A single regulatory notice issued recently by China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has made the country the first in the world to formally declare the end of what might be called the automotive industry’s “era of invisibility.” Under the new rules, beginning Jan. 1, 2027, all new vehicles sold in China will be prohibited from using fully electric hidden door handles. The regulation effectively applies the brakes to an industry-wide push toward ever more electronic, futuristic design, forcing automakers to return to a basic principle of physical safety.

India marked a milestone in its semiconductor push as seven chip designs from startups under the design-linked incentive (DLI) scheme were successfully fabricated, including advanced nodes at Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC). The progress underscores India’s aim to develop indigenous chip design and manufacturing capabilities amid global supply constraints.

As generative AI expands into physical environments, robotic systems are moving beyond traditional digital roles to interact with their surroundings physically through perception and action. This shift toward Physical AI, supported by Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang’s repeated public endorsements, is reviving global interest in robotics, an industry historically centered on industrial automation. Supply chain players are accelerating strategic efforts to capitalize on this renewed momentum amid an ongoing industry restructuring.