Silver Medal-Winning Paralympian And Arjuna Awardee Deepa Malik To Be The Voice For MG Astor’s AI Assistant

The upcoming Volkswagen Taigun and Hyundai Creta-rival will be launched around the festive season

MG Motor has said that the upcoming Astor’s personal AI assistant’s voice will be that of silver medal-winning Paralympian and Arjuna awardee Deepa Malik. The compact SUV is the first car in India to offer an AI Assistant, which is a robot-like device atop the dashboard capable of mimicking your emotion, turning its ‘face’ towards you, and responding to your voice commands.

Dr. Deepa Mailk, called ‘The Woman on Wheels’, is renowned for multiple driving feats across deserts and mountains. She is also associated with the Himalayan Motorsports Association (H.M.A.) and Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (F.M.S.C.I.). Deepa Malik is also the first Indian woman to win a medal in the Paralympic games.

The Astor will also feature segment-first Advanced Driver Assist Systems (ADAS), including automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, and forward collision warning. The SUV is expected to launch in October 2021 at prices starting from Rs 12 lakh (ex-showroom).

Also Read: MG Reveals Key Details Of Its Hyundai Creta-rivalling Astor

Here’s the official press release from the carmaker: 

MG Motor reveals para-athlete and Arjuna Awardee Deepa Malik as the voice of the personal AI assistant in its next SUV – MG Astor

Gurgaon: 26th August 2021: A disruptor in the Indian automotive industry, MG Motor India aims to deliver a unique voice experience with a personal AI assistant in the upcoming SUV – MG Astor. The British automaker announced that the voice would be powered by none other than Paralympic athlete and Khel Ratna Awardee Dr. Deepa Malik.

 Called ‘The Woman on Wheels’, Deepa has enlisted herself in record books for several driving feats across deserts & mountains. The woman extraordinaire will humanize the voice of the personal AI assistant in the soon-to-be launched SUV MG Astor. It is another step towards establishing the carmaker as an auto-tech pioneer. 

MG has led disruption in the Indian automotive sector with many firsts like internet-connected car Hector, pure electric SUV ZS EV, Autonomous Level I SUV Gloster. For another industry first car – MG Astor with a personal AI assistant – it only made sense for MG to onboard somebody like Deepa Malik who has several firsts in her list of achievements. 

Talking about the partnership, Rajeev Chaba, President & Managing Director, MG Motor India, said, “At MG, we strive to consistently create exciting and meaningful experiences for our customers. In another first, we are introducing a personal AI assistant in MG Astor. Having Deepa Malik, a woman of many firsts, as a voice for Astor, is in line with our commitment to both community and diversity. Deepa is the epitome of women empowerment and her voice in Astor is a message for everyone to be unstoppable.”

Deepa Malik, the first Indian woman Paralympic Medalist, said, “I am delighted to be the voice of the next MG SUV. I have closely followed MG’s journey in India, and I applaud their vision. MG has not only led the disruption in the automotive industry, but it has contributed to the empowerment of different sections of society. It is commendable that MG’s one-third of the active workforce is women. I am confident that MG will emerge as a champion with the industry-leading features of Astor.”    

The British brand MG in India is known for its community and diversity-driven initiatives where it has supported women empowerment with initiatives like Girl Child Education, ‘Drive Her Back’, support of Patan Girls, dedicated hostels for women employees, and more.