Mercedes-Benz Research and Development India and IIT Delhi Collaborate for Joint Research

Mercedes-Benz Research and Development India (MBRDI) and Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IIT Delhi) announced they are working together on joint research programmes, creating shared pathways for knowledge development. The organisations have formalised this through a five-year Master Research Agreement (MRA), strengthening efforts to bring academia and industry closer through joint research.

The association will focus on research areas that support the future of mobility and engineering systems. These include quantum technologies, future materials, neuromorphic engineering, and electric mobility, where fundamental research and applied engineering intersect to create opportunities for knowledge development and intellectual property creation. The identified themes create a clear direction for collaborative research, combining academic depth with real-world engineering needs.

Manu Saale, Managing Director and CEO, Mercedes-Benz Research and Development India said, “This year marks 140 years since the invention of the automobile, a chapter that reflects the beginning of Mercedes‑Benz’s journey in shaping mobility. MBRDI is also celebrating a milestone as we mark 30 years of engineering excellence in India. We envision a future where academia and industry are systemically partnering to realise real-world challenges and provide meaningful breakthroughs. In that context, our collaboration with IIT Delhi is a significant leap for our legacy of innovation, helping us redefine mobility faster and better. Together, we aim to shape solutions that make a difference today and in the years ahead.”

Prof. Preeti Ranjan Panda, Dean of Corporate Relations at Indian Institute of Technology Delhi said, “We are pleased to partner with MBRDI in this collaboration, which builds upon IIT Delhi's commitment to enable knowledge exchange and co-creation with industry partners. Through this initiative, the Institute seeks to advance high-quality research and generate impactful innovations that enable sustainable, affordable, and future-ready mobility. Our objective is to develop solutions that address India’s mobility challenges while establishing new benchmarks for global impact.”

As part of the initial phase of this collaboration, a research project in the areas of quantum sensors and battery systems is being launched under the leadership of IIT Delhi’s Prof. Nirat Ray (Department of Materials Science and Engineering), with Prof. Saurabh Saxena (Centre for Applied Research and Technology), jointly steering the research efforts. The initiative will bring together interdisciplinary researchers from IIT Delhi and engineering teams at MBRDI to accelerate innovation through joint research, prototype development, and real-world validation, with the goal of creating scalable, high-impact technology solutions.