The Hindu Business Line : Rs 1,700 crore for automobile upgradation, testing facilities

Spearheading this programme will be Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI), along with two other research facilities, one in the North and one in the South, said Dr. V. Sumantran, President ARAI and Chairman Organising Committee and Executive Director, Tata Motors Ltd, here on Wednesday.

Dr Sumantran said the entire funding for the plan would come from the Government,on the sidelines of SIAT (Symposium on International Automotive Technology) 2005, which was kick-started on Wednesday.

He said under the National Testing Research and Development Infrastructure Plan,the Regional Centre North at Manesar, Gurgaon near New Delhi, of ARAI, would be upgraded to cater to the needs of the auto industry in the North.

At this regional centre, facilities such as safety and homologation laboratory, emission certification laboratory, chemical laboratory and gradient tracks are currently functional. Efforts are on to install the remaining facilities and make the centre fully functional by September.

Dr Sumantran said the developments in the southern centre were yet to be decided.

He said the investment would also be used for setting up a test track in the country.

Dr Sumantran said this was "in no way undermining ARAI but was only supplementing its job."

Deflecting questions about the Rs 1-lakh dream car project, Dr Sumantran said, "On a general trend, huge advances have to be carried out in understanding the various aspects of the car, especially with regard to the body of the vehicle, the material that has to be utilised, manufacturing processes etc." But he was hopeful that this would become a reality at some stage.

Mr Balraj Bhanot, Director, ARAI, in his address said the two engine test cells commissioned at Regional Centre North were capable of testing engines up to 550 kw.

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