Source : PTI | The Heavy Industries Ministry has earmarked ₹780 crore for upgrading the infrastructure of all testing agencies in India, Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy said on Friday.
He was participating in the ICAT@20 – Celebrating 20 Years of Excellence programme at the International Centre for Automotive Technology (ICAT), Manesar, marking two decades of its contribution to India’s automotive testing, certification, research and industrial development.
The Heavy Industries and Steel Minister said India’s automotive sector is undergoing rapid transformation, with electrification, alternative fuels and intelligent mobility reshaping the industry.
He stressed that India’s ambition must go beyond being a large automotive market and focus on developing capabilities across design, engineering, manufacturing and intellectual property to establish the country as a global centre for mobility technologies.
The minister further highlighted the government’s wider investment in testing infrastructure, stating that the ministry has earmarked ₹780 crore for upgrading the infrastructure of all testing agencies.
The investment will strengthen India’s testing ecosystem and prepare it for future technological requirements.
A major highlight of the programme was the inauguration of the indigenously developed Load Car and Agri-Machinery Test Facility, along with the Lift Capacity Facility.
Describing the development as an important milestone, Kumaraswamy said, “A practical constraint in tractor performance testing was identified and addressed through an in-house engineering solution”.
The new facility would provide controlled and repeatable loading, increase testing availability and improve the predictability of certification schedules for tractor manufacturers, he added.
