Hyundai Motor Group has opened a new battery and electrification research facility at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi. The center, called the Hyundai Center of Excellence (Hyundai CoE), will serve as a collaborative platform for research focused on battery technologies and future mobility systems.
The initiative involves nine joint research projects currently underway between Hyundai and IITs. Areas of study include battery cells and systems, battery management systems (BMS), energy density, safety, durability, and diagnostic technologies. The research also includes work on new materials and system components to enhance battery performance.
The Hyundai CoE will be jointly led by Chang Hwan Kim, Executive Vice President and Head of the Electrification Energy Solutions Tech Unit at Hyundai, and Bijaya Ketan Panigrahi, Dean at IIT Delhi. The center is part of a broader collaboration between Hyundai and academic institutions in India, which is expected to grow to include 10 universities and involve around 100 professors by the end of 2025.
The partnership includes ongoing engagement with IIT Delhi, IIT Bombay, and IIT Madras, currently involving approximately 30 professors. Hyundai also plans to conduct technology exchange forums, global conferences on battery and electric vehicle technologies, and policy dialogue sessions with representatives from academia, industry, and government.
This collaboration is part of Hyundai’s Future Technology Research Program, which allows university faculty to propose research topics independently. The program began in 2021 and has recently expanded to include faculty from institutions outside Korea, starting with Indian Institutes of Technology.
At the agreement ceremony held in New Delhi, Hyundai Motor Group was represented by Heuiwon Yang, President and Head of R&D Division; Unsoo Kim, Managing Director of Hyundai Motor India Limited; and Chang Hwan Kim. IIT officials present included Rangan Banerjee, Director of IIT Delhi; Manu Santhanam, Dean at IIT Madras; and Sachin C. Patwardhan, Dean at IIT Bombay.