3. Steering the Management Regionally
[7] Enhancing DENSO R&D Capability to Support India Customers
Challenging Journey of India Technical Centre
As the clock struck 2011, the India Technology Center (T/C Centre) of DENSO set the stage for a transformative journey, gradually expanding its facilities and enhancing capabilities to cater to the dynamic needs of Indian customers. The formation of the Powertrain Gasoline Department and Diesel Powertrain Team within the DIIN R&D Technical Center marked the initiation of a chapter dedicated to advancing R&D capabilities.
In the diesel realm, 2011 to 2012 witnessed the commencement of development projects with prominent entities like Volvo Eicher Commercial Vehicles (VECV) and John Deere US project. The subsequent years unfolded a series of milestones, including the successful SOP of VECV BSIII and John Deere projects in 2014. The pursuit of excellence continued with initiatives like the Euro 3 Bio-diesel (B20) project for the export market with VECV in 2016 and the BSVI development kick-off with Ashok Leyland in 2018. A testament to DENSO's global reach was the Euro 5 Biodiesel (B30) project kick-off for the global market with Volvo in 2019, culminating in the successful SOP in 2022. Additionally, the journey extended with the initiation of Stage V (Export) development with John Deere in the same year.
In the gasoline sector, DENSO embarked on significant projects, including the kick-off of Maruti Suzuki India Limited (MSIL) Engine Management System (EMS) development projects at DIIN in 2012. The years 2018 to 2020 witnessed a groundbreaking feat as DENSO successfully developed MSIL BS6 projects in a short lead time, challenging multiple parallel developments for the first time with onsite support from DENSO Japan (DNJP). Building on this success, the period of 2021 to 2022 marked another milestone with the successful development of MSIL-CAFE2/RDE projects, showcasing DIIN's ability to undertake independent parallel development.
DENSO's foray into the realm of small motors commenced in 2013 with the successful development and installation of the first Anechoic Chamber in Delhi/NCR, ensuring a minimum background noise of 20dB(A) at 200Hz.
In the Electric and Electronic Two-Wheeler (EE2W) domain, 2013 marked the establishment of a 2W test lab in DIIN, laying the foundation for engine electrical components. The journey continued with the demonstration of ACG-S and RIDE-ASSIST technology to customers in India in 2016. Notably, by 2018, DIIN independently designed and developed the first ACG for a fuel-injected (FI) vehicle (BS4) without Japan support. Subsequent years saw the design and development of ACG for BS6 vehicles, with the 2020 completion of the ACG-S R-Flow project in collaboration with HERO.
The airbag segment witnessed remarkable achievements, with the successful launch of the first ESC Rank C project solely handled by Indian team members in 2016. DENSO's commitment to innovation reached new heights in 2018 with the launch of the alpha2-e(4ch) in the Indian market, and subsequently, the 8ch alpha2-e, without onsite expatriate support.
In the realm of connected technology, DENSO's journey began with benchmarking existing telematics, market surveys, and knowledge creation at DIIN. Fast forward to 2022, the DIIN Connected Team autonomously managed telematics products for three major customers - Toyota Kirloskar Motors (TKM), Maruti Suzuki India Limited (MSIL), and Honda Cars India Limited (HCIL).