The Global Automotive Research Centre (GARC) in Oragadam, Chennai, functioning under the National Automotive Board and Ministry of Heavy Industries, is upgrading its testing infrastructure under the Government of India's PM Electric Drive Revolution in Innovative Vehicle Enhancement (PM E-DRIVE) Scheme. The scheme has a total outlay of ₹10,900 crore, with ₹780 crore specifically allocated for upgrading testing agencies, and is operational until 31 March 2028.
GARC has been allocated ₹221.13 crore under this scheme and has issued purchase orders for almost all proposed equipment. Major facilities being established or upgraded include Electric Vehicle and EV Battery Testing as per AIS-156 standards, EV EMI/EMC Testing under AIS-004 Part 3 Rev.1, Heavy Commercial Vehicle Testing Facility, Powertrain Laboratory Upgradation, Advanced Passive Safety Testing including dummies and dummy calibration equipment, Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) Testing including instruments and soft targets, and Automotive Component Testing.
Installation of procured equipment has commenced, with a key addition being a high-speed, high-resolution imaging system featuring UHD-4K cameras operating up to 750 fps and Full HD recording up to 3,000 fps. This system will support frontal, side, and rear crash testing by capturing critical events such as vehicle deformation, occupant movement, and airbag deployment, enabling detailed safety analysis and homologation.
These infrastructure investments represent a significant step toward strengthening India's indigenous testing and certification capabilities for electric vehicles, batteries, advanced safety systems, ADAS, heavy commercial vehicles, and emerging automotive technologies. GARC serves as an authorized testing agency under Rule 126 of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, providing vehicle and component testing, R&D, homologation, and certification through facilities covering powertrain, emissions, EMC, fatigue, electric vehicles, and safety testing.