Hyundai, Kia deepen EV ties with Indian universities

Hyundai Motor Co. and Kia Corp. are expanding their collaboration with leading Indian engineering schools to accelerate research in electric vehicle batteries and core electrification technologies, strengthening their push into next-generation mobility.

The companies said Monday that they signed agreements on May 15 (local time) with four universities, including the Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) Hyderabad and Kanpur, along with Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology (VNIT) Nagpur and Tezpur University. The institutions will participate in joint research programs under the Hyundai Center of Excellence for Future Mobility Innovation.

The IIT network, which spans 23 campuses across India, is widely regarded as the country’s premier engineering education system. VNIT Nagpur and Tezpur University are also government-run institutions recognized locally for their engineering and research capabilities.

Hyundai Motor and Kia began similar partnerships with three Indian universities in 2025. With the latest agreements, the companies said their collaboration through the Hyundai Innovation Center now effectively extends across much of India.

Under the program, Hyundai and Kia will undertake 39 joint research projects with the participating universities. The work will focus on areas including battery development, electrification systems, advanced materials, and artificial intelligence-based vehicle-to-grid (V2G) charging platforms.

Next month, the automakers plan to invite deans and professors from the seven universities to South Korea. During the visit, they will discuss future cooperation and take part in programs showcasing Hyundai Motor and Kia’s technologies and long-term mobility strategy.


Won-Joo Lee takeoff@donga.com