The new facility will expand the group’s R&D operations in India to become the largest site outside Sweden
Volvo Group has laid the foundation for a new ‘Vehicle TechLab’ in Bangalore, expanding its Research and Development operations in India which now houses the group’s second-largest R&D workforce in the world, behind only Volvo’s home market of Sweden. The foundation stone for the new facility was laid by Jan Gurander, Deputy CEO, Volvo Group, in the presence of Kamal Bali, President & MD, Volvo Group, India, and CR Vishwanath, Vice President, Volvo Group Trucks Technology, India.
“Volvo Group has one of the most ambitious SBTi targets in the industry, targeting the 1.5-degree pathway, where we will achieve net-zero value chain greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2040. Already, by 2030 we would cut the CO2 emissions of our vehicles by 40% when we target 50% of our trucks sold to be electric. To achieve this path, we are in the midst of a global organisation-wide business transformation to adopt emerging technologies, as well as new business models, across Automation, Electromobility & Connectivity. By 2030, 50% of our revenues will come from services & solutions. India is going to play a key role in this transformation journey as Volvo Group’s largest R&D site outside Sweden, along with our other global support functions, is located here”, commented Jan Gurander.
“At Volvo Group in India, we are proud to be playing a key role in shaping the future of the global world of transportation. This is one of the most exciting times to be an engineer. Our aim is to provide one of the most rewarding & satisfying work environments for our engineers – a culture that offers learning, capability building, high feasibility to turn ideas into actions, a global network, good work-life balance, flexible workplaces and that which is marked by trust, transparency and collaboration – while being immersed in advanced technology that goes in making world leading trucks”, commented Kamal Bali.
Volvo Group Trucks Technology in India employs more than 1600 engineers, and this number will significantly increase in the coming years. The current set up includes a host of facilities such as vehicle garages, electrical & electronics lab, AR/VR Lab, and access to proving grounds.
The increased focus on product and project responsibility within Volvo Group’s R&D operations in India, has led to a demand for a framework that will support the enhancement of product knowledge and prototype validation capability within India. Today, this capability is being enhanced with the set-up of the Vehicle TechLab – which is a first in the industry in India. This lab can house complete trucks, chassis and aggregates. It has various supporting equipment for engineers to test, innovate, validate and experiment their ongoing work – through a set up equipped with driving simulators, test benches, 3D scanners among various other tools and systems.
“This Vehicle TechLab is designed as a collaborative virtual workspace – creating a simulated workshop environment – using technologies like virtual reality, human body motion tracking & realistic digital rendering of vehicles that allows Volvo Engineers across the globe to connect & collaborate virtually. This facility will significantly reduce the development times, improve problem solving and offer better insights & speed in building innovative solutions”, commented CR Vishwanath.
Projects being worked upon cover a range of areas: General vehicle technology, electric, autonomous as well as connectivity solutions. Engineers will have access to complete products which could well include battery electric or fuel cell electric trucks too among other options.
This Vehicle TechLab adds to the growing capabilities of Volvo Group’s R&D operations in India. Earlier, in July 2021, Volvo Group launched CampX – Volvo Group’s Global Innovation Arena – in Bengaluru. CampX in India has already engaged with close to 70 start-ups and is now building multiple proofs of concept with several start-ups.