Pioneer India, a subsidiary of Japanese automotive electronics and mobility solutions major Pioneer Corporation, will be delegating more strategic work to its Indian R&D teams as part of the efforts to fully conceptualise and develop new products in India. It has also set up a new R&D centre in Bengaluru which will supplement the work done by its Gurugram centre. The R&D team in India is expected to do research on displays for the two-wheelers.
The company's largest R&D team outside Japan is in India.
“Globally, we spend anywhere between 5 to 10 per cent on R&D out of the total revenue. For our company R&D is strategic. We want to onboard more people in India and presently have close to 10 per cent of the total global R&D team working in India. We are looking at doing research on developing new solutions for the two-wheeler segment which we aim to bring out in the market by the end of this year. India’s deep talent pool and mobility ecosystem make it an ideal base to drive innovation across vision, connectivity, and intelligent systems for vehicles of all kind,” Shiro Yahara, president and CEO, Pioneer Corporation told THE WEEK.
The Indian R&D team of Pioneer has developed a few cameras from scratch—VREC-H520DC Car Dashboard Camera with 2K video resolution, VREC-Z820DC camera that offers 4K video recording for clear footage and VREC-H320SC an advanced car dashboard camera.
The Bengaluru R&D centre is expected to drive innovation across a comprehensive range of automotive and mobility technologies. The centre will work closely with Pioneer's global network of R&D and engineering centres, focusing on areas such as Automotive Vision and Sensing Technologies (dash cams, digital mirrors, 360° vision amongst other camera systems), Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), Digital Cockpit and Human-Machine Interfaces (HMI), Cloud-Connected Infotainment and Telematics, AI and Mobility Data Platforms and connected solutions for two-wheelers (navigation displays, safety alerts, mobile integration, SOS features)
The Bengaluru R&D centre is also expected to serve OEM, aftermarket, and B2B segments, including fleet operators and insurance providers, while also addressing the specific needs of Indian automotive manufacturers through faster development cycles and region-specific solutions.
“Our R&D team in India will lead the development of future mobility solutions. From next-gen camera systems and digital cockpits to two-wheeler connectivity and cloud-based platforms, this centre will help shape products for both local and global markets,” said Siva Subramanian, CEO, Pioneer Mobility AI and Connectivity Company. Pioneer's Bengaluru R&D facility also has specialised labs for camera testing, embedded systems, electronics, and software validation. It also features collaborative spaces to facilitate cross-functional product development.
Manish Bhasin, vice president, R&D, Pioneer India, said as part of its expansion strategy, Pioneer is actively hiring across a wide range of engineering disciplines in India, including talent in embedded software, computer vision, cloud connectivity, mobile integration, and AI. He said the company plans to significantly scale its R&D workforce in India in the coming months. Pioneer India also has plans to begin in car product manufacturing in India in 2026. This strategic move is expected to establish a full value chain R&D, manufacturing, and support within the country for Pioneer.