Continental AG to double its R&D team in Bengaluru

BENGALURU: Continental AG, the 34.5 billion global automotive conglomerate, will double the headcount at its research and development division in Bengaluru in the coming years. The India R&D centre works across a number of the company's divisions, the third such `crossdivision' centre after those in Romania and Mexico. The European automotive manufacturer's business is split into chassis and safety , interior, powertrain,tyre, and ContiTech (rubber and plastics technology business). The Technical Center India (TCI) facility , set up in 2009, works in areas related to a majority of these divisions. Continental has spent 12.4 million (approximately Rs 90 crore) to open a new and bigger TCI facility in the city , which is focused on hardware and software development and IT services for both the domestic and global markets. TCI has 1,000 engineers, which will be scaled to 1,900 by 2019, Helmut Matschi, president of the interior division and member of the executive board of Continental AG told TOI. "While our engineers in India are making valuable contributions to the development of advanced technology for developed markets, Continental is equally excit ed by the prospect of growing with the automotive market in the country ," said Matschi, who was in Bengaluru on Thursday . Globally , Continental's R&D headcount is about 23,000 with India representing a little over 4% of that workforce. Last year the company spent 1.9 billion in R&D. Matschi said India's talent pool was `strategic' to the company's growth globally and in Asia. The company's India R&D team is spearheading the development of technologies such as advanced driver assistance systems, and ABS (anti-lock braking systems) solutions for the domestic two-wheeler industry. Continental has also accorded TCI the status of `Centre of Competence' for developing technologies for the two-wheeler market and customized products for the BRIC nations."Affordable and safe mobility are two of our key focus areas," said Raghav Gulur, head, TCI, Continental Automotive Components India. -TOI