academic research and real-world testing, while zPod targets commercial autonomous mobility.
WIRIN is often called India’s first indigenous driverless car prototype, whereas zPod is promoted as India’s first fully autonomous vehicle concept.
When will India’s first autonomous car release?
As of December 2025, neither WIRIN nor zPod have an official public release date for consumer use yet — both are still in development and testing phases.
- The WIRIN autonomous car prototype, unveiled in October 2025 by Wipro, IISc, and RV College of Engineering, is expected to go through further testing and improvements before a formal launch, which media reports suggest could happen in the coming months (likely late 2025 or early 2026) but no specific date has been confirmed yet.
- The zPod from Bengaluru startup Minus Zero was revealed earlier (in 2023) as a prototype concept of a fully autonomous vehicle, but it also hasn’t been commercially released and is focused on demonstration and technology validation.
Summary:
In summary, India’s first indigenous autonomous cars are prototypes, and official release timelines for real-world deployment or consumer availability have not yet been announced — experts anticipate that broader testing and safety approvals will determine when they reach public roads.
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