Crash-Simulation
“Pooling Talents Makes Our Products Even Better”
HighTechReport: Prof. Balasubramanian, what role does the Bangalore research center play within the Daimler Group?
Balasubramanian: The employees in Bangalore are closely linked to the development and research teams in Sindelfingen and Stuttgart. Our Indian colleagues in Bangalore provide us with essential support, with their research and development work on vehicle components such as transmissions and suspension systems, and with crash simulations. We are also in the process of building a design center in Pune, with the aim of being close to our long-standing suppliers. What’s more, new focal points are being added as a result of the expansion of Mercedes-Benz Research and Development India. | ||||||||
HighTechReport: What are they?
Balasubramanian: We will be increasingly focusing on independent development projects — for example for seats, handles, and peripheral engine parts such as protective sheet metal plates and brackets for generators. And there will be a great increase in India in work related to what we call “adaptations” — in other words, design adjustments. These include, for example, work on a seat that was designed for the B-Class and is then adjusted to the interior dimensions of the A-Class.
HighTechReport: And what is the timetable for this expansion?
Balasubramanian: Initially we will cautiously expand the capacities at our Indian location to a degree that is feasible given the continuing economic crisis. There is of course no question that we also want to exploit potential cost savings, but that isn’t our main motivation. Many of our suppliers have already done that and expanded their presence in India. Our primary concern is to ensure continuous further development of our commitment in Bangalore — and this effort really looks very promising!
HighTechReport: Why is the Indian location developing so successfully?
Balasubramanian: There are a variety of reasons. Engineers and IT specialists in India are very well trained, for one thing. And there aren’t enough young people being trained in specialized fields such as electrical and electronic engineering in Germany. Bangalore offers great potential in terms of these needs. Another important factor is the need for regional adaptations of vehicles for our markets in tropical countries like India, Malaysia, and Thailand, where the climate is very damp and rainy. Where there is intense rainfall, for example, you have to provide protection against water that splashes onto a vehicle when it is driven on flooded roads. Adjustments like these could be carried out in Bangalore in the future — not only for India, but for all markets in the tropics and sub-tropics. |
HighTechReport: Isn’t project communication made more difficult due to the great distances between development locations in Germany and those abroad?
Balasubramanian: We make it a top priority to ensure that our Indian colleagues are very closely networked with the teams in Sindelfingen, and we do that successfully — even over such a great distance. This enables them to become more familiar with how their colleagues in Germany think and work. The process functions with equal success in both directions, and it is producing excellent results.
HighTechReport: In what ways do German engineers think and act differently from their colleagues in India?
Balasubramanian: People in India will rarely reject something categorically by saying it can’t be done. And that is true even if you ask for the impossible. They will express themselves more diplomatically. For the Indian, avoiding abrupt refusals is a matter of politeness. If the requested solution still can’t be provided in the end, it isn’t necessarily due to inability or shoddy performance. Anyone who understands that will pay closer attention next time to the nuanced manner in which his or her Indian colleagues express themselves.
HighTechReport: Do Indian engineers have a competitive advantage over their German colleagues?
Balasubramanian: Both cultures have their strengths and idiosyncrasies. Indians have an extraordinary talent for abstract thinking — they invented the concept of zero and the decimal system. Nevertheless, they have difficulty in turning abstract models into practical applications. Germans are skilled in other respects: Here there are many engineers who are extremely good at combining theoretical and practical expertise. This is why I wanted to study in Germany; my interest was sparked by reading Mercedes-Benz test reports at a young age. In my opinion it is very advantageous for a company to successfully combine these different talents. The strengths of one group becomes the strength of all, because pooling these talents makes our products even better. |
