The Global Automotive Research Centre (GARC), Oragadam, Chennai, is strengthening India's automotive testing and certification capabilities under the PM Electric Drive Revolution in Innovative Vehicle Enhancement (PM E-Drive) Scheme, with Rs. 2.2 billion (US$ 22.9 million) allocated to upgrade its testing infrastructure.

GARC operates under the National Automotive Board of the Ministry of Heavy Industries and is an authorised testing agency under Rule 126 of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules. It provides vehicle and component testing, research and development, homologation and certification across areas including powertrains, emissions, electromagnetic compatibility, fatigue, electric vehicles and vehicle safety.

Rs. 109 billion PM E-Drive scheme

The PM E-Drive Scheme has a total outlay of Rs. 109 billion, including Rs. 7.8 billion for upgrading testing agencies, and will remain operational until March 31st, 2028.

As part of the initiative, GARC has been allocated Rs. 2.2 billion and has issued purchase orders for almost all the proposed equipment, with installation already under way. The upgraded infrastructure will expand GARC's testing capabilities for electric vehicles, batteries, advanced safety systems, heavy commercial vehicles and other emerging automotive technologies.

Focus on EVs and advanced automotive technologies

Major facilities being established or upgraded include electric vehicle and EV battery testing facilities in accordance with AIS-156, as well as EV EMI/EMC testing under AIS-004 Part 3 Rev.1.

GARC is also developing a Heavy Commercial Vehicle Testing Facility and upgrading its Powertrain Laboratory.

For vehicle safety, the centre is establishing advanced passive safety testing facilities, including advanced dummies and dummy calibration equipment. It is also strengthening Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) testing with specialised instruments and soft targets. The infrastructure upgrade also includes facilities for automotive component testing.

High-speed cameras for crash testing

A key addition to GARC's upgraded infrastructure is a high-speed, high-resolution imaging system for detailed crash analysis. It includes UHD 4K cameras capable of operating at up to 750 frames per second, along with Full HD recording at up to 3,000 frames per second.

The system will be used during frontal, side and rear crash testing to capture events including vehicle deformation, occupant movement and airbag deployment. The resulting data will support safety analysis and vehicle homologation.

Strengthening indigenous testing capabilities

The PM E-Drive-supported infrastructure at GARC is aimed at strengthening India's indigenous automotive testing and certification capabilities.

With expanded facilities for electric vehicles, batteries, advanced safety systems, ADAS, heavy commercial vehicles and emerging automotive technologies, GARC is further developing its role as a national automotive testing and research centre.

The upgraded infrastructure is expected to support the development of safer and technologically advanced vehicles while contributing to the competitiveness of India's automotive industry.