Renault CEO hails India R&D Centre as "Wheel of Our System"

Renault Group CEO Luca de Meo lauded the Renault Nissan Technology Business Centre India (RNTBCI) for its growing importance, calling it "one of the wheels of our system" from an engineering perspective. 

"RNTBCI is starting to become, from an engineering point of view, one of the wheels of our system," said de Meo while acknowledging  his impressment with RNTBCI's deep involvement in developing key projects, including the iconic Renault 5.  A significant portion of the new Renault 5's development reportedly originated from RNTBCI.  The center also played a pivotal role in engineering Nissan's next-generation compact electric vehicle.  Looking ahead, de Meo noted RNTBCI's substantial contributions to the upcoming Renault 4, expected to be unveiled in Paris later this year. "It's big stuff," he added.

RNTBCI, the third-largest automotive vehicle development base in the country boasting a workforce of over 10,000, positions itself as a leader in artificial intelligence, machine learning, electric vehicles, cloud computing, and a range of advanced technologies. The company claims expertise in digital twins, product engineering, augmented reality/virtual reality, process engineering, simulation, software-defined vehicles, connectivity, autonomous driving, data analytics, and quality control. This comprehensive technical proficiency positions RNTBCI as a major automotive vehicle development hub in India, the third-largest in the country.

The arm in India has already worked on key global projects for both Renault and Nissan for models such as the Renault 5, Renault Scenic, Renault Spring, and Nissan X-Trail, including the electrified powertrains of the Nissan E-Note (powered by E-Power) and Nissan Leaf. So far, it has designed, engineered, and delivered over 13 models for the Indian market over the last decade and a half, and it has already kicked off work on half a dozen models for the Indian market—2 SUVs and 1 EV—each for both Renault and Nissan in the country.

Emphasising the importance of RNTBCI in the global scheme of things, de Meo put the engineering centre among the top in the region and globally across all of the alliance's companies. "We're now looking at ways to connect this team (RNTBCI) even more with our global operations.  They already contribute to projects in Latin America, Europe, and North America, and we want to expand their reach even further" . "Our focus now is on maximizing its potential. My entire team is here in Chennai to explore how we can integrate RNTBCI more deeply into Renault's core projects. We expect Nissan to be developing similar plans."

Furthermore, highlighting the competencies of the RNTBCI, the top executive added, " We understood that the team here at all levels has a very high level of competence. So we have a team that knows what it is talking about and  knows how to do the job. That of course gives us a huge advantage and this is a huge asset."