Mercedes-Benz R&D India expands ‘Sustainability Garage’ with new centres in Hyderabad
Mercedes-Benz Research and Development India (MBRDI) has announced the expansion of its ‘Sustainability Garage’, which is an initiative to support social innovation project in climate, environment and sustainable mobility spaces
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Bengaluru, 4 September: Mercedes-Benz Research and Development India (MBRDI) has announced the expansion of its ‘Sustainability Garage’, which is an initiative to support social innovation project in climate, environment and sustainable mobility spaces.
Under this initiative, the company will set up two new ‘Centre of Excellence’ in Hyderabad and New Delhi, it said in a press release.
According to the release, the expansion was announced at Mercedes-Benz Sustainability Dialogue India 2024 in New Delhi, where Renata Jungo Brüngger, Member of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG for Integrity, Governance & Sustainability, and Manu Saale, Managing Director and CEO, Mercedes-Benz Research and Development India, exchanged views and perspectives with representatives from government, industry, & academia among others.
The first new ‘Centre of Excellence’ aims to support 25 social enterprises focused on sustainable mobility and environmental innovation, for which the India R&D centre of Mercedes-Benz will provide seed funding, customised support, and deep-tech mentorship to selected enterprises.
Complementing this effort, T-Hub, India's leading startup incubator and innovation hub, will engage over 500 students in design thinking and prototyping bootcamp for innovative climate tech solutions, the company said.
Similarly, the Centre of Excellence focusing on charging infrastructure, set up in partnership with The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), will offer a specialised training programme on maintenance of charging infrastructure, certifying 60 young professionals this year to address the growing demand in this sector.
Renata Jungo Brüngger, Member of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG for Integrity, Governance & Sustainability, “With the Sustainability Garage, Mercedes-Benz Research and Development India underlines the goal of our worldwide corporate citizenship strategy to promoting ecological sustainability and fostering community empowerment. The Indian initiative supports local startups and the next generation of leaders. I am excited to see the innovations emerging from these partnerships.”
Manu Saale, Managing Director and CEO, Mercedes-Benz Research and Development India: “Mercedes-Benz Research and Development India is committed to leading the charge in sustainable mobility. The new Sustainability Garage projects will play a vital role in furthering innovation from India to meet some of the most pressing global challenges. We are confident that India’s digital R&D talent pool and pioneering spirit will lead us to some transformative climate-positive solutions for the world.”
The first Sustainability Garage Centre of Excellence was launched at Prayoga Institute of Education Research in February 2024, the company said.
