Automobile major Tata Motors on Tuesday said it had bagged 98 patents last year to accelerate innovation, mainly focusing on its electric and sustainable offerings. The patents predominantly relate to the megatrend of CESS, which stands for connected, electrified, sustainable and safe automobiles.
The company has "accelerated its drive for engineering excellence and innovation in 2020 by filing 80 and receiving 98 patents in 2020", Tata Motors said in a statement.
The patents cover a range of improvements in automotive electronics, noise vibration, and harshness, conventional and advanced powertrain systems. In addition to this, some of those patents relate to "the crash safety under various categories of industrial designs, copyrights, and notarizations", the company added.
On the occasion, Tata Motors Chief Technology Officer Rajendra Petkar said developing intellectual capabilities at an institutional level is crucial for India's auto industry in building an Aatmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India).
After hitting an all-time low in terms of market share in FY 2020 owing to its niggling issues of quality and lack of strong after-sales service, Tata Motors is aiming to recapture the lost grounds and consolidate its place among the top three carmakers in the country.
In recent years, the company has been silently working on the implementation of its "HorizonNext" strategy, through which it aims to render a complete do-over of its product line-up. Its efforts have paid off as its compact SUV Nexon and Tiago hatchback have performed remarkably well.
The Nexon EV, the electric variant, also holds a lot of promise for the company, although the pandemic played a dampener soon after its launch in the Indian market. In the affordable sedan segment, Tata offers Tigor, which has the EV upgrade too.
Tata Motors has been fairly successful in building its image as one that doesn’t compromise on passengers’ safety. Nexon and premium hatchback Altroz, both have bagged 5-star ratings in NCAP crash tests.
With the new set of patents, the company is now striving to set new industry benchmarks in design and safety.
(Edited by : Priyanka Rathi)
