The BMW Group and Tata Technologies Ltd have forged an alliance to establish a joint venture (JV), aiming to create an automotive software and IT development center in Pune, Bengaluru, and Chennai. This collaboration will utilize Tata Technologies’ expertise in digital engineering and talent pool to bolster BMW’s strategic endeavor to enhance software coding capabilities globally and ensure round-the-clock operations. Their focus will encompass strategic software development, particularly solutions for software-defined vehicles (SDV), with a special emphasis on automotive software such as automated driving, infotainment, and digital services. In the realm of business IT, the emphasis will be on digitalization and automation of product development, production, and sales processes.
Despite the absence of financial specifics, the JV has already made waves in the market, with Tata Tech shares surging approximately 6% during intraday trading on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) while the Sensex, the benchmark index, witnessed a slight decline. Initial operations will involve 100 Tata Tech professionals engaged in software projects, with plans for rapid expansion in subsequent years.
The operational nucleus will be established in Bengaluru and Pune, while Chennai will focus on business IT solutions. Warren Harris, CEO and MD of Tata Technologies, expressed enthusiasm for the collaboration, highlighting their commitment to delivering top-tier automotive software and digital engineering solutions worldwide. Nachiket Paranjpe, president of automotive sales at Tata Technologies, emphasized the pivotal role of software-defined vehicles in shaping the future of automotive software and vehicle development methodologies.
Christoph Grote, senior VP of software and electric/electronic architecture at BMW, underscored the significance of the collaboration in advancing the company’s pursuit of software-defined vehicles. He praised India’s pool of talented software engineers and their potential contributions to BMW’s software competence. Alexander Buresch, CIO and senior VP of BMW Group IT, lauded the successful model of international DevOps hubs and expressed satisfaction with Tata Technologies as a valued technology partner.
DevOps, a collaborative software development method, will play a crucial role in streamlining operations. Tata Technologies, a subsidiary of the Tata Group, specializes in product engineering and digital services for manufacturers, while the BMW Group has been actively engaged in automotive software development for over two decades, boasting a global network of development teams dedicated to automotive software and business IT solutions, comprising over 9,400 professionals worldwide.
