Okinawa Autotech, a leading Indian electric two-wheeler manufacturer in strategic development, recently inaugurated its first Research and Development (R&D) Center in Italy, Europe, in association with its joint venture (JV) partner Tacita with a total investment of EUR 25 million over a period of next three years.
The new Center of Technology will be headed by Pierpaolo Rigo, co-founder, Tacita, and will operate in collaboration with Okinawa’s local R&D team in India. It is also a conglomeration of the industry’s best talent to optimize product performance and design. Both Okinawa and Tacita will strive to implement the company’s vision of providing world-class technology to delight the customers, the company said in a media release.
The global R&D centre will further focus on new product development, upgrading the existing product portfolio and developing an all-new e-powertrain to support the next generation of products. The centre will employ nearly 50 specialists both from India and across the world and soon the company will start its employee exchange programme with Tacita to nurture the employees’ skills both at domestic and international levels, the release said.
The first product to be designed at the global centre will be an electric cruiser motorcycle that is scheduled to be unveiled in the coming months in India. The motorcycle will be equipped with the latest EV technology and best-in-class performance amongst the motorcycle segment globally.
Jeetender Sharma, MD and founder, Okinawa Autotech, said, “As a leading manufacturer of electric vehicles in India, the company is focused on strengthening the EV ecosystem. The company has invested INR 5 billion along with our key stakeholders towards the development of new products, manufacturing facilities, network expansion and brand building over the last five years. Setting up the global R&D centre showcases our ambition to bring the best technologies from the entire world to our Indian customers. The centre will be working on developing futuristic technologies for next-gen electric vehicles. We appreciate the support received from our partner Tacita in developing our first high-speed electric cruiser motorcycle for the Indian and global market. We are excited to bring this product to India to help us further strengthen our presence in electric two-wheeler industry.”