The central government is planning to invest Rs 100 crore in the Indore Auto Proving ground for developing climatic wind tunnel to design aerodynamics of cars. |
The climatic wind tunnel can simulate solar radiation, rainfall, and snowfall as well as temperature and humidity. It is a unique facility to test car air-conditioner performance and engine cooling performance. If created this facility would be first in India and probably one of its kind in the world. |
"We are gauging the possibility and the heavy industry ministry is likely to put in Rs 100 crore for the facility. It would be a world-class facility thereby making the total investment in the first phase of the project to touch more than Rs 570 crore," Sunil Chaturvedi, chief executive officer, National Automotive Testing and R&D Infrastructure Project (Natrip), said. |
Natrip is an initiative in the automotive sector that provides a platform to bring Centre, state governments and the automotive industry closer to for testing, validation and R&D infrastructure. Indore Auto Proving ground is also one of the ambitious project under this initiative. |
As of now Indian auto companies either have their own wind tunnel facility or they get their vehicle tested abroad. |
"This requires a huge investment. World auto industry is already in talks with us," said Chaturvedi. However he declined to disclose names of companies, vendor or supplier that are interested in auto proving ground or the facility. |
The auto proving ground requires 4,123 acres. The state government has handed over 600 acres to Natrip. The rest is likely to handed over by September this year. So far a fund of Rs 2.70 crore has been reportedly released to state government to resettle and rehabilitate 140 families of 10 villages. |
"Premilinary designs, topographical survey of the area has been completed. We are at advance state of definitive design. And this will be over by September, when the rest of the land will be handed over to us," Chaturvedi said. |
After completion of detailed design global tenders will be floated. "As of now we are well within schedule to meet the target of March 2010," he added. |