Satyam starts digital car project

IT major Satyam Computer today kick-started its ambitious digital car project, Hera FxV - a technology demonstrator aimed at attracting research and development in the automotive sector to the country.

B Ramalinga Raju, chairman and founder, Satyam Computer Services, launched the initiative at a Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) conference - e-Automotive R&D 2007: The Opportunities Ahead.

The digital car is the effort of a consortium of different players like educational institutions and auto component majors with Satyam acting as the integrator, sources at Satyam Computer told PTI on the sidelines of the conference.

"The car will be a virtual vehicle, a demonstration of India's technical capabilities. The project was inaugurated today, and we hope to create the digital car in about two years," they said.

The model, termed a mathematical model by the sources, could be replicated into a physical product down the years, they added.

Raju, in his address, said that the automotive industry is poised for "transformational changes. In fact, Satyam is now operating in sectors unheard of in the 19th century, an era of discovery, but are now the major revenue grossers for the company."