SEOUL, May 18 (AJP) - South Korean automakers Hyundai Motor and Kia have expanded their joint research network with leading Indian universities to strengthen core technologies in electric vehicle batteries and electrification, the companies said Monday.
Four universities — IIT Hyderabad, IIT Kanpur, Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology Nagpur and Tezpur University — signed agreements to participate in the network under the Hyundai Center of Excellence for future mobility technology.
Hyundai Motor and Kia launched the center on April 23, 2025, with IIT Madras, IIT Delhi and IIT Bombay as part of efforts to strengthen industry-academia research cooperation in India.
With the latest additions, the network now includes seven universities across India. They will work on 39 joint research projects covering batteries, electrification, advanced materials and AI-based vehicle-to-grid platforms.
Hyundai Motor and Kia said the expanded network will focus on battery designs tailored to local market conditions, electrification performance technologies and talent development in future mobility.
Kim Chang-hwan, executive vice president in charge of electrification energy solutions at Hyundai Motor and Kia, said the agreement represents “a shared promise for the future,” adding that Hyundai Motor Group and Indian academia will continue cooperation in future mobility technologies.
The expansion comes as Hyundai Motor and Kia strengthen their presence in India, where the companies posted record first-quarter sales and recently signed an agreement with TVS Motor Company to develop India-focused electric three-wheelers.
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