We have a team that innovates with data science and AI: DTICI MD & CEO

Vaidya talks about how the centre is driving innovation for the company and the growing importance of data and AI in the automotive industry

Daimler Truck Innovation Centre of India (DTICI) in Bengaluru is the engineering and software hub for Daimler Truck, the world’s largest commercial vehicles (CV) manufacturer, headquartered in Germany. Raghvendra Vaidya, managing director (MD) and chief executive officer (CEO), DTICI, talks about how the centre is driving innovation for the company and the growing importance of data and artificial intelligence (AI) in the automotive industry, in an email interview with Ayushman Baruah. Edited excerpts:

What is the role of DTICI in driving innovation for the company?

DTICI serves as the backbone for all innovation and technology developments for Daimler trucks and buses globally. It’s a dedicated product engineering and IT centre that focuses on future innovations. It provides a competitive advantage by developing innovative solutions to make products better, especially in the zero-emission and software and electronics areas. Our primary focus revolves around engineering and IT. We can categorise our work within the engineering domain into two main areas. The first category is product engineering, encompassing traditional mechanical and electrical engineering disciplines. The second one involves the integration of software and electronic components into our trucks. DTICI values India as a source of talent and innovation.

How is DTICI addressing the growing importance of data and AI in the automotive industry?

In the rapidly evolving CV industry, technology has become pervasive in every component, with key features like safety, efficiency, connectivity, automation, and sustainability being strengthened by technology. At DTICI, we recognise the transformative potential of data analytics and AI in the automotive industry. To harness this potential, we have established a dedicated team that innovates with data science and AI… India boasts of an incredible talent pool and a rapidly growing innovation ecosystem. We have hired data scientists, data analytics experts and data engineers to further strengthen our team. Apart from this, we constantly invest in upskilling our current talent pool to align them to technology shifts and the evolving market landscape to future-proof them.

Can you give examples of innovation from DTICI in Bengaluru?

As a centre committed to innovation, our strategy revolves around two fundamental pillars. Firstly, the concept of “intelligence to drive” underscores the development of software and the utilisation of intelligent technologies. Secondly, “power to drive” connotes our evolution from diesel-powered engines to zero-emission technologies. In software, we have extreme depth in the areas of connectivity and active safety. The most dynamic one is on the connectivity side, what we call “onboard” and “offboard”. Onboard is what we do for connectivity inside the truck. Offboard is once the truck is on the move — where it gets connected to the Cloud. We do deep work in computer science in writing the algorithms for trucks. On the safety side, it is about creating new algorithms to come out with new features like cross-traffic assist, which helps in avoiding collisions. So, the teams in Bengaluru make major contributions in the entire value chain of engineering.

What are some of the new-age technologies like AI that DTICI is leveraging to solve the problems stated above?

With data availability, AI and analytics have proven a game-changer in garnering actionable insights, predictive maintenance, and superior customer experience. At DTICI, we are committed to leveraging new-age technologies like AI to drive tangible business value in the CV industry. One of the key ways we are doing this is through predictive maintenance. Traditionally, addressing warranty claims and part failures has been a costly and reactive process. However, by harnessing the power of AI, we are shifting our approach to focus on predictive maintenance. For example, developing sophisticated predictive maintenance models present an opportunity to anticipate potential part failures months ahead of time. This proactive approach not only minimises downtime but also reduces costs for fleets and manufacturers.

How is DTICI bridging the industry-academia gap for skilling talent in the auto tech space?

A collaborative effort involving academia, industry, and regulatory bodies is crucial to ensure that the workforce of tomorrow has the skill sets and is prepared for future challenges. We work in collaboration with various academia, filling the gap in traditional college curricula but is highly sought after by the industry. We have a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Christ University for a product-focused facility on their campus.

We also work closely with IISc Bengaluru, IIT Delhi, and IIT Mumbai on deep technology research topics. These include eMotor, cell chemistry, digital twin of lithium-ion battery, and new thermal battery.