BMW, Tata Technologies form JV to drive automotive software biz

BMW Group and Tata Technologies, a product engineering and digital services company, have announced the official launch of their joint venture BMW TechWorks India with offices in strategic talent hubs Pune, Bengaluru and Chennai.

With the final signing of the contracts and the approval of the authorities, the joint venture will initially start with 100 employees at these three locations and rapidly scale to four-digit number of employees by the end of 2025, with a strong focus on attracting top-tier Indian talent. The BMW Group and Tata Technologies each hold 50% of the shares in this JV.

BMW TechWorks India complements BMW Group’s global strategy by engineering seamless, scalable software solutions for next-gen vehicles and delivering leading digital experiences, the two companies say in a statement.

Tata Technologies’ capabilities across the entire product value chain, from conceptualisation to detailed engineering and turnkey software defined vehicle development, will drive key software projects for the BMW Group’s premium mobility solutions and facilitate access to India’s talents, it says.

India’s engineering and IT talent will play a pivotal role in developing strategic software solutions for SDVs, automated driving, digital infotainment, and automotive digital services, the statement says.

In addition to automotive software, the joint venture will provide digital products for the BMW Group's Business IT. Consequently, BMW TechWorks India will expedite the digital transformation of the car manufacturer's global production network, along with enhancing its digital customer journey and sales processes. Another key area of focus will be the development of AI applications and platforms.

The JV offers young Indian professionals an opportunity to work on breakthrough technologies that will shape the future of mobility on a global scale, the statement says. The JV's commitment to nurturing local talent and innovating next-gen automotive solutions reinforces India’s emergence as a global innovation hub in the automotive tech ecosystem, it says. “BMW TechWorks India is a significant addition to our global vehicle software development initiatives. India’s software talent will be a great asset for our Software-Defined Vehicles of the future. With agile processes and state-of-the-art tools, engineers at BMW TechWorks India will co-create innovative automotive digital experiences, such as automated driving and next-gen infotainment systems,” says Christoph Grote, senior vice president of electronics and software at BMW Group.

“Our joint venture with the BMW Group, BMW TechWorks India, underscores our deep expertise in Software-Defined Vehicles (SDV) and reflects our commitment to driving innovation in both automotive software and business IT. By leveraging Tata Technologies' strong brand presence in India, this JV will attract top talent and provide a platform to develop forward-thinking solutions that redefine the future of mobility,” says Warren Harris, CEO and managing director of Tata Technologies.