Mercedes Benz India Partners with BITS Pilani for Advanced Tech Research

Mercedes-Benz Research and Development India (MBRDI) has signed a five-year Master Research Agreement (MRA) with Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS) Pilani to foster innovation. This partnership aims to develop pioneering technology solutions, create intellectual property, and enhance academic collaboration through advanced research and higher education projects.

The collaboration will focus on mobility sector opportunities by exploring and developing breakthrough technologies. It includes joint R&D projects, academic and professional events, and exchanges of researchers and students. Additionally, both parties will share lab facilities, advise research students, seek co-funding, publish papers, and protect intellectual property.

Manu Saale, Managing Director and CEO, of Mercedes-Benz Research and Development India said, “Collaborations between industry and academia are crucial in tackling the complex challenges our industry faces today. The synergy between our industry expertise and BITS Pilani’s academic prowess will propel our journey toward a future of sustainable innovation. At MBRDI, we are committed to creating a culture of continuous learning and development for our talent, and this collaboration will enable enormous opportunities for scaling from idea to innovation.”  

Prof Ramgopal Rao, Vice Chancellor, BITS Pilani said, “We are committed to promoting innovation and excellence in research and education, and this MRA with Mercedes-Benz Research and Development India is a major step in that direction. With the help of MBRDI's corporate experience and our academic competence, we want to make ground-breaking discoveries that will benefit not just our institutions but also society at large. This partnership demonstrates our commitment to providing our researchers and students the best possible chances to work on innovative initiatives and create answers for pressing problems. We also look forward to continuing our long-term relationship of talent placement and development for interns and graduates at MBRDI."

Aiming to bolster the nation's digital talent, the agreement enhances industry-academia collaboration, streamlining research efforts between the two organizations. Research areas will include software development focused on data and AI, electric mobility, and transformative technologies like generative AI. Several notable projects, led by Professors Poonam Goyal, Amit R Singh, and Navneet Goyal, are already underway under this partnership.