Infosys and Polestar Open Tech Hub in Bengaluru Focusing EV Software Development and Validation

Infosys and Polestar have entered a strategic collaboration to open a Technology Hub in Bengaluru, India. This hub will focus on electric vehicle (EV) software development and validation across various domains, including infotainment, Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), and telematics.

The collaboration aims to leverage Infosys' extensive experience in digital transformation and automotive engineering to enhance Polestar's digital roadmap.

This initiative will also support Polestar's product management, customer engagement, and corporate solutions through cloud-native development, testing, and data engineering.

Polestar is a Swedish automotive manufacturer specializing in electric vehicles (EVs). It was originally founded as a performance brand by Volvo Cars and is now a standalone brand under the ownership of Volvo and its parent company, Geely.

Leveraging its extensive experience in digital transformation, Infosys will help enhance Polestar’s digital capabilities, ensuring the integration of cutting-edge technologies. Infosys will support Polestar’s product management, customer engagement, and corporate solutions through cloud-native development, testing, and data engineering.

As a strategic partner, Infosys will work closely with Polestar to align their technological advancements with Polestar’s vision and goals, ensuring a seamless collaboration.

Polestar focuses on producing high-performance electric cars with an emphasis on sustainability and innovative design. The brand is known for its cutting-edge technology, including advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), infotainment systems with Google integration, and sustainable materials in car interiors.

Infosys has been involved in several significant collaborations with automotive companies. Last year in October, Infosys signed a five-year collaboration with Smart Europe GmbH to enhance their digital sales and customer experience.

Infosys also partnered with Toyota Motor Europe to accelerate progress in the automotive industry using artificial intelligence (AI) and other advanced technologies.

Infosys helped Kia America perfect the car delivery experience, focusing on improving efficiency and customer satisfaction. The Bengaluru-headquartered IT giant also worked with Mercedes-Benz Overseas to deliver a seamless customer experience through direct sale.

UK to Set up Tech Hubs across India to Boost Ties: Envoy

The United Kingdom would set up Tech Hubs in India as part of move to nurture tie-ups with Indian companies and promote bilateral investments between the two countries, a British envoy has said.

British High Commissioner to India, Sir Dominic Asquith said, "What we wanted to do is expand the knowledge of potential partners -- investors or exporters and that is why we will be shortly establishing Tech Hubs across the country."

The Tech Hubs (Technology Hubs) would be set up in New Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and in Hyderabad, he told PTI.

Elaborating on the initiative, he said, the Tech Hubs would look at the strengths and interests of the technology industry in both countries (United Kingdom and India) and would look at areas the companies in two countries can converge together.

To a query about the trade relations between the two countries, he said India was second largest trade market for United Kingdom and the two-way trade was just over USD 20 billion. "Trade has been growing very consistently over the last nine quarters and it is on track", he said.

In order to boost trade exports, he said, one of the things the UK High Commission organised was a roadshow in the United Kingdom in summers.

He said the UK High Commission would alert the companies that opportunities exist in India, which includes Tamil Nadu and build sort of knowledge to overcome some of the preconceptions they may have.

Noting that over 30 British companies participated in the Global Investors Meet conducted by the State government in 2015 and in 2019, he said, "we have companies in health, automotive and fintech (financial technologies)" .

Aske about the the labour unrest witnessed in Tamil Nadu last year, he said UK looks at opportunities which exist. "problems may arise in any commercial relationships. Managing those sensitive issues so that it does throw us off the direction we want to move ahead which is to develop more investment and trading relationships both ways", he said.

It may be recalled that in 2014, when TechHub (different from current announcement), which is a community and workspace for technology entrepreneurs, was launched by the UK government in Bangalore as TechHub Bangalore, with a mission of supporting some 1,000 startups in India over the period of next three years

Bengaluru Ranked World’s Most Affordable Tech Hub, Followed By Gurugram At 2nd

The Indian subcontinent has built an impressive profile for itself in the global tech scene. Considered as one of the most sought after location for tech companies in the world, the country has seen some of the biggest tech companies in the world establishing their local offices here or in some cases even moving their whole operations here. Recently, we reported how New York-based global technology and innovation giant IBM now employs more people in India than in any other country, including its home country.

Cementing India’s location preference in the global tech world is a recent report by realty consultancy firm Knight Frank. According to the study, which ranked 29 global technology hubs, Karnataka capital Bengaluru is the world’s most affordable technology hub, followed by Harayana’s Gurugram.

