Creating Value for the Future of Mobility: Continental Propels India Towards a Sustainable Automotive Future

Technology company Continental is committed to creating value in the Indian market by innovating high-tech mobility solutions with a renewed commitment to localization. With its “in the market, for the market” strategy, the company is focused on establishing itself as the leader in hardware excellence, software competence, and system expertise. This implies a continued expansion of electronics manufacturing, scaling up software development capabilities, and finally, robust integration of software and electronics for a faster market introduction of cutting-edge solutions. With an evolving vehicle system architecture, the company is poised to spearhead the Software Defined Vehicle (SDV) vision in India to develop state-of-the-art vehicle system functions powered by High Performance Computer (HPC).

Prashanth Doreswamy, President and CEO, Continental India, added, “Continental India is driven by our commitment towards R&D as well as advanced technological capabilities with a dedicated focus on localization—thus bridging India with the world. Our clear roadmap emphasizes growth and value creation by leveraging technology to secure a strategic advantage in the market. By expanding our technological footprint in India, Continental aims to meet global demands in mobility.”

The Bangalore Plant which is Continental’s largest electronics plant in India and Technical Center India (TCI) will have a huge role to play in realizing the new growth strategy. Some of the recent developments include consistent investments to ramp up localization of safety and connected car technologies at the Bangalore Plant. While TCI mobilized investment of close to 1000 crore INR which included the inauguration of its new center in 2022, has grown remarkably both in terms of people and software systems competencies. Continental’s Gurgaon Plant is also striding towards localization of advanced electronic brake systems and brake-by-wire solutions. With this Continental is in a good position to front-end the dynamic market trends.

Software Defined Vehicles

In significant progress toward the future of automotive innovation, Continental has reaffirmed its commitment to pioneering Software Defined Vehicles (SDV) technology. The technology company is well-positioned to revolutionize the driving experience with its cutting-edge approach to vehicle development. As vehicles evolve into sophisticated software platforms, Continental’s renewed emphasis on SDV underscores a paradigm shift in the automotive landscape. It also promises unparalleled advancements in safety, connectivity, and overall driving convenience.

Continental has focused on multiple collaborations (Continental’s cloud-based development environment – CAEdge) to accelerate the development and validation of software features and applications for the Software-Defined Vehicle (SDV). The company, with its Plug & Play concept, has also introduced a modular and highly scalable solution for the integration of high-performance computers (HPC) in vehicle architectures. With modularity and scalability being the cornerstones of the hardware architecture, individual computing modules can now be exchanged or upgraded in the field, almost as with desktop PCs.

R&D Efficiency

India is a value-driven market, and Continental’s local strategy is to optimize and refine efficiencies by automating manufacturing plants. Committed to evaluating product demands and aligning with localization efforts, TCI is contributing to this. TCI combines the rapidly growing engineering competencies and teams in India and caters to Automotive Research and Development (R&D) requirements for Indian and global markets. Reinstating Continental’s commitment to India, TCI houses hi-tech software, hardware, and vehicle test facilities for R&D and a plethora of training centers, with each floor equipped with multiple collaboration areas. With a strong workforce, TCI is one of Continental’s largest and key R&D locations globally, catering to both global and local markets.

Sustainability Focus

Continental, with a technology focus, is committed to sustainability that spans from materials to products. Premiered globally last year, what is the most sustainable tire to date, the UltraContact NXT tire was showcased for the first time in India. With up to 65 percent renewable, recycled, and mass balance certified materials, the new tire combines a remarkably high share of sustainable materials with maximum safety and performance. At the same time, all dimensions carry the highest possible rating in rolling resistance, wet braking, and exterior noise.

Renewable materials account for up to 32 percent of the UltraContact NXT. This includes resins based on residual materials from the paper and wood industries and silicate from the ash of rice husks. Rice husks are an agricultural waste product that may be processed into silica through a new, less energy-consuming process. As in every tire, natural rubber is a key material of the UltraContact NXT. It remains indispensable as it ensures the highest tire performance properties because of its elevated level of strength and durability.

Its strategic shift towards bio-based raw materials and recycled plastics, gradually ousting traditional petroleum-based resources is a testament to Continental’s awareness and responsibility towards the environment. The reduction of carbon footprints and aligning with the global imperative of waste reduction is a byproduct of this innovative approach. Continental is also dedicated to durability and performance with scratch-resistant materials with outstanding cleaning and anti-soiling properties.

Commitment to India

Having originated in Hanover, Germany, over 150 years ago, Continental has left an indelible mark on the Indian landscape over the past 15 years through its three groups – Automotive, Tires, and ContiTech. A technology company synonymous with safe, efficient, connected, intelligent, and affordable mobility solutions, Continental’s successful journey with close to 10,000 employees spread across 12 locations supported by 7 manufacturing facilities is committed to focusing on safety, sustainability, and innovation to the Indian Markets

Continental is exhibiting an impressive array of technology and sustainable solutions for the software-defined vehicle of the future that will revolutionize mobility in India at the Bharat Mobility Global Expo 2024 being held from 1-3 February 2024 at the Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. On display were autonomous vehicle technologies, connected car solutions, state-of-the-art tires, sustainable surface solutions, advanced display systems, and brake-by-wire solutions among others.