TomTom has been in India for ten years now and over the years they have studied the Indian traffic psyche to understand what would be of most use in a satellite navigation system in India. TomTom has also built their maps from scratch because according to their survey the biggest problem in India was the lack of a reliable map.
TomTom is a company based in Amsterdam, they have been around for twenty years now and are listed on the Amsterdam Stock Exchange. Their research and development units are based in Holland, USA and in Pune, India. TomTom’s strategy in India has been based on the long run which is why they took time to develop an India centric system as a whole.
The new systems will have a unique feature developed for India called ‘Landmark Navigation’, this feature will help people find locations on unnamed streets by being able to input a landmark near the destination. Other standard features in these systems will allow drivers to change maps and share it with their friends. The systems will also provide real time traffic information to drivers.
The typical scene of Indian roads is one where people stop hastily on the side of the road, roll down the window and ask for directions. 70% of the streets in India do not have names and this creates a big confusion in finding an exact location. Stopping on the side of the road in a hurry is also a safety hazard to pedestrians, two wheels and cars alike.
TomTom believes in developing driver friendly satellite navigation systems to make the experience of commuting and looking for a place easy. TomTom have launched their ‘Via Series’ in India, which consists of three units, the Via 100, Via 120 and the Via 125. The satellite navigation units will be priced at Rs. 15,000, Rs. 17,000 and Rs. 19,000 respectively.
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