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Chinese auto leaders seek solutions for transformative growth at forum held in Chongqing

Business

Chinese auto leaders seek solutions for transformative growth at forum held in Chongqing
Business

Business

Chinese auto leaders seek solutions for transformative growth at forum held in Chongqing

2026-09-01 12:37 Last Updated At:12:55

CHONGQING, China, Sept. 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- A news report from Xinhua Silk Road:

From "leading in scale" to "quality-led transformative growth", the shift currently affecting China's auto industry was brought under the spotlight during the recent 2026 Automotive New Quality Productive Force Development Forum.

Organized by China Economic Information Service and China Certification & Inspection Group, the event, held in Jiulongpo District of Chongqing, attracted a cohort of business representatives from the auto manufacturing and intelligent driving sectors.

As electric vehicle output and intelligent driving burgeon domestically, transformative growth instead of economy of scale remains a critical issue particularly for Chongqing, a leading auto- and motorcycle-producing city on its way to becoming a high-end player in the global value chain.

Regarding industry pain points such as high intelligent driving penetration yet low user trust, He Gang, vice president of Changan Automobile, stressed the significance of enhancing users' sense of safety.

Via its all-weather dark-room laboratory and world models for smart driving, the Chongqing-based company is improving driving stability under extreme conditions and enabling advance detection of hazardous obstacles to build a three-pronged safety system.

He Liyang, president of Seres, outlined a set of principles centered on safety and performance that the company has consistently upheld in its development, saying "safety is the utmost luxury worth pursuing."

To reduce homogeneous competition, Cao Li, senior vice president of Leapmotor, highlighted the importance of full-domain self-reliant research and manufacturing to navigate industry cycles.

With more than 65 percent of core parts developed and made by itself, the company, which owns 18 super factories, has built a closed-loop industrial cluster to keep quality, cost, and iteration efficiency fully under control.

In the face of industry controversies over powertrain technology routes, Wu Jian, a member of GAC Group's strategy committee, said that traditional overseas powertrain technology routes have limitations in terms of intelligent adaptation.

Powertrains with Chinese characteristics can only be developed by delving into technologies that adapt to local scenarios and integrate well with vehicle intelligent systems, noted Wu, adding that after 20 years of independent R&D, the company now boasts three powertrain technology series for range-extended, plug-in hybrid, and hybrid electric vehicles.

As for "going global", Wu Yongqiao, president of Bosch's intelligent driving and control system division in China, said the company's smart driving business is deeply involved in local innovation while aligning with overseas laws and regulations to facilitate the global expansion of Chinese auto companies.

To leverage technology for social good, Tang Guomei, deputy president of Sevnce Robotics, said the company focuses on resolving industry security dilemmas in special scenarios.

Addressing industry dilemmas such as insufficient cognitive generalization and causal reasoning in the evolution of intelligent driving systems, Yang Mu, CTO of Chongqing Afari Technology, a Chongqing-headquartered smart driving business, said the company is building a native intelligent driving base model by integrating large language models with intelligent driving models to strengthen smart vehicles' capabilities in scene understanding, logical reasoning, and risk prediction.

** This press release is distributed by PR Newswire through automated distribution system, for which the client assumes full responsibility. **

Chinese auto leaders seek solutions for transformative growth at forum held in Chongqing

Chinese auto leaders seek solutions for transformative growth at forum held in Chongqing

  • Leading growth and strengthening customer engagement

SINGAPORE, Sept. 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Otis (NYSE: OTIS), the world's leading elevator and escalator manufacturing, installation, service and modernization company, today announced the appointment of Sridhar Rajagopal as Managing Director, Southeast Asia, effective September 1, 2026.

He will lead Otis' Southeast Asia business, with responsibility for growth strategy and customer engagement across the region.

"Sridhar brings extensive experience across our Asia Pacific business and a strong understanding of customer priorities in the region," said Nico Lopez, President, Otis Asia Pacific. "His commercial expertise and strategic perspective will be significant as he leads our Southeast Asia business and partners with our teams to strengthen customer relationships."

"Our customers want a trusted partner that consistently delivers excellent service," said Sridhar Rajagopal, Managing Director, Otis Southeast Asia. "I am honored to take on this role and work closely with our valued customers to deliver the right solutions for their success, guided by the Otis Absolutes of Safety, Quality and Ethics."

With more than 15 years of experience with Otis, Sridhar Rajagopal has held leadership roles in mergers and acquisitions, sales and marketing and business strategy, including assignments in India, Japan, and Singapore. Most recently, as Vice President, Sales & Marketing, Otis Asia Pacific, he played a key role in advancing commercial excellence, supporting new product launches, strengthening customer engagement and accelerating growth.

About Otis

Otis gives people freedom to connect and thrive in a taller, faster, smarter world. The global leader in the manufacture, installation, service and modernization of elevators and escalators, we move 2.5 billion people a day and maintain approximately 2.5 million customer units worldwide – the industry's largest Service portfolio. You'll find us in the world's most iconic structures, as well as residential and commercial buildings, transportation hubs and everywhere people are on the move. Headquartered in Connecticut, USA, Otis is 72,000 people strong, including 45,000 field professionals, all committed to manufacturing, installing and maintaining products to meet the diverse needs of our customers and passengers in more than 200 countries and territories. To learn more, visit www.otis.com and follow us on LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram and Facebook @OtisElevatorCo. 

 

** This press release is distributed by PR Newswire through automated distribution system, for which the client assumes full responsibility. **

Otis Appoints Sridhar Rajagopal to Lead Southeast Asia Business

Otis Appoints Sridhar Rajagopal to Lead Southeast Asia Business

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