Rolls-Royce eyes Indian startups to drive innovation in AI, analytics

R2 Data Labs, the acceleration hub within engineering company Rolls-Royce, is in talks with startups specialising in the areas of artificial intelligence, data analytics, Internet of Things and blockchain, among others to provide them mentoring and technical support.

The aim behind the partnership is to create a collaborative ecosystem of digital partners in India, more specifically, in Bengaluru, the company said at a press conference.

“Sitting at the heart of our vision for the digital age is a collaborative approach to innovation, where we actively look to develop new, radical ways of working to maintain a competitive edge. To this end, Rolls-Royce has been collaborating with niche technology startups to grow their business,” said Caroline Gorski, group director of R2 Data Labs, Rolls-Royce.

Bengaluru is among nine international startup hubs besides Berlin, London and Singapore that Rolls-Royce is targeting globally to enhance its modern technological capacities. 

“Working with IoT startups helps us to accelerate digital transformation, improve existing services and create new areas of growth. At the same time, we help innovators succeed in their pace, inventiveness and energy,” she added.

Rolls-Royce has already partnered with Tata Consultancy Services and Microsoft in India. As part of the partnership, TCS provides digital platform capabilities to Rolls-Royce, thereby facilitating easy capturing, sharing and analysis of data.

“We recognise that some of the best digital capabilities exist outside of our business. For Rolls-Royce to continue to pioneer the power that matters as a leading industrial technology company and be a strong industrial partner, we must champion collaboration. R2Data Labs is tasked to help Rolls-Royce become the ‘go-to’ industrial company,” said Kishore Jayaraman, president of Rolls-Royce, India and South Asia.

R2 Data Labs said that it has already built an ecosystem of 500 partners that span across Europe, India, Asia-Pacific and the USA to enhance processes within Rolls-Royce. 

Gorski also stressed how the industrial domain is difficult to access, and with the guidance of R2 Data Labs, startups can develop a deeper understanding of industrial tech, without the need to pivot to another industry.

Globally, R2 Data Labs has supported startup accelerators like IoT Tribe, Seraphim