It is located within the Renault Nissan Technology and Business Centre India campus at Mahindra City, some 45 km from Chennai. The new Renault Design Centre in Chennai was inaugurated on Tuesday. It is expected to play a significant role in enabling this transformation and accelerating Renault’s ambition to “Design in India” following its strong “Make in India” foundation.
It is also expected to function as a hub of excellence, particularly due to its proximity to RNTBCI (Renault Nissan Technology & Business Centre India). “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,” he added. “The philosophy of the design centre, defined as Tactile Confluence, merges sleek, modern European architecture with distinct Indian cultural influences, creating an inspiring and meaningful workspace,” said a release.
The inauguration of the RDCC also marks a strategic milestone under the newly introduced ‘Renault. Rethink’ strategy, according to Venkatram Mamillapalle, Country CEO and Managing Director of Renault India Operations. “We are proud to be the most Indian of European car-makers,” Mamillapalle said. “From our extensive R&D centre to a robust manufacturing footprint and a deeply localised supply chain, Renault has built strong roots in India. The new design centre adds yet another dimension to this foundation, positioning us to take forward the Renault International Game -Plan 2027. Our aim is to re-imagine the brand, expand our product line-up and elevate the customer experience in line with evolving Indian consumer expectations,” he added.
The design journey of Renault in India began with studios in Pune and Mumbai. These are now integrated into the new state-of-the-art facility. The RDCC currently houses around 40 design professionals, with plans for further growth through investment in local talent.
“We are expanding our Indian design team and collaborating closely with stakeholders across the country’s automotive ecosystem,” said Laurens van den Acker. “This enables us to deliver products that resonate deeply with Indian consumers while strengthening Renault’s global innovation pipeline,” he added.
Renault already operates one of its largest global R&D centres near 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. Renault hit the headlines when an announcement was made recently of its taking over the alliance’s manufacturing plant RNAIPL. In 2024, Renault achieved the highest ever operating profit of €4.3 billion, which is 7.6% of its revenue and saw its revenue grow to €56.2 billion, up 7.4% from the previous year. Renault has been present in India since 2005.
