Swadeshi Tech to Drive India’s Future Mobility: C-DAC, ICAT Join Forces for Indigenous Automotive Innovation
Officials from C-DAC and ICAT during the signing of an MoU at the Traffic InfraTech Expo 2025 in New Delhi, marking a new chapter in indigenous automotive R&D under the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat.
Collaboration to focus on R&D, testing, and certification of home-grown automotive technologies under Atmanirbhar Bharat
New Delhi, October 10: In a major boost to India’s self-reliance mission in the automotive sector, the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and the International Centre for Automotive Technology (ICAT) under the Ministry of Heavy Industries have entered into a strategic partnership to develop and deploy indigenous technologies for the country’s next-generation mobility ecosystem.
The memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed on Thursday during the Traffic InfraTech Expo 2025 held at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, in the presence of Sunita Verma, Group Coordinator (R&D in Electronics & IT), MeitY; Dr Saurabh Dalela, Director, ICAT; Dr PR Lakshmi Eswari, Centre Head, C-DAC Hyderabad; and senior government and industry representatives.
Pioneering India’s Own Mobility Tech
The collaboration seeks to create a robust foundation for R&D, testing, and certification of indigenous automotive technologies — a move aimed at reducing dependence on foreign systems and accelerating the Atmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India missions.
The agreement covers a broad scope of activities, including:
Joint development of advanced automotive technologies and embedded electronics.
Identification of new R&D areas aligned with emerging industry needs.
Formulation of testing standards and cybersecurity frameworks for connected vehicles.
Industry collaboration for piloting and validation of indigenous innovations.
Complementary Roles for Innovation and Testing
Under the MoU, C-DAC will lead the design, development, and innovation of technologies tailored to Indian conditions, while ICAT will facilitate testing, validation, certification, and industry integration.
This synergy will ensure that indigenous technologies are not only developed in India but also certified and commercialized through an ecosystem that meets global benchmarks.
“With this collaboration, India’s automotive sector will witness a decisive shift from dependence on imported solutions to Swadeshi innovation,” an official release stated, adding that the partnership will “shape India’s journey toward self-reliant, future-ready mobility.”
Towards a Self-Reliant Automotive Ecosystem
The C-DAC–ICAT partnership represents a model for how India’s premier public R&D institutions can collaborate to deliver strategic technology sovereignty in critical sectors.
It also aligns with India’s broader vision of sustainable, connected, and safe transportation driven by indigenous design and digital innovation.
