Mahindra&Mahindra and Samsung have collaborated to create a digital key to an electric SUV, which includes Samsung Wallet, ruling out the use of the physical keys, according to reports.

Samsung India, senior director for services and apps business, Madhur Chaturvedi says that Mahindra is the first Indian automobile firm to have taken the initiative, while Samsung Wallet supports the digital keys feature of foreign companies like BMW, BYD, and Mercedes-Benz in India.

The service will be available for Samsung Wallet users on Galaxy Z and S series devices. Mahindra became the first Indian automobile company to collaborate with Samsung for digital keys.

"We are very delighted that Mahindra is the first Indian auto OEM brand where we are integrating the digital car key feature with Samsung Wallet. Also, we have support for digital home keys with brands like Yale, as well as Samsung's own lock solution that's available in multiple countries and selectively available in India as well," Chaturvedi says.

Mahindra eSUV, inbuilt with the feature, will be sold from November onwards, while there will be a phased rollout for the existing cars, he adds.

"Existing car owners will need to get their software updated at the Mahindra service center. This feature will be available on Galaxy Z and S series launched after 2020. We are also planning to make it available on A series devices as well," Chaturvedi adds.

Mahindra eSUV car owners will need to pair their Samsung Wallet with both car keys. Once paired, they will not need to carry physical car keys for locking and unlocking their vehicle.

Chaturvedi says that car owners will be unable to unlock their car even if the battery of the phone drains out.

The great thing about the NFC solution is that even if your phone's battery is out, with the residual power of the phone, the digital key will still work.

Also Read: TSMC Market Share Rises to 67.6 Percent in Q1

"You can tap the switched off phone or power off the phone, the car will get locked and unlocked. And you can place it there on the charging stand while the phone starts charging. Regardless of that, you can turn on the ignition on and off," Chaturvedi says.

Also Read:How Open-Source AI is Setting New Standards in AI Development

He said that the discussions are on to include other Mahindra vehicles as well to enable digital key features.

Also Read:How Software Can Power Digital India 2.0

"We are delighted to partner with Samsung to bring yet another first-in-class feature -- Digital Car key via Samsung wallet, ensuring every journey is even more seamless and convenient," Mahindra & Mahindra, Chief Executive Officer - Automotive Division, Nalinikanth Gollagunta says.