ZF (CVS) and IIT Madras Partner for Global Mobility

Chennai- ZF Commercial Vehicle Control Systems India Limited., signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras (IITM), focusing on the ‘Mobility and Intelligent Transportation’ (MInT), to develop the Bharat Multi-Modal Mobility Stack (BM3S), a revolutionary digital infrastructure for sustainable and intelligent transportation solutions worldwide.

BM3S, centred on safety, sustainability, and equity, will drive progress in electric vehicles, autonomous driving, and intelligent transportation. It seeks to integrate data, payments, vehicle technology, and digital models, aiming for holistic solutions aligned with UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Mr. P. Kaniappan, Managing Director, ZF Commercial Vehicles Solutions India Limited, said, “At ZF, we are committed to shaping the future of mobility with innovative solutions that are technologically advanced and create connected, safe, smart, and sustainable mobility. This collaboration with IITM is a definitive step towards addressing challenges of modern mobility. BM3S has the potential to revolutionise how we approach transportation, in India and the world, and we are excited to be a part of this groundbreaking initiative and in the overall greater digital mobility.”

Dr. Christian Brenneke, Head of R&D and System Solutions, Sr VP, Engineering Solutions, ZF CVS said, “Modern India’s mobility challenges are also reflective of the issues faced worldwide. ZF is at the forefront of driving cutting edge mobility technologies and solutions that most effectively address these issues, with the potential to transform and scale up for global needs. The MInT collaborative is a testament to this vision and will give a greater impetus to the initiative. Through continued collaboration between industry leaders like the ZF Group, forward thinking government agencies, and globally recognized academic institutions like IIT Madras, the industry will be better positioned to accelerate the development of cutting-edge mobility technologies.”

Prof. Manu Santhanam, Dean Industrial Consulting and Sponsored Research, IIT Madras said, “IIT Madras is committed to bringing about technological innovations through translational research. We have multiple centres working in the area of mobility and digital technologies. The MInT collaborative and this partnership with ZF, a global leader in mobility products and solutions, will help accelerate mobility research to practice.

With a focus on safety, sustainability, and equity, BM3S will pave the way for significant advancements in electric vehicles, autonomous driving, and intelligent transportation systems. It aims to seamlessly integrate data streams, payment systems, vehicle technologies, and digital twin models.

Working together this collaboration aims to co-create a digital platform that will drive the development of holistic system solutions aligned with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Mr. A Ganesamoorthy, Head of Engineering, CVS R&D, Region India, is the lead for this collaborative from ZF and will facilitate co-creating system solutions that enable Mobility and Intelligent Transport with digital infrastructure as the innovation engine.

Dr. Ramakrishna Srinivasan, the CEO, MInT Collaborative, IIT Madras said, “By bringing together industry, government, and academia, the MInT consortium will co-create BM3S, laying the foundation for a safer, more sustainable, and equitable mobility ecosystem. We are happy to anchor the MInT Collaborative with world-leading technological and human resources in numerous fields. This initiative is the beginning of the exciting technology journey to bring to life the ‘Mobility Dreams for a Billion’. Mobility – safe, and efficient movement of people and goods – is the backbone of the modern economy. Digital infrastructure complements and optimizes the physical infrastructure and is an innovation engine to advance future mobility.”

Prof. Gitakrishnan Ramadurai, Faculty In-charge, MInT Collaborative, IIT Madras said: “The Bharat Multi-Modal Mobility Stack is a digital platform to foster the “Build for India, Solve for the World” Goals. It defines mobility as a digital public good and serves as a benchmark for standardizing, developing and deploying mobility tools and services for a billion and more.”