MG Motor India to offer grants to mobility start-ups

With the aim to incentivise Indian innovators and developers to build futuristic mobility applications and experiences, car-maker MG Motor India on Wednesday launched a programme that will offer grants ranging from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 25 lakh for start-ups and innovators.

Launched in collaboration with leading technology companies such as SAP, Cognizant, Adobe, Airtel, TomTom and Unlimit, the initiative will provide innovators with an opportunity to secure mentorship and funding from industry leaders.

Shortlisted ideas will receive specialised, high-level mentoring and networking opportunities to assist with the practical development of the solution, business plan and modelling, testing facilities, and go-to-market strategy, among others, MG Motor India said.

Winning ideas will also have access to a grant, the amount of which will be decided by the jury, on a case-to-case basis.

"The automobile industry is currently witnessing sweeping transformations in the space of connected, electric and shared mobility. MG aims to take this revolution forward with its focus on attaining technological leadership in the automotive industry," Rajeev Chaba, President & MD, MG Motor India, said in a statement.

"We have partnered with leading tech giants to enable start-ups to build innovative applications that would enable unique experiences for customers across the entire automotive ecosystem. More partners are likely to join the programme in due course," Chaba said.

The programme will initially focus on driving innovation in verticals such as electric vehicles and components, batteries and management, charging infrastructure, connected mobility, voice recognition, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, navigation technologies, customer experiences, car buying experiences, and autonomous vehicles.IANS