<p>Daimler AG’s Mercedes-Benz Research and Development India (MBRDI) has revealed plans to nearly double its R&D headcount in the country by 2015. <br /><br /></p>.<p>MBRDI, which currently has 1,200 R&D engineers in India, plans to ramp up to 2,000 by 2015, which translates to a growth of around 66 per cent.<br /><br />The R&D organisation, which currently employs 140 engineers at its centre in Pune and 1,060 engineers at three centres in Bangalore, on Friday, inaugurated a new global facility in Bangalore at Whitefield, spread over an area of 20,000 square metres to employee 1,800 people. <br /><br />This new facility will now consolidate the existing three centres, making it the second largest R&D facility of Daimler globally, after Germany.<br /><br />According to MBRDI Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Jens Cattarius, the new facility will be involved in the virtual development of new products in areas of powertrain, chassis, engine, ECU for transmission, interiors, exteriors, safety features and body-in-wide application among others. <br /><br />It will also undertake certain functions such as virtual parts/product calculation, development and simulation. “The final output, however, takes place in Germany, since the investment for the same is high, involving lab tests and crash tests and so on,” Cattarius said. <br /><br />Unlike many of its competitors, who have resorted to consolidating their R&D activities, MBRDI claims to work according to a global approach with several worldwide R&D centres undertaking specific operations and processes for products to be sold globally. Daimler’s global R&D investment is estimated to be around 10.8 billion euros in 2013 and 2014, as against 5.6 billion euros in 2012.<br /><br />Out of the current 1,200 MBRDI employees, around 50 per cent work on passenger cars, 30 per cent on trucks and the remaining 20 per cent on information technology-related operations. In 2012, MBRDI filed over 50 patents for innovations in automotive development. <br /><br />“India is a high potential market for Mercedes-Benz and MBRDI will continue to ensure that development initiatives are in cognizance with the needs of the upcoming markets,” Mercedes-Benz Cars Development Head (Group Research) Prof Thomas Weber said.<br /><br />In India, the increased headcount expected by 2015 would be employed in Bangalore and Pune, though location-wise breakup was not revealed.</p>
<p>Daimler AG’s Mercedes-Benz Research and Development India (MBRDI) has revealed plans to nearly double its R&D headcount in the country by 2015. <br /><br /></p>.<p>MBRDI, which currently has 1,200 R&D engineers in India, plans to ramp up to 2,000 by 2015, which translates to a growth of around 66 per cent.<br /><br />The R&D organisation, which currently employs 140 engineers at its centre in Pune and 1,060 engineers at three centres in Bangalore, on Friday, inaugurated a new global facility in Bangalore at Whitefield, spread over an area of 20,000 square metres to employee 1,800 people. <br /><br />This new facility will now consolidate the existing three centres, making it the second largest R&D facility of Daimler globally, after Germany.<br /><br />According to MBRDI Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Jens Cattarius, the new facility will be involved in the virtual development of new products in areas of powertrain, chassis, engine, ECU for transmission, interiors, exteriors, safety features and body-in-wide application among others. <br /><br />It will also undertake certain functions such as virtual parts/product calculation, development and simulation. “The final output, however, takes place in Germany, since the investment for the same is high, involving lab tests and crash tests and so on,” Cattarius said. <br /><br />Unlike many of its competitors, who have resorted to consolidating their R&D activities, MBRDI claims to work according to a global approach with several worldwide R&D centres undertaking specific operations and processes for products to be sold globally. Daimler’s global R&D investment is estimated to be around 10.8 billion euros in 2013 and 2014, as against 5.6 billion euros in 2012.<br /><br />Out of the current 1,200 MBRDI employees, around 50 per cent work on passenger cars, 30 per cent on trucks and the remaining 20 per cent on information technology-related operations. In 2012, MBRDI filed over 50 patents for innovations in automotive development. <br /><br />“India is a high potential market for Mercedes-Benz and MBRDI will continue to ensure that development initiatives are in cognizance with the needs of the upcoming markets,” Mercedes-Benz Cars Development Head (Group Research) Prof Thomas Weber said.<br /><br />In India, the increased headcount expected by 2015 would be employed in Bangalore and Pune, though location-wise breakup was not revealed.</p>
