British race technology and vehicle development specialist Prodrive has teamed up with Indian company Opti Engineering to provide expertise to vehicle manufacturers based in the sub continent.
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Despite remaining tight-lipped as to any potential clients, a Prodrive spokesman confirmed there “are big names” involved in the venture which has already started and is the first such foray for the UK operation in India.
Prodrive managing director Tony Butcher, who is currently at the India Auto Expo in Delhi and meeting several major OEMs, emphasised the need for vehicle manufacturers to own their own intellectual property and allow in-house development.
“Three key elements have made our client relationships successful in India,” he said. “Our understanding of the priorities of the Indian customer, our impartiality towards different hardware providers and our willingness to share technical expertise in key systems.”
The addition of Opti Engineering will provide a range of engineering capabilities including mechanical and electronic design, analysis, supply chain expertise and workshop facilities working with already-established regional automotive companies.
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By GlobalDataProdrive has been eying India for a while and already operates outside the UK in China and Australia. The company believes the Indian market is ripe for its fuel-efficient technology including automated manual transmission systems that hark back to Prodrive’s Subaru Impreza rallying roots.
“We help clients through the challenges of applying unfamiliar technology,” added Butcher. “Ultimately they gain technical independence and the insight to adapt each technology to their specific market requirements.”
