TrEST Research Park, ARAI & K-DISC join hands to boost Kerala’s sustainable mobility push

Thiruvananthapuram: The Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI), TrEST Research Park under the Department of Higher Education, and the Kerala Development and Innovation Strategic Council (K-DISC) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to accelerate Kerala’s journey towards becoming a hub for sustainable and e-mobility innovations.

The partnership aims to strengthen the state’s mobility ecosystem through a range of initiatives, including wider access to advanced laboratories and testing facilities for startups, academia, and industry. It also seeks to design and implement NSQF-aligned training programmes in electric vehicle and automotive technologies for students and professionals, ensuring a skilled workforce for the emerging sector.

Joint research and development projects will be launched with coordinated funding support to foster breakthrough innovations in e-mobility with both national and global relevance. In addition, the agreement envisions support for startups working on EV technologies, batteries, power electronics, and connected mobility through incubation, mentorship, industry linkages, and access to testing facilities.

Headquartered in Pune, ARAI is India’s premier automotive R&D organisation under the Ministry of Heavy Industries, with decades of expertise in testing, certification, and standards development. Its collaboration with Kerala-based institutions is expected to significantly strengthen the state’s mobility innovation landscape, TrEST authorities said.