Aptiv, a leading global technology company focused on making mobility safer, greener and more connected, has decided to invest more than $45 million (Rs 378 crore) in the next couple of months to expand its manufacturing facility in Oragadam. This move is aimed at providing automotive manufacturers with software-defined cockpit solutions.

Matthew Cole, Aptiv’s Senior Vice President and President of Advanced Safety and User Experience told TNIE that this marks the transformation of the automotive industry towards software-defined vehicles in India. A software-defined vehicle means the quantity and value of the software present in a vehicle exceeds mechanical hardware.

The expanded plant with nearly 2.2 lakh sq.ft will produce cutting-edge cockpit control systems and will scale up to include advanced safety and user experience features such as radars, cameras, and next-generation electronic control units for India and global markets, said Cole. He said the software is designed, architected and manufactured in India. He said that Aptiv, which has been in India for the last 30 years, will be doubling the head-count of its employees, and most of the investment has already been made in the plant.

“From our plant in Chennai, we are supplying high-quality components, such as integrated body control modules to the key automakers in the country,” said Arun Devaraj, Vice President and MD AS&UX APAC (Non-China), Aptiv.