Knight Frank believes that the IT sector in Bengaluru has contributed significantly in transforming the city’s character, turning the pensioner’s paradise into a bustling cosmopolitan hub. This has helped in stirring up its real estate market, which has become a major global office destination.

The inclusion of Bengaluru in the Smart City list - an ambitious Indian government project to enhance liveability in urban centres, is also expected to lead to improved infrastructure; providing smart solutions to bridge service delivery gaps and enable technology use. The firm believes this will further attract real estate investors to the city.

According to the report, Bengaluru has the cheapest office rentals to offer, followed by Gurugram on the second spot. The report further elaborates that the eastern Whitefield area in the eastern Bengaluru is the most affordable technology district in the world, with a current rent rate of $9.65 (Rs 632) per sq feet.

Coming to Gurugram, which is the only other Indian tech hub to have found a place on the list, the current office space rent rate in the area is $20.40 (Rs 1,335) per sq feet, according to the report by Knight Frank. It further elaborates that here the cost to the firm, for employing and accommodating 100 people comes to be around $1.3 million (Rs 8.27 crore approximately) annually, which is the lowest in the world. This makes the millennium city a lucrative option for tech firms starting up their operations in the country. On the other hand, the survey has placed Zurich, a Swiss city known as a hub of banking and finance, is the costliest on this front.

Globally, London is the costliest in office rental values at $90.75 (Rs 5,940) per sq feet.

Commenting on India’s performance on the list, Viral Desai, a senior official at Knight Frank India, spoke to Deccan Herald and said that India’s office market had witnessed a stellar run in 2016 as compared to the recent past. Desai believes that based on the report it can now be fairly accepted that India is home to some of the most affordable Central Business Districts in the world.

This development was first reported in Deccan Herald.

[Image: YourStory]

Bengaluru Ranked World’s Most Affordable Tech Hub, Followed By Gurugram At 2nd

The Indian subcontinent has built an impressive profile for itself in the global tech scene. Considered as one of the most sought after location for tech companies in the world, the country has seen some of the biggest tech companies in the world establishing their local offices here or in some cases even moving their whole operations here. Recently, we reported how New York-based global technology and innovation giant IBM now employs more people in India than in any other country, including its home country.

Cementing India’s location preference in the global tech world is a recent report by realty consultancy firm Knight Frank. According to the study, which ranked 29 global technology hubs, Karnataka capital Bengaluru is the world’s most affordable technology hub, followed by Harayana’s Gurugram.

Knight Frank believes that the IT sector in Bengaluru has contributed significantly in transforming the city’s character, turning the pensioner’s paradise into a bustling cosmopolitan hub. This has helped in stirring up its real estate market, which has become a major global office destination.

The inclusion of Bengaluru in the Smart City list - an ambitious Indian government project to enhance liveability in urban centres, is also expected to lead to improved infrastructure; providing smart solutions to bridge service delivery gaps and enable technology use. The firm believes this will further attract real estate investors to the city.

According to the report, Bengaluru has the cheapest office rentals to offer, followed by Gurugram on the second spot. The report further elaborates that the eastern Whitefield area in the eastern Bengaluru is the most affordable technology district in the world, with a current rent rate of $9.65 (Rs 632) per sq feet.

Coming to Gurugram, which is the only other Indian tech hub to have found a place on the list, the current office space rent rate in the area is $20.40 (Rs 1,335) per sq feet, according to the report by Knight Frank. It further elaborates that here the cost to the firm, for employing and accommodating 100 people comes to be around $1.3 million (Rs 8.27 crore approximately) annually, which is the lowest in the world. This makes the millennium city a lucrative option for tech firms starting up their operations in the country. On the other hand, the survey has placed Zurich, a Swiss city known as a hub of banking and finance, is the costliest on this front.

Globally, London is the costliest in office rental values at $90.75 (Rs 5,940) per sq feet.

Commenting on India’s performance on the list, Viral Desai, a senior official at Knight Frank India, spoke to Deccan Herald and said that India’s office market had witnessed a stellar run in 2016 as compared to the recent past. Desai believes that based on the report it can now be fairly accepted that India is home to some of the most affordable Central Business Districts in the world.

This development was first reported in Deccan Herald.

[Image: YourStory]