Hyundai Motor Group has announced a major expansion of its academic and industrial collaboration initiative in India, reinforcing its commitment to advancing electric vehicle research and battery innovation in the country. The company is expanding its Hyundai Center of Excellence (Hyundai CoE) into a nationwide research network by onboarding four additional academic institutions and creating one of India’s largest collaborative platforms dedicated to electrification technologies.
The newly added partner institutions include Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad, Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology Nagpur and Tezpur University. These institutions join the founding members — Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi and Indian Institute of Technology Bombay — creating a seven-university consortium focused on accelerating the development of India-specific electric mobility solutions.
The agreement ceremony was held in New Delhi and attended by senior Hyundai Motor Group executives, academic leaders and government representatives. Among those present were Chang Hwan Kim, Head of the Electrification Energy Solutions Tech Unit and Co-Chair of Hyundai CoE; Tarun Garg; Eul Kyo Lim; and Chang Yeon Cho.
The initiative is designed to strengthen India’s EV research ecosystem while enabling the development of advanced battery and electrification technologies tailored to local market conditions. Hyundai stated that the expanded network would serve as a strategic platform for industry-academia collaboration and innovation.
Speaking at the event, Chang Hwan Kim said the collaboration would create significant synergies between Hyundai and India’s leading academic institutions. He noted that the initiative would bring together distinguished professors and emerging researchers to support India’s sustainable mobility ambitions and build a world-class expert network in the country.
The Hyundai CoE platform is currently driving 39 collaborative research projects across the seven universities. Key focus areas include battery cells, battery management systems, energy density enhancement, safety technologies, diagnostics and durability solutions. Several projects are aimed at developing battery materials and designs suited specifically for Indian climatic and operating conditions.
One of the flagship initiatives under the programme involves the development of an artificial intelligence-enabled Vehicle-to-Grid platform that can improve energy efficiency and grid integration for electric vehicles. Hyundai believes such innovations will support India’s long-term transition toward cleaner and smarter mobility systems.
The company has also introduced multiple knowledge-sharing programmes to strengthen collaboration between Indian and Korean researchers. A dedicated Korea Visiting Program will facilitate academic exchanges and joint learning opportunities in electric vehicle technology and advanced battery systems.
In addition, Hyundai plans to organise global e-conferences and technology forums that will bring together policymakers, researchers, industry leaders and academic experts to discuss emerging mobility technologies and future electrification strategies.
The long-term vision of the initiative is to transform the Hyundai Center of Excellence into a comprehensive research and innovation hub supporting India’s EV ecosystem. Through sustained engagement with universities, industry stakeholders and government agencies, Hyundai aims to contribute to the development of advanced technologies, skilled talent and scalable solutions for the country’s growing electric mobility sector.
The company said the initiative reflects its broader strategy of strengthening local research capabilities and supporting India’s transition toward sustainable transportation. By combining industrial expertise with academic excellence, Hyundai Motor Group expects the Hyundai CoE network to play a key role in shaping the future of electric mobility innovation in India.
