MG Motor India and IIT Delhi to co-develop in-car child safety technology

MG Motor India and IIT Engineers from Delhi have partnered up to develop in-car child safety technologies.

The Indian arm of MG Motor, a subsidiary of SAIC Motor Corporation, China, has announced that they are to develop technologies and applications to boost in-car child safety in collaboration with Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi

MG Motor India and IIT Delhi have decided to call this venture ‘Geofencing for child safety through ECU control’. This was announced at the FITT (Foundation for Innovation and Technology Transfer) silver jubilee function held at IIT Delhi campus on 28th July 2018.

MG Motor India is expected to launch their product range in the second quarter of 2019. The project team from IIT will develop the application that will allow MG owners in India to track and alert the whereabouts of their children, including their entry and exit into the car as well as their seating position within the car. Additionally, it will also send out an alert if the vehicle is driven beyond a pre-determined route.

Rajeev Chaba, President & Managing Director, MG Motor India, said, ‘MG Motor India continuously looks at providing a platform to innovators, students and start-ups to develop technologies and features for our upcoming cars that will be produced in India. This project has been conceptualised to fast-track realisation of better child safety mechanisms in cars. IIT Delhi engineers will also conduct research and development activities to explore other car features that enhance child safety.’

Dr. Anil Wali, MD of FITT, said, ‘IIT Delhi has been committed to developing the latest technologies in close collaboration with the leading industry players. We are glad to partner with MG Motor India to research and develop applications to enhance in-car child safety, which is the need of the hour.’

Prior to their arrival in the Indian market, MG Motor India is already taking initiatives to promote innovation amongst students and start-ups in India. In 2017, the ‘MG Innovation Program’ was launched. The MG Innovation Program is aimed at fostering a culture of innovation. The company in association with TiE Delhi has shortlisted 5-startups in the auto-tech space for using their solutions in its future cars. The company has also conducted a hackathon on how to make transportation safer and cleaner with Navrachna University students in Vadodara, Gujarat, where its manufacturing facility is located, earlier in May this year.