Mahindra & Mahindra establishes R&D center in Chennai
India’s leading utility vehicle manufacturer, Mahindra & Mahindra, inaugurated its new research and development center in Chennai –Mahindra Research Valley (MRV)—with former Indian President APJ Abdul Kalam as honorary guest. The new R&D center will cater to both tractors and automobiles. Spread across 125 acres, the facility consists of more than 34 laboratories. Total investment in the facility is RS650 crore (US$126.2 million). Elaborating on the direct benefits of MRV, Rajan Wadhera, chief executive, Technology, Product Development and Sourcing, Automotive & Farm Equipment Sectors, said, “The multi-faceted R&D facility boasts of truly world class facilities including a design center, an Engine Development Center (EDC), an NVH lab, a fatigue test and reliability lab, a driveline development center and an electrical and electronic lab, amongst others. The facility will develop prototypes and components which will then be transferred to high volume production lines at M&M’s different manufacturing plants located in the country and overseas.” With all design and R&D facilities located in a single place at Mahindra World City, India’s first fully planned and integrated business city, MRV will encourage a collaborative approach, permitting direct knowledge transfer between various teams. MRV’s state-of-the-art research, design and development facilities will thus allow engineers and designers the freedom to proactively pursue activities in areas like environment friendly advanced propulsion systems–hydrogen, fuel cells, biodiesels and hybrids. Embedded systems, infotronics, artificial intelligence, mechatronics and advanced telematics will be other areas that engineers at MRV will be able to pursue. The facility will also afford the Mahindra Group research capabilities in alternative polymer technology for automotive applications, vehicle passenger safety and validation of aggregates and vehicles. Pawan Goenka, president of automotive & farm equipment sectors, said MRV will provide the Mahindra Group with the tangible benefit of indigenous design at lower costs and shortened product development cycles. (April 12, 2012)
