# India automotive research and development expansion > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/india-automotive-research-and-development-expansion > Updated: 2026-09-29T08:19:04.000Z. Sources: 4. Developments: 2. India is expanding its automotive research and development capabilities through government-backed infrastructure upgrades and new academic-industry partnerships. Under the PM Electric Drive Revolution in Innovative Vehicle Enhancement (PM E-DRIVE) scheme, the Global Automotive Research Centre (GARC) in Chennai is receiving ₹221.13 crore to upgrade testing facilities. These improvements focus on electric vehicle and battery testing, heavy commercial vehicle facilities, and advanced passive safety testing using high-speed imaging systems. Additionally, the SRM Institute of Science and Technology has launched the Drive Next Automotive (DNA) Lab to research Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), automotive software, and Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) testing. Furthering these efforts, BITS Pilani has entered a strategic partnership with the Rane Group via a Memorandum of Understanding. This collaboration aims to address next-generation challenges such as autonomous mechanical systems, smart manufacturing, and AI applications, while facilitating talent incubation and the commercialization of intellectual property. ## Timeline ### 2026-09-29: BITS Pilani and Rane Group sign strategic automotive R&D partnership BITS Pilani and Rane Group have partnered for automotive R&D and skilling, while BKBIET students visited CSIR-CEERI to explore emerging engineering technologies. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/bits-pilani-and-rane-group-sign-strategic-automotive-rd-partnership ### 2026-09-28: India advances automotive R&D through infrastructure upgrades and new research lab India sees advancements in automotive R&D as GARC upgrades EV testing infrastructure under the PM E-DRIVE scheme and SRM Technologies launches a new automotive research lab at SRMIST. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/india-advances-automotive-rd-through-infrastructure-upgrades-and-new-research-lab --- Cite as: India automotive research and development expansion. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/india-automotive-research-and-development-expansion