Laurens van den Acker, Chief Design Officer, Renault Group and M Venkatram, Country CEO and MD, Renault India at the unveiling of a sculpture model designed by the Renault Design team, at the Renault Nissan Technology & Business Centre at Mahindra City, near Chennai
| Photo Credit:
BIJOY GHOSH
French automaker Renault has unveiled what it calls its largest design facility outside France, the Renault Design Centre Chennai (RDCC), located within the Renault Nissan Technology & Business Centre India campus at Mahindra City, near Chennai.
This new facility will be responsible for designing all five upcoming Renault models set to launch in India over the next two years. The studio currently employs over 30 design professionals.
“India is a unique and complex market shaped by local consumer preferences. Establishing a dedicated design studio here is essential to truly understand these dynamics and create relevant solutions,” said Laurens van den Acker, Chief Design Officer, Renault Group. “The Chennai studio will not only focus on India-specific concepts and models but will also contribute to global projects under the Renault Group umbrella.”
“We are proud to be the most Indian of European carmakers,” Venkatram Mamillapalle, Country CEO and Managing Director of Renault India Operations, said. “From our extensive R&D center to a robust manufacturing footprint and a deeply localized supply chain, Renault has built strong roots in India. The new Chennai design centre adds yet another dimension to this foundation, positioning us to take forward the Renault International Game Plan 2027.”
The company’s design journey in India began with studios in Pune and Mumbai, which have now been consolidated into the new state-of-the-art Chennai facility.
“We are expanding our Indian design team and collaborating closely with stakeholders across the country’s automotive ecosystem,” van den Acker added. “This enables us to deliver products that resonate deeply with Indian consumers while strengthening Renault’s global innovation pipeline.”
Renault already operates one of its largest global R&D centers in Chennai, with nearly 10,000 engineers contributing to both local and international projects. The company also actively exports made-in-India components for use in vehicles manufactured around the world.
Published on April 22, 2025
