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Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) announced on Wednesday its decision to invest $150 million in setting up a new Global Digital Hub in Hyderabad.
FCA ICT India, it’s new innovation and technology development facility, will be the automotive company’s largest Digital Hub outside of North America and EMEA.
FCA ICT India expects to create nearly 1,000 new cutting-edge technology jobs by the end of 2021 and has plans to increase hiring over the next two to three years. The hub will serve as a ‘transformation and innovation engine’ for FCA and drive global IT strategy, and deliver technology and service Centres of Excellence. It will focus on building competencies in niche technology areas such as connected vehicle programs, artificial intelligence, data accelerators, and cloud technologies, among others.
‘Data, the new currency’
“In the digital era, data is the new currency. Our goal is to build an innovation powerhouse that harnesses the intelligence enabled by data to build exciting new products and services to deliver at the speed of our customers’ expectations,” said Mamatha Chamarthi, CIO, FCA, North America and Asia Pacific.
She said, “One of the key objectives of FCA ICT India is to digitalise every aspect of FCA’s automotive operations globally and within India, and to shift from legacy to digital through adoption of emerging technologies. We are fostering a strong, global culture of innovation and entrepreneurship to promote agility at scale, and drive customer-centricity.”
Telangana Industries and IT Minister, KT Rama Rao, said that the State government will extend all necessary support. The State’s electric vehicle policy will alsso pave way for more investments into the State.
The Global Digital Hub will also expand FCA’s relationships with several ecosystem partners, including strategic partners, start-ups, digital accelerators and universities, to accelerate our innovation agenda.
‘Aggresively hiring’
“We are working closely with strategic technology partners to accelerate our talent and competency ramp-up at FCA ICT India,” Karim Lalani, Director and Head of FCA ICT India. “We are also aggressively hiring, and the response has been overwhelming.”
FCA has a major presence in Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu, with headquarters in Mumbai and employs over 3,000 people. With the Global Digital Hub, FCA will be expanding its presence in Telangana. The company has a joint venture vehicle and powertrain manufacturing facility in Ranjangaon, Maharashtra. The company’s engineering and product development operations are located in Pune and Chennai.
Partha Datta, President and Managing Director, FCA India, said: “FCA ICT India will be our technology backbone that will not only help us develop products for future mobility but will also sharpen our efforts to enhance customer-centricity.”
FCA India manufactures Jeep Compass in Ranjangaon and exports the SUV to 13 international right-hand drive markets, including Japan and Australia. FCA India is gearing up to launch a number of new products in 2021.
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