Thiruvananthapuram: Nissan Motor Company, Japan's second-largest automaker, is set to park its global digital hub at the Technopark in Thiruvananthapuram. The facility is aimed at developing driverless vehicles and electric cars.
If neighbouring Chennai is nicknamed the 'Detroit of India' for its auto manufacturing industry, with the arrival of Nissan digital hub, the state government is hoping that Thiruvananthapuram could become the nerve centre of research for driverless/electric vehicles in the country.
Out of the four international hubs that Nissan is planning, one will be set up in Kerala.
Thiruvananthapuram will now see cutting-edge research that involves latest tech that include artificial intelligence.
The state is expecting to generate around 5,000 high-profile jobs through the hub, with the initial phase itself providing more than 500 employment opportunities.
On the directives of chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, IT secretary M Sivasankar, Technopark CEO Hrishikesh Nair, K-DISC chairman K M Abraham and others had visited the Nissan headquarters in Japan last week to invite the auto major to Kerala.
Following this, a seven-member Nissan team led by CEO Antony Thomas is now in Thiruvananthapuram.
They will meet the chief secretary on Monday and hold talks with the chief minister on Tuesday.
Research wing
The research wing responsible for the Nissan Leaf, the best-selling electric car in the world, and Easy Ride autonomous mobility service is likely to set up shop in Thiruvananthapuram.
By the 2020 Summer Olympics in Japan, the country will have full-scale driverless Easy Ride taxi service.
The field tests of Easy Ride were held recently in Japan.
