Pune, 11 Dec 2024: The Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI), the autonomous body under the Ministry of Heavy Industries, Government of India, for close to six decades, has been instrumental in enabling the automotive industry to usher in new technologies that are more sustainable and safer in nature. From ensuring vehicle safety to strategizing standard formulation, ARAI has provided unwavering support to the industry and the Government in bringing the Indian automotive industry at par with global counterparts.
Established on 10th December 1966, ARAI has grown from a testing agency into a technology deployment research organization. ARAI offers integrated services spanning three areas – R&D, Certification and Skill Development.
On its 58th Annual Day, ARAI showcased its achievements in the mobility domain and its contribution towards making the industry safe, smart and sustainable through activities such as certification, standard formulation, and development of technology solutions through research and innovation.
Some of the recently established facilities at ARAI include:
- Airbag Deployment Facility
- Advanced Accelerated Sled
- Advanced Photometry & Optics Laboratory
- Advanced Noise, Vibration & Harshness (NVH) Developmental Centre
To promote vehicular safety aligned with global standards, ARAI is equipped with comprehensive facilities for vehicle evaluation as per New Car Assessment Programme (NCAP) protocols.
The proposed facilities at the new Mobility Research Centre (MRC), Takwe include:
- ADAS Smart City Test Track
- Cylinder Test Facilities & Certification Centre
- Hydrogen Test Facility
- High Energy Impact Test (HEIT) Facility (ISO 17025 Accredited)
The High Energy Impact Test Facility will be the first of its kind in India and Asia. The MRC will also be the first in the country to enable indigenous testing for cylinder manufacturers, supporting Aatmanirbhar Bharat. An Advanced Battery Safety Testing Facility is also being established at ARAI’s Chakan centre to ensure the safety of electric vehicles as per futuristic standards.
In recent years, ARAI has undertaken various R&D projects in the domains of Electric Vehicles, Autonomous Driving, and Engine Development. Some of the key projects include:
AC/DC Charging Station, LEV AC Charge Point, Acoustic Vehicle Alerting System (AVAS), Battery Management Systems, Drive-by-Wire Platform, 600 HP Engine, Seat Validation, BS-VI HCV CNG Engines for Heavy Duty Applications, Lightweight Aluminium Extrusion Profiles, Dummy Kinematics Assessment based on Ergonomics (SIZE India – Indian Anthropometry Database), Hydrogen PEM-based Electric 3W for Range Extension, Battery Management System (BMS) Training Kit, Diesel Engines for Tractor Applications.
ARAI has established an Alternate Fuel Centre to cater to fuels such as Methanol, Hydrogen, HCNG, DME, Ethanol, LNG, Bio-CNG, Biodiesel, Diesel-CNG, in addition to CNG and LPG.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Reji Mathai, Director, ARAI, said:
“We at ARAI are in constant endeavour to address the growing requirements of the automotive industry. Transformation has been the essence behind ARAI’s progress. Apart from automotive, ARAI is also diversifying into aerospace and railway sectors. Through platforms such as TechNovuss, ARAI-AMTIF, and a Technical Support Cell, we support MSMEs and startups. Skill development remains a core objective through ARAI Academy, SIAT, Mobility Hackathons and BAJA initiatives.”
ARAI is committed to creating and facilitating SAFE, SUSTAINABLE and SMART mobility solutions and undertakes several sustainability initiatives to support a greener planet.
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About ARAI
The Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) is a cooperative industrial research association of the automotive industry with the Ministry of Heavy Industries, Government of India. ARAI plays a crucial role in assuring safe, less polluting and efficient vehicles and provides expertise in R&D, testing, certification, homologation and framing of vehicular regulations.
Contact:
Name: Dr. Atul R. Thakare
Email: thakare.dts@araiindia.com
Phone: 020-67621134 / 41