Pune, India, 11 September 2026: The Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) today announced that its newly established Cylinder Testing Facility at the Mobility Research Centre (MRC), Takwe, Pune, has received ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accreditation from the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL). The facility is now fully operational and serves as a critical national resource for the validation of high-pressure alternative fuel systems supporting India’s transition towards sustainable mobility.
The facility is uniquely positioned as an ISO/IEC 17025-accredited center offering a full spectrum of cylinder testing services from a single location. Among the first-of-its-kind facilities in India, the centre is equipped to test Type I to Type IV gaseous cylinders used across a wide range of sectors, including automotive, industrial, marine, defence, space, and other specialized applications. The facility supports cylinder manufacturers in product development, evaluation, certification, type approval, batch testing, and developmental activities in accordance with relevant national and international standards.
The facility is capable of supporting R&D and certification activities for gaseous cylinders used for CNG, HCNG, oxygen, nitrogen, inert gases, and other applications, in compliance with the applicable Gas Cylinder Rules. Most of the established test facilities are suitable for evaluating hydrogen cylinders up to 700 bar, with only a few specialized tests lying outside the current accreditation scope.
Dr. Reji Mathai, Director, ARAI, said: “The ISO:17025 / NABL accreditation for cylinder test facility is a significant milestone that reflects the technical excellence, rigorous quality systems, and unwavering commitment of our engineering team. It strengthens India’s testing infrastructure by providing reliable, standards-compliant, and internationally benchmarked safety testing services for high-pressure gas cylinders. With advanced testing capabilities and stringent quality controls, the facility will play a vital role in ensuring the safety, performance, and regulatory compliance of high-pressure storage systems.”
The ARAI Cylinder Testing Facility offers a comprehensive suite of destructive and non-destructive testing services designed to evaluate performance, safety, reliability, and durability under demanding operating conditions. Key capabilities include – Material characterization and testing, Hydrostatic and pressure cycling tests under climatic conditions, Permeation testing, Burst testing, Bonfire testing, Drop testing, Mechanical and environmental durability evaluations amongst other specialized cylinder validation tests.
By providing localized, NABL-accredited testing services, ARAI enables manufacturers to substantially reduce product development timelines, minimize dependence on overseas testing facilities, and accelerate the commercialization of alternative fuel technologies.
The facility assists industry stakeholders in meeting technical qualification and validation requirements associated with various government initiatives, including the Automotive Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme, thereby promoting indigenous innovation and strengthening domestic manufacturing capabilities.
The Cylinder Testing Facility is now fully operational and available for industry testing and certification support. Vehicle manufacturers, cylinder producers, technology developers, and other stakeholders can access information on the NABL accreditation scope and technical capabilities through ARAI’s official website.
Through this advanced testing infrastructure, ARAI continues to reinforce its role as a key technical enabler of India’s clean and sustainable mobility transition. By supporting the safe deployment of CNG, Bio-CNG, hydrogen, and other emerging fuel technologies, ARAI is helping ensure that innovation is backed by the highest standards of safety, reliability, quality, and regulatory compliance, while contributing to India’s long-term vision of energy security and decarbonized transportation.
About ARAI:
The Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI), established in 1966, is a leading automotive R&D organisation set up by the automotive industry with the Government of India. ARAI is affiliated to the Ministry of Heavy Industries and is recognized by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research.
An ISO 9001 certified organization, ARAI is accredited by National Accreditation Board for Testing & Calibration Laboratories (NABL). ARAI is also accredited for ISO 14001, ISO 27001 and ISO 45001:2018.
ARAI offers Testing & Validation, Certification & Homologation, Design & Development, Research & Development, Projects & Consulting, Standardisation & Harmonisation, Education & Training, Testing Solutions services. It has also developed indigenous products including automotive technologies, data bases, software tools and testing facilities.
Media Contact:
Dr. Atul Thakare
Deputy General Manager, BDCP, ARAI
+91 20 6762-1134
thakare.dts@araiindia.com
Ms. Manali Sarpatwar
Executive, Corporate Communications, BDCP, ARAI
+91 20 6762-1141
sarpatwar.dts@araiindia.com
Website: https://www.araiindia.com/