Emergency call response services launched Robert Bosch Engineering and Business Solutions and GVK Emergency Management and Research Institute join hands to tackle road emergencies

• eCall addresses ‘critical hour’ on roads, with 24/7 service center
• Dramatically reduces response times in road emergencies
• Includes ambulance, hospital, police, fire services among others
• Potential to reduce accident fatalities in India

Robert Bosch Engineering and Business Solutions (RBEI)and GVK Emergency Management and Research Institute (GVK-EMRI)signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to provide emergency call (eCall) services across India. eCall from Bosch is a centralized emergency response handling system covering all major public safety answering points that include the hospital, police, and fire.The priority will be to mobilize quick response in severe accidents or life-threatening situations on the road. The eCall service is available inside all vehicles fitted with this Bosch product.

“We want to focus on connected technology solutions that will benefit the people of India. Road fatalities have been a big issue in India and here is an effort to work towards providing quicker help to the persons concerned. The priority is the ‘Golden hour’, to reduce the time between the accident and the time when help arrives”, said Mr. Vijay Ratnaparkhe, President and Managing Director of RBEI. In the event of a severe accident, an emergency call is automatically sent to the 24/7 BoschService Center. Simultaneously, data containing the vehicle details, current location, time and direction of travel will be transmitted.The service center from Bosch contacts the driver via a speech unit.If it is not possible to set up a voice connection following an eCall, the Bosch associate notifies the rescue forces directly.

A voice connection is also established with the GVK EMRI operated dedicated Emergency Control Centre facilitating ambulance assignment. GVK EMRI presently operates ‘108 Emergency Response Service’ under the public-private-partnership model (PPP) in 14 states, 2 Union Territories, and covers close to 750 million population.

The additional advantage of this solution is the multilingual capability of the control centers; it is crucial to be able to communicate clearly and speedily with people involved in the accident and also with local authorities.In an emergency situation, drivers can also activate eCall manually by pushing a button – for instance, if they witness an accident without being involved in it.It is even relevant for women who feel insecure in the vehicle.

On the occasion of signing of the MoU, Mr. K Krishnam Raju, Director, GVK EMRI said “The burden of road traffic accidents and related disabilities and mortality is increasing in India. Almost 1.4 lakh people lose their lives road accidents in India, thereby impacting the well being and happiness of many families. Bosch is an acknowledged leader in the mobility sector and has come out with this unique product for the benefit of motorists.This partnership will enable access to Bosch’s technology for providing prompt emergency response by faster sensing of road traffic accident related emergencies. Jointly we will strive for prompt emergency assistance in such cases, thereby saving many more precious lives.”

Mr. Joerg Fischer, President of Bosch Service Solutionssaid, “As the reach of global connectivity increases, consumers demand a higher level of convenience and safety. We believe in adding safety to the world of driving, and in this context, we areintroducing eCall to the Indian market. We are sure that our collaboration with GVK-EMRI will improve safety on the streets and people and their families worry about one thing less while driving.”

Bosch has extensive experience in providing last mile emergency call solutions since 2012. Currently more than 38 countries, and 16 languages (+3 Indian languages) are supported.