Hinduja Tech Ltd., a mobility-focused global engineering and R&D technology company, is making waves in the industry with its strategic acquisitions and robust growth plans. At IAA Transportation 2024, the company showcased its innovative services and solutions, underlining its vision to become a key player in the European, Middle Eastern, and African (EMEA) region. Shankar Venkatraman, Senior Vice President, EMEA Regional Head and Global Marketing and Communications Head at Hinduja Tech, shared insights into the company’s recent achievements and its roadmap for the future in an exclusive interview with N. Balasubramanian.
Strategic Acquisitions Driving Growth
Hinduja Tech’s acquisition of Drive System Design (DSD) in November 2022 marked a pivotal step in the company’s expansion strategy. Explaining the rationale behind the acquisition, Shankar said, “DSD is a global engineering consultancy with a rich legacy in designing drivelines and transmission systems for conventional internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. Building on this foundation, DSD has been at the forefront of the electric vehicle revolution since 2010, specializing in the rapid engineering and development of electrified propulsion systems and associated technologies. With decades of experience and a team of award-winning engineers, DSD offers unparalleled expertise trusted by leading OEMs, Tier-1 suppliers, and research institutions across the automotive, commercial vehicle, aerospace, off-highway, and defence sectors. This complemented Hinduja Tech’s existing capabilities in conventional powertrain systems, positioning us as a leader in electrification solutions. Additionally, DSD’s presence in the UK provided us with a strong foothold in the EMEA region, which we had barely penetrated before.”
Building on the success of the DSD acquisition, Hinduja Tech has completed its acquisition of Tecosim, a German engineering company. This move aligns with the company’s goal of establishing delivery centers in key European markets. According to Shankar, “Tecosim complements our existing virtual validation and body engineering services while bringing valuable onshore delivery capabilities in Germany, the UK, and Romania. These additions enhance our offshore, nearshore, and onshore service model, enabling us to deliver end-to-end solutions efficiently.”
Cutting-Edge Solutions for the Mobility Sector
At IAA Transportation 2024, Hinduja Tech unveiled a range of innovative solutions, including its open platform inverter and e-POP, a tool to assist with powertrain selection The open platform inverter is designed to provide a plug-and-play solution for e-system developers, allowing them to integrate their software seamlessly. Highlighting its significance, Shankar stated, “This solution empowers our customers to develop e-systems quickly by leveraging a robust, ready-to-use platform, reducing time-to-market.”
e-POP, on the other hand, is an advanced tool that helps organizations set an electrification strategy across a diverse range of applications and measure and optimize their carbon footprint. It helps them understand how far from optimum any given combination of components is on system level.
Shankar emphasized its value, saying, “e-POP enables engineers to assess their product’s carbon footprint virtually, as lifetime emissions can be embedded as CO2eq to compare against performance or TCO, it provides a clever way to include sustainability criteria in engineering-led decisions
Hinduja Tech is also exploring sustainable materials in collaboration with partners like ZeBeyond (a JV between DSD and Höganäs) aiming to integrate environmentally friendly practices into its solutions.
Aggressive Targets for the EMEA Region
The EMEA region is central to Hinduja Tech’s growth strategy, with the company targeting significant revenue contributions from this market. Shankar revealed, “With strategic acquisitions taking place, EMEA will go on to become a significant contributor to the overall revenues of Hinduja Tech by FY25-26.” This ambitious growth plan is supported by the establishment of regional delivery centers and a clear focus on high-end engineering and consulting services.
In addition to its regional strategy, Hinduja Tech is formulating a three-year global roadmap to accelerate growth across all markets. The company aims to achieve a healthy double-digit year-on-year growth rate, driven by its robust portfolio of service offerings.
Integration and Future Outlook
With significant acquisitions in the EMEA region within two years, Hinduja Tech is focused on seamless integration to unleash maximum value across the entire value chain. “Our goal is for one plus one to be much greater than two,” Shankar remarked. The integration process is expected to strengthen the company’s offerings, particularly in virtual validation, which cuts across multiple platforms and industries.
Hinduja Tech’s proactive approach to inorganic growth reflects the broader trend of Indian companies making strategic acquisitions globally. As Shankar aptly noted, “The mobility industry is rapidly evolving, and it is the right time for companies like Hinduja Tech to take bold steps to expand significantly and deliver increased value to their stakeholders.”
