NATRiP to invest Rs 1,718 cr in seven auto centres

National Automotive Testing and R&D Infrastructure Project (NATRiP) today said it will invest Rs 1,718 crore for setting up auto testing facilities at seven locations across the country by 2011.

"We have earmarked an investment Rs 1,718 crore for the seven facilities. All the projects will be completed by September 2011," NATRiP Officiating CEO and Project Director Rajesh Singh told reporters on the sidelines of JK Tyre Baja conference here.

NATRiP, a joint venture among the central government, a number of state governments and the country's auto industry to create a state-of-the-art testing, validation and R&D infrastructure, would set up its centres at Manesar, Chennai, Indore, Silchar, Rae Bareilly, Pune and Ahmednagar.

"We will invest Rs 430 crore in Indore, where a 14.5 km high-speed track will be constructed. It will also comprise 32 kms of different types of tracks," Singh said.

The Indore centre would be developed at an area of 4,123 acres in Pithampur, he added.

In Chennai, NATRiP is developing a centre with an investment of Rs 470 crore, which would have a full-fledged testing and homologation facility for OEMs, Singh said.

"Each of these two places (Indore and Chennai) will have one centre of excellence for automotive research," he added.

NATRiP is also developing a testing and homologation centre at Manesar, which would be operational by 2010. It is being set up with an investment of Rs 440 crore, Singh said.

He further said NATRiP would invest Rs 43 crore to develop an advanced inspection and maintenance centre, a specialised hill area driving training centre and an in-use vehicle management centre at Silchar in Assam.