JLR EXPANDS GLOBAL INNOVATION NETWORK WITH LAUNCH OF OPEN INNOVATION HUB IN INDIA

23 October 2024

JLR opens Open Innovation Hub in Bangalore, India, to deliver deep‑tech innovations to support JLR’s Reimagine strategy
Launched with global investor and corporate innovation platform, Plug and Play, the Hub will connect startups with JLR’s global engineering workforce to find new technological, engineering and sustainability solutions for the company

Gaydon, UK – Wednesday 23rd October 2024: JLR today announces the launch of its latest Open Innovation Hub in India to identify and work closely with startups to develop the next generation of products and services that will help to define JLR’s future client experiences.

Building on the success of the company’s existing innovation hubs in the UK, US, Israel, and Brazil, the India Hub will focus on deep tech including artificial intelligence, big data and analytics, internet of things, ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance System) and sensors and devices.

The Hub, which is launching in partnership with the corporate innovation platform and investor, Plug and Play, will also bring together industry, government, academia, and other parties. They will discuss and develop industry leading solutions for JLR, such as optimising batteries for electric powertrains, identifying optimal locations for charging infrastructure and delivering more advanced ADAS.

The new Hub is the fifth to open since JLR’s Open Innovation Programme launched in April 2022. The programme has engaged with over 2,500 start‑ups globally, resulting in 33 formal collaborations so far. Successes include:

Collaboration with UK start‑up Allye to develop a way to reuse JLR PHEV and BEV batteries as second‑life energy storage systems.
In Brazil, the startup Energy Source ‑ who JLR have also invested in via their venture capital arm, InMotion Ventures ‑ launching the first solar‑powered electric vehicle charging station, and vehicle rental specialist, Movida, offering mobility leasing options on over 250 vehicles from JLR brands.

India’s rapidly growing startup sector and JLR’s already established presence and close links to the Tata Group make the country the ideal location for the newest Innovation Hub.

Through global collaboration, JLR’s Open Innovation Programme is connecting us to the next generation of talent and technologies, and the addition of a Hub in India will support JLR’s engineering teams to innovate quickly to support vehicle design, features and improve customer experiences.

Igor Murakami

JLR’s Innovation Director

Quality and innovation are core elements of our business. Through the Innovation Hub we are looking to tap into India’s deep technology ecosystem to discover new possibilities with a strong focus on engineering and sustainability. The hub will act as a dedicated space to attract disruptors to bring meaningful and scalable solutions to market. We aim to be the leading Innovation Hub for mobility and sustainability and be the top collaborator of choice for startups.

Lalitha Indrakanti

JLR Technology & Business Services India (TBSI) CEO

Plug and Play's partnership with JLR will continue to enhance our global mobility ecosystem. This initiative empowers innovators to develop transformative technologies that redefine the future of mobility and align with JLR's commitment to delivering exceptional customer experiences.

Sobhan Khani

Plug and Play Partner

Further information

Media Enquiries:

UK :

David Wrottesley
E: dwrottes@jaguarlandrover.com

T: + 44 (0) 7846 091167

Francis Robertson‑Marriott

E: frobert4@jaguarlandrover.com

T: + 44 (0) 7938593576

JLR Technology & Business Services India (TBSI):

Anindita Ghatak

E: aghatak@jaguarlandrover.com

T: +91 9833748419

Notes to Editors

*According to the Nasscom‑Zinnov study, India is ranked among the top ten locations for startups globally and ranks sixth in the global deep tech ecosystem, with a total of 3,600 deep tech startups in India. Of these, more than 480 were established in 2023 alone, double that of 2022.

About JLR Technology & Business Services India:

JLR TBSI is the capability hub in India headquartered in Bangalore supporting the growth of our JLR and its four iconic brands Range Rover, Defender, Jaguar, Discovery. With 800 employees, the capability hub focuses on areas ranging from Advanced Driver Assistance Systems, Software Defined Vehicles, Engineering Propulsion, Body, Chassis & Exteriors, Digital Operations, Global Procurement, After Market functions.

About JLR
JLR’s Reimagine strategy aims to deliver a sustainability‑rich vision of modern luxury by design.

We are transforming our business, targeting carbon net zero across our supply chain, products, and operations by 2039. We have set a roadmap to reduce emissions across our own operations and value chains by 2030 through approved, science‑based targets. Electrification is central to this strategy and before the end of the decade our Range Rover, Discovery, Defender collections will each have a pure electric model, while Jaguar will be entirely electric.

At heart, JLR is a British company, with two design and engineering sites, three vehicle manufacturing facilities, an Electric Propulsion Manufacturing Centre, and a Battery Assembly Centre in the UK. We also have vehicle plants in China, Brazil, India, Austria, and Slovakia, as well as seven technology hubs across the globe.

Jaguar Land Rover is a wholly owned subsidiary of Tata Motors Limited, part of Tata Sons.

Media website:

https://media.jaguarlandrover.com/JLR M

Social channels:

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About Plug and Play

Plug and Play is the leading innovation platform, connecting startups, corporations, venture capital firms, universities, and government agencies. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, we're present in 60+ locations across five continents. We offer corporate innovation programs and help our corporate partners in every stage of their innovation journey, from education to execution. We also organize startup acceleration programs and have built an in‑house VC to drive innovation across multiple industries where we've invested in hundreds of successful companies including Dropbox, Guardant Health, Honey, Lending Club, N26, PayPal, and Rappi. For more information, visit https://www.plugandplaytechcenter.com/ 