The new design hub is aimed at enabling faster and more integrated product development cycles.
22 Apr 2025 | 460 Views | By Ketan Thakkar
In a significant move underscoring its long-term commitment to India, Renault Group has inaugurated its new state-of-the-art design centre in Chennai, now the company’s largest design hub outside France. The facility, which replaces the studio established in 2013, aims to spearhead Renault’s product innovation, localisation, and global collaboration, as part ...
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In a significant move underscoring its long-term commitment to India, Renault Group has inaugurated its new state-of-the-art design centre in Chennai, now the company’s largest design hub outside France. The facility, which replaces the studio established in 2013, aims to spearhead Renault’s product innovation, localisation, and global collaboration, as part of its wider ‘Renault Rethink’ strategy.
Speaking at the inauguration, Laurens van den Acker, Chief Design Officer, Renault Group, said, “This center symbolizes our commitment to innovation and to excellence. It’s more than a place; it’s a tool of transformation—a space where creativity and technology converge to redefine automotive design for India.”
Strategically located near Renault’s engineering and manufacturing facilities in the industrial corridor of southeast Chennai, the new design hub will enable faster, more integrated product development cycles. “This location fosters seamless collaboration between our design and engineering teams, ensuring that innovation remains at the core of everything we do,” van den Acker noted.
Empowering Local Talent, Building for Global Impact
The new centre reinforces Renault’s three-pillar approach: strengthening its local commitment, embracing innovation, and creating a local-for-global design strategy. “Our Indian team will expand, integrating local talent and closely collaborating with our partners in the Indian automotive ecosystem,” he said. “Together, we'll better address the specific needs of this Indian market while enhancing Renault's global competitiveness.”
The facility will contribute not just to India-specific models, but also to Renault’s global product portfolio. “By developing models specifically for India while contributing to our global projects, we're championing the win-win philosophy,” he added.
A Next-Gen Design Ecosystem
Equipped with cutting-edge tools such as real-time 3D simulation, high-resolution VR setups, and a collaborative creative zone, the Chennai design centre is designed to foster agile product development and immersive customer experiences.
Among its standout features are:
• A next-gen visualisation studio with high-definition immersive presentation capabilities
• A high-performance LED wall (8.5 x 2.5 metres) for impactful design reviews
• Three advanced VR environments that allow full-scale virtual interaction with design models
• An immersive exhibition space for real-time co-creation
“At Renault, we like to think boldly and creatively,” van den Acker said. “Our talented designers here have created an iconic piece that embodies our commitment to innovation in India and our renewed vision for this dynamic country.”
The inauguration of this design centre marks another milestone in Renault’s Rethink initiative, which seeks to deepen the company’s localisation strategy and reimagine its brand engagement in one of the world’s most competitive auto markets.