The Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT-M) and Harita Seating Systems Ltd (HSSL) will collaborate to address the cause of road accidents by developing disruptive products. The disruptive products are expected to aptly intervene in order to avoid road accidents. As an initiation of this process, IIT-M will transfer indigenous technological knowhow to HSSL on ubiquitous monitoring of driver performance and behaviour. The plan is to jointly leverage the experience in product development and manufacturing to make commercially viable products in India that will enhance road safety for all stakeholders.

Said Dr. Venkatesh Balasubramanian, Professor, Department of Engineering Design, IIT Madras, “The concepts developed and tested in lab as a design tool could be transferred to a leading manufacturer (HSSL) who would launch products with intelligent safety systems incorporated in the near future and thereby make a small contribution from IITM in the journey of safe roads in India.” A. G. Giridharan, President, HSSL, added, “Harita has design, comfort, safety and innovation as the core elements in its product range. This technology transfer and collaboration agreement will be along our group’s vision of developing products and lead the market by virtue of our innovativeness that takes ‘Make in India’ for the world.”