Automotive design center in Chennai, a new milestone in our development in India
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With the inauguration of its new product design center in Chennai, Renault Group is strengthening its presence in one of the world’s most dynamic markets. This center, the largest for the Renault brand outside France, is a major milestone in the Renault International Game Plan 2027. It embodies a clear ambition: to design Indian cars, for India – and beyond.
By renault group
India, a unique playground for automotive design
Renault Group established its first design teams in India as early as 2005 in Pune, then in Mumbai, before opening its first studio in Chennai in 2013. This has enabled the company to develop a deep understanding of the Indian market. In 2025, the launch of this new, state-of-the-art 1,500 m² automotive design center marks a significant step forward.
« The Indian market follows its own set of rules: cars are both a budget-constrained purchase and a strong social marker. This means we must design vehicles that are both affordable and aspirational. »
Julien Sabatier
Head of the Renault Design Studio in India
Local constraints—such as robustness, effective air conditioning, and strong demand for SUVs—require very specific design choices for Indian cars. Colors and materials play a crucial role here, as does close collaboration with local suppliers to co-develop innovative and tailored solutions.
The Chennai team, made up entirely of Indian talent, draws its strength from the country’s cultural diversity. Industrial designers from all regions of India bring a wide range of perspectives that fuel the studio’s creativity.
From left to right: Francisco Hidalgo Marques, Sales and Marketing Director at Renault India; Julien Sabatier, Head of the Renault Design Studio in India; Debashis Neogi, Managing Director of RNTBCI; Venkatram Mamillapalle, CEO and Managing Director of Renault India; Laurens van den Acker, Chief Design Officer of Renault Group.
A state-of-the-art automotive design center in India
This new product design center in India is much more than a creative space: it is a technological innovation hub designed to accelerate the design process in an ultra-modern environment. It reflects Renault Group’s commitment to combining cutting-edge technology, strong local roots, and global ambition.
Among the center’s most advanced features:
- A next-generation visualization studio, featuring advanced software and digital tools.
- Three high-resolution VR setups provide hyper-realistic virtual reviews, allowing product designers to interact with their creations in fully immersive environments before moving to physical prototype.
- A creative collaboration zone, designed to encourage brainstorming, co-creation, and agile teamwork, fostering a fluid exchange of ideas.
- High-Performance LED Wall, with a massive 8.5m x 2.4m LED display (2 x 16/9 format).
- WE/ME Zones, flexible areas that allow automotive designers to reset their thinking, and collaborate in a more creative, stimulating setting.
These tools enable the Group to significantly reduce design lead times and facilitate remote collaboration with its other design hubs located in Paris, Seoul, Bucharest, and Curitiba.
A globally connected studio serving both local and global needs
While the design center in India primarily addresses the specific expectations of the local market, its role extends far beyond the country’s borders.
“This design center is key not only for local projects but also for those with international scope. India, with its creative and entrepreneurial energy, is an ideal observatory for emerging trends.”
Laurens van den Acker
Chief Design Officer of Renault Group
The studio also takes part in Renault Group’s automotive design competitions, giving its industrial designers the opportunity to be selected to develop their projects on an international scale. The Chennai center is already contributing to European projects, with varying levels of involvement, particularly in digital modeling and design/engineering convergence, carried out in collaboration with RNTBCI (Renault Nissan Technology & Business Center India).
“renault. rethink” is transforming the brand through design
The “renault.rethink” strategy, launched in India, is much more than a marketing repositioning—it marks a true shift in the way vehicles are conceived for this market.
“For two years, we’ve been thoroughly rethinking our lineup to meet the new expectations of the market. This has resulted in a refreshed visual identity, bold design lines, and genuine product differentiation,” says Julien Sabatier.
This strategy also takes shape in the conceptual sculpture “renault.rethink”, installed at the heart of the center. Through fragmented forms and a shifting inner light, it symbolizes Renault’s evolution and the dawn of a new era.
“This center is a performance driver for the Group. It demonstrates our ability to meet the standards of excellence set by international studios,” concludes Julien Sabatier.
With its new automotive design center in India, Renault Group is affirming its ambition to make India a central player in its creative process. In Chennai, local Indian teams from all across the country are already designing the future vehicles that will embody Renault’s new vision for the Indian market - and far beyond.
In an environment that is as creative as it is technological, product design becomes a strategic lever for a brand in transformation. Renault is not just producing in India - it is creating, imagining, and paving the way for a more accessible, more inspiring, and more customer-focused automotive future.
