As India’s automobile industry moves rapidly towards electric, connected and technology-driven vehicles, the ability to test and certify these new products is becoming increasingly important. Against this backdrop, the Global Automotive Research Centre (GARC), Oragadam near Chennai, is significantly upgrading its testing infrastructure under the government’s PM Electric Drive Revolution in Innovative Vehicle Enhancement (PM E-DRIVE) Scheme.
The modernisation is expected to strengthen India's domestic capabilities for testing electric vehicles, batteries, advanced safety systems, powertrains, automotive components and emerging vehicle technologies. The PM E-DRIVE scheme specifically provides for the modernisation of testing agencies to support new and advanced automotive technologies.
Building testing capacity for the next generation of vehicles
GARC operates under the National Automotive Board, Ministry of Heavy Industries, and is an authorised testing agency under Rule 126 of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules. Its work covers vehicle and component testing, research and development, homologation and certification.
The facility's existing capabilities span areas such as powertrain testing, emissions, electromagnetic compatibility (EMC), fatigue, electric vehicles and vehicle safety.
Under the latest upgrade, GARC has been allocated Rs 221.13 crore, with purchase orders issued for almost all the proposed equipment. Installation of the new systems has also begun.
The facilities being established or upgraded include EV and battery testing under AIS-156, EV EMI/EMC testing under AIS-004 Part 3 Rev.1, heavy commercial vehicle testing, powertrain laboratories, advanced passive safety testing, ADAS testing and automotive component testing.
Crash testing gets a technology boost
One of the notable additions is a new high-speed, high-resolution imaging system designed for crash testing.
The system uses UHD-4K cameras capable of recording at up to 750 frames per second, while Full HD recording can reach up to 3,000 frames per second. This allows engineers to capture and analyse events that happen within milliseconds during a crash.
During frontal, side and rear crash tests, the cameras can record vehicle deformation, occupant movement and airbag deployment in considerable detail. Such information is important for understanding how a vehicle and its safety systems behave during an impact.
The data can support engineering analysis, safety improvements and the homologation process, giving manufacturers more detailed information when developing and validating vehicles.
EVs bring new testing requirements
The transition from conventional vehicles to electric vehicles is changing the requirements for automotive testing.
Electric vehicles rely on high-voltage battery packs, sophisticated electronic systems and software-controlled components. As a result, testing has to cover areas such as battery safety, electromagnetic compatibility and electrical-system performance in addition to conventional vehicle tests.
Battery safety is particularly important because battery packs operate at high voltage and can be exposed to different thermal, mechanical and electrical conditions. Standards such as AIS-156 provide a framework for testing the safety and performance of batteries used in electric vehicles.
At the same time, the growing use of electronic systems and sensors is creating greater demand for EMC testing and advanced vehicle validation.
ADAS testing becomes increasingly important
Another major area of the GARC upgrade is Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) testing.
ADAS technologies use cameras, radar, sensors and electronic control systems to provide functions such as collision warnings, emergency braking and other driver-assistance features. Testing these systems requires specialised instruments, controlled environments and test targets.
GARC's upgraded ADAS facility, including specialised instruments and soft targets, is expected to strengthen India's ability to validate these technologies domestically.
This is particularly relevant as vehicle manufacturers increasingly introduce sophisticated electronic safety features across passenger vehicles and commercial vehicles.
Supporting manufacturers and component companies
The investment in testing infrastructure has implications beyond individual vehicle manufacturers. Automotive component suppliers, battery manufacturers and technology companies also need testing and certification facilities as vehicle architecture becomes more complex.
A stronger domestic testing ecosystem can help companies conduct development, validation and certification work within India. This can potentially support faster product development while improving access to specialised testing infrastructure.
It also complements India's broader efforts to develop a domestic automotive manufacturing ecosystem and increase the country's role in global automotive supply chains.
PM E-DRIVE expands the technology ecosystem
The PM E-DRIVE scheme has an overall outlay of Rs 10,900 crore, with Rs 780 crore earmarked for upgrading testing agencies. The testing-agency component covers four agencies — ARAI, ICAT, NATRAX and GARC — and is aimed at modernising infrastructure for emerging vehicle technologies.
The scheme also supports electric two-wheelers, three-wheelers, e-buses, e-trucks, charging infrastructure and other elements of the electric mobility ecosystem. The official PM E-DRIVE portal states that the scheme has been extended until March 31, 2028, with the L5 three-wheeler component having closed earlier.
As of September 19, 2026, the PM E-DRIVE dashboard recorded more than 32.8 lakh vehicles under its combined vehicle-sales data, highlighting the scale of India's ongoing electric-mobility transition.
Strengthening India's automotive future
GARC's infrastructure upgrade comes at a time when the Indian automotive industry is moving beyond the simple transition from petrol and diesel vehicles to electric models. The next phase is likely to involve a combination of electric powertrains, advanced batteries, connected systems, ADAS, electronic controls and increasingly sophisticated safety technologies.
That makes testing infrastructure a critical part of the automotive ecosystem. Vehicles must not only be manufactured but also rigorously tested for safety, performance, electromagnetic compatibility and regulatory compliance before reaching consumers.
With its expanded capabilities in EV batteries, EMC, powertrains, crash safety, ADAS, heavy commercial vehicles and automotive components, GARC is strengthening India's ability to test and certify next-generation vehicles within the country.
The investment therefore represents more than an upgrade of laboratory equipment. It adds technical capacity to an automotive industry that is becoming increasingly electric, electronic and technology-intensive, while supporting the development of safer vehicles and a stronger domestic automotive testing and certification ecosystem.
