MG Motor India partners with tech giants to launch the MG Developer Program & Grant for Mobility Ecosystem

• Launched in partnership with Adobe, Cognizant, SAP, Airtel, TomTom and Unlimit

• Initiative provides developers to build innovative mobility applications and experiences

• Grants ranging up to INR 25 lakhs for start-ups and innovators

New Delhi, September 25: In a development that underlines its commitment to enabling a robust new age mobility ecosystem in the country, marquee carmaker MG Motor India has today announced the introduction of its MG Developer Program & Grant. Launched in collaboration with leading technology companies such as SAP, Cognizant, Adobe, Airtel, TomTom and Unlimit, the initiative is aimed at incentivizing Indian innovators and developers to build futuristic mobility applications and experiences. The program also brings in TiE Delhi NCR as the ecosystem partner.

As part of the MG Developer Program & Grant, MG Motor India will provide innovators with an unparalleled opportunity to secure mentorship and funding from industry leaders. Shortlisted ideas will receive specialized, high-level mentoring and networking opportunities to assist with the practical development of the solution, business plan and modelling, testing facilities, go-to-market strategy, etc. Winning ideas will also have access to a grant, the amount of which will be decided by the jury, on a case-to-case basis.

Speaking on the launch of the MG Developer Program & Grant, Rajeev Chaba, President & MD, MG Motor India said, “The automobile industry is currently witnessing sweeping transformations in the space of connected, electric and shared mobility. MG aims to take this revolution forward with its focus on attaining technological leadership in the automotive industry. We have partnered with leading tech giants to enable start-ups to build innovative applications that would enable unique experiences for customers across the entire automotive ecosystem. More partners are likely to join the program in due course.”

“The MG Developer & Grant Program is the latest in a series of initiatives as part of our commitment to innovation as a core organizational pillar. The program will ensure proper mentoring from over 20 industry leaders for start-ups, laying a foundation for them to excel in the future and trigger a stream of newer Internet Car use-cases that will, in turn, drive adoption of new technologies within the Indian automotive ecosystem. It has been our commitment in the market and Innovation is our key pillar,” said Chaba.

The MG Developer Program & Grant will initially focus on driving innovation in the following verticals: Electric Vehicles and Components, Batteries and Management, Charging Infrastructure, Connected Mobility, Voice Recognition, AI & ML, Navigation Technologies, Customer Experiences, Car Buying Experiences, and Autonomous Vehicles. The Program will award grants ranging from INR5 lakhs to INR25 Lakhs. The program will be open to both external developers – including students, innovators, inventors, startups and other tech companies – and internal employee teams at MG Motor and its program partners.

Details of the program and important dates are available on the website http://bit.ly/mgdeveloperprog. Applications can be submitted starting today. Winners of the grant from the first cohort are likely to be announced in December 2019. Next cohort details would be announced thereafter.

About MG Motor India

Founded in the UK in 1924, Morris Garages vehicles were world famous for their sports cars, roadsters, and cabriolet series. MG vehicles were much sought after by many celebrities, including the British Prime Ministers and even the British Royal Family, for their styling, elegance, and spirited performance. The MG Car Club, set up in 1930 at Abingdon in the UK, has more than a million loyal fans, making it by far one of the world’s largest clubs for a car brand. MG has evolved into a modern, futuristic and innovative brand over the last 95 years. MG Motor India has commenced its manufacturing operations at its car manufacturing plant at Halol in Gujarat.

About Adobe

Adobe is changing the world through digital experiences. For more information, visit http://www.adobe.com/in.

About Unlimit

Launched in 2016, Unlimit is the only dedicated IoT business unit in India. Spearheaded by Jürgen Hase, CEO and his team, Unlimit driven by an in-depth knowledge of the Indian market and an unparalleled end-to-end IoT offering. The IoT offering ranges from managed connectivity to device management and application software to any form of analytics.

About SAP

As the Experience Company powered by the Intelligent Enterprise, SAP is the market leader in enterprise application software, helping companies of all sizes and in all industries run at their best: 77% of the world’s transaction revenue touches an SAP® system. Our machine learning, Internet of Things (IoT), and advanced analytics technologies help turn customers’ businesses into intelligent enterprises. SAP helps give people and organizations deep business insight and fosters collaboration that helps them stay ahead of their competition. We simplify technology for companies, so they can consume our software the way they want – without disruption. Our end-to-end suite of applications and services enables more than 437,000 business and public customers to operate profitably, adapt continuously, and make a difference. With a global network of customers, partners, employees, and thought leaders, SAP helps the world run better and improve people’s lives. For more information, visit www.sap.com.

About Cognizant

Cognizant (Nasdaq: CTSH) is one of the world’s leading professional services companies, transforming clients’ business, operating and technology models for the digital era. Our unique industry-based, consultative approach helps clients envision, build and run more innovative and efficient businesses. Headquartered in the U.S., Cognizant is ranked 193 on the Fortune 500 and is consistently listed among the most admired companies in the world. Learn how Cognizant helps clients lead with digital at www.cognizant.com or follow us @Cognizant.

About TomTom

TomTom is the leading independent location technology specialist, shaping mobility with highly accurate maps, navigation software, real-time traffic information and services. To achieve our vision of a safer world, free of congestion and emissions, we create innovative technologies that keep the world moving. By combining our extensive experience with leading business and technology partners, we power connected vehicles, smart mobility and, ultimately, autonomous driving. Headquartered in Amsterdam with offices in 30 countries, TomTom's technologies are trusted by hundreds of millions of people worldwide.

About Bharti Airtel

Bharti Airtel Limited is a leading global telecommunications company with operations in 18 countries across Asia and Africa. Headquartered in New Delhi, India, the company ranks amongst the top 3 mobile service providers globally in terms of subscribers. In India, the company's product offerings include 2G, 3G and 4G wireless services, mobile commerce, fixed line services, high speed home broadband, DTH, enterprise services including national & international long-distance services to carriers. In the rest of the geographies, it offers 2G, 3G, 4G wireless services and mobile commerce. Bharti Airtel had over 403 million customers across its operations at the end of June 2019. To know more please visit, www.airtel.com.

About TiE

Founded in 1992, TiE is a global non-profit organization dedicated to fostering entrepreneurship. It is currently the world’s largest organization for entrepreneurs globally. TiE Delhi-NCR is among the most active and vibrant chapters across the vast TiE network. In the last 19 years, it has continuously taken the lead in creating an increasingly positive ecosystem for entrepreneurs and investors. With a strong mentor support base, marquee events and focused workshops throughout the year it has emerged as one of the most valuable platforms supporting entrepreneurship, nationally.