Birla Institute of Technology & Science, Pilani (BITS Pilani) and Daimler Truck Innovation Center India (DTICI) have entered into a strategic partnership to establish an advanced research laboratory at the BITS Pilani K K Birla Goa Campus.
The Software, Product, AI Research & Knowledge (SPARK) Lab will focus on collaborative research in areas including artificial intelligence (AI), software, digital validation, propulsion technologies and vehicle engineering, with the aim of developing technologies for the next generation of commercial vehicles.
The partnership seeks to bring academia and industry closer together to address the increasingly complex technology challenges facing the commercial vehicle industry.
MoU signed at Goa campus
The memorandum of inderstanding (MoU) was signed at the BITS Pilani Goa campus on August 10, 2026, by Prof. V. Ramgopal Rao, Group Vice Chancellor, BITS Pilani; Prof. Suman Kundu, Director, BITS Pilani K K Birla Goa Campus; and Radhakrishnan Kodakkal, Managing Director and CEO, DTICI.
The collaboration is intended to create an ecosystem where research, innovation and talent development are closely aligned with industry requirements.
The SPARK Lab will provide opportunities for BITS Pilani faculty and students to work alongside DTICI’s industry experts on research and technology development projects.
Focus on software-defined mobility
Daimler Truck Innovation Center India, Managing Director and CEO, Radhakrishnan Kodakkal, said the future of trucks would be shaped as much by software and AI as by engineering capabilities.
He said the partnership would create a platform for academia and industry to accelerate innovation and develop the next generation of intelligent, connected and sustainable commercial vehicles.
BITS Pilani, Group Vice Chancellor, Prof. V. Ramgopal Rao, said industry partnerships were important in translating academic research into real-world applications.
He said the collaboration with DTICI would help advance frontier technologies while creating an ecosystem in which students and researchers could work on solutions for the future of mobility.
BITS Pilani K K Birla Goa Campus, Director, Prof. Suman Kundu, said the collaboration would provide faculty and students with opportunities to work alongside industry experts on the campus.
He described the partnership as a platform to translate ideas into practical applications through closer industry-academia engagement.
Building future mobility technologies
The SPARK Lab is expected to serve as a platform for interdisciplinary research spanning AI, software and vehicle engineering, while also helping develop talent with industry-relevant skills.
The partnership comes as commercial vehicles increasingly incorporate software-driven functions, connected technologies, advanced propulsion systems and digital engineering tools.
By combining BITS Pilani’s academic and research capabilities with DTICI’s expertise in commercial vehicle technology, the partnership aims to accelerate innovation and develop solutions for the future of mobility.