Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, former President of India, formally inaugurated on April 11 the state-of-the-art Mahindra Research Valley (MRV) of Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd., in the presence of the company officials and other specially invited dignitaries.
MRV bears testimony to the Mahindra Group’s commitment to technology-driven innovation, as it is a facility that will house its engineering research and product development wings for automobiles and tractors, all under one roof. Perhaps the only R&D facility of its kind in the world for automobiles and tractors alike, MRV is spread over 125 acres in Mahindra World City, Chennai, and was set up at an investment of over Rs. 650 crores. With over 1,500 employees, it has experts associated with several prominent technology and product development projects.
In his inaugural address, Dr. Kalam observed: “I would like to congratulate the entire Mahindra community, and I am delighted to inaugurate the Mahindra Research Valley, a temple of creativity and innovation. I am sure MRV will help the Mahindra Group to generate innovative world-class automotive products and transform India into a global player in the automotive industry.”
He also gave a comprehensive presentation on the technological challenges in the automotive industry and highlighted several critical aspects which would prove vital for the growth of the Indian industry.
In his address, Mr. Anand Mahindra, Vice Chairman and Managing Director, Mahindra Group, said: “Innovative product creation and engineering services are the cornerstone of any company with global aspirations, and Mahindra Research Valley will function as the crucible for innovation and technology within the Mahindra Group. Based on the principle that collective design development can only be achieved through mutual understanding, transparency and trust, MRV also marks a true watershed in the history of industrial architecture.”
Designed by the world renowned architect and Padma Vibhushan, Mr. Charles Correa, MRV has engineering offices situated directly above a podium housing the technical workshops. The complex also sports several green spaces, with about 6,500 trees on the premises, adding an element of nature to encourage fresh, creative thought.
Dr. Pawan Goenka, President – Automotive & Farm Equipment Sectors, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd., said: “MRV will provide the Mahindra Group with the tangible benefit of indigenous design at lower costs and shortened product development cycles. All of this, when aligned with the latest technological advancement in the field of automotive research, would translate into a dramatic increase in Intellectual Property for the company, resulting in global recognition. In future, we hope to see MRV emerge as a symbol of Indian ingenuity. MRV will place Chennai on the global automotive design and development map and provide a huge impetus to the domestic automotive product development capabilities in the region”.
Highlighting the facilities available at MRV, Mr. Rajan Wadhera, Chief Executive – Technology, Product Development and Sourcing, Automotive & Farm Equipment Sectors, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd., observed: “The multi-faceted R&D facility boasts of truly world class features, including a design center, an Engine Development Center (EDC), an NVH lab, a fatigue test and reliability lab, a driveline development center and an electrical and electronic lab, amongst others. The facility will develop prototypes and components which will then be transferred to high volume production lines at M&M’s different manufacturing plants located in the country and overseas”.
Temple of creativity
Mahindra Research Valley is a temple of creativity and innovation where design and R&D facilities are integrated. Its state-of-the-art research, design and development facilities will allow engineers and designers the freedom to proactively pursue activities in areas like environment-friendly advanced propulsion systems – hydrogen, fuel cells, bio-diesels and hybrids. Embedded systems, infotronics, artificial intelligence, mechatronics and advanced telematics will be other areas that engineers at MRV will be able to pursue.
The facility will also afford the Mahindra Group research capabilities in alternative polymer technology for automotive applications, vehicle passenger safety and validation of aggregates and vehicles. MRV’s state-of-the-art communication networks will also enable automotive global networking.
Integrated design groups operate with cross-functional team members representing diverse groups such as design, manufacturing, marketing, vendor development, R&D, etc. Simultaneous engineering is being promoted by co-locating them, and thus the product development time will be significantly reduced.
The Engine Development Centre will house groups addressing various issues involved in the development of engines. They would design, modify, develop, calibrate and evaluate the existing as well as new engines for various performance, reliability, durability, legislative and customer requirements. The centre will be equipped with state-of-the-art software and hardware to facilitate accelerated development of competitive power plants with emphasis on reduction in emission. Prototype building and testing of engines are among the other facilities offered.
The NVH Lab has been set up at MRV after extensive benchmarking with global auto manufacturers and will have a semi-anechoic chamber for chassis dyno, PTO dyno, modal room, sound quality room, etc.