CHENNAI: Taking another step to accelerate industry-ready innovation in next-generation mobility technologies, the Indian Institute of Technology-Madras and Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (Tidco) will jointly establish a Rs 200 crore advanced electric vehicle and automotive research centre at the upcoming Tamil Nadu Knowledge City in Tiruvallur.
The proposed facility, anchored by IIT-Madras's Centre of Excellence in Advanced Automotive Research (CAAR), will be developed with an investment of about Rs 200 crore over the next five years.
Spread across nearly 40,000 sq ft of advanced research and laboratory infrastructure, the centre is intended to translate laboratory research into deployable technologies for the rapidly evolving electric mobility sector.
"The Centre of Excellence in Advanced Automotive Research at IIT-M, in collaboration with Tidco, is working towards establishing the Advanced Automotive Translational Research Centre at Tamil Nadu Knowledge City," IIT-M director V Kamakoti said.
The facility will primarily focus on electric vehicle technologies, including battery systems, EV charging infrastructure, automotive power electronics and electric powertrains, while also supporting work on software-defined vehicles and advanced automotive systems.
Kamakoti said the centre will function as a translational research hub, helping convert academic innovations into market-ready products through industry collaboration, testing and validation infrastructure.
Over the next five years, the initiative is expected to enable the development of 40–50 automotive products and provide technical support to 150–200 startups and MSMEs working in the mobility and EV ecosystem.
The project is also expected to generate 50–70 high-skill direct jobs, while creating up to 2,100 employment opportunities across the broader automotive technology ecosystem.
The collaboration is part of efforts to strengthen Tamil Nadu's position as a major hub for electric mobility and advanced automotive innovation, while supporting India's transition towards next-generation clean transportation technologies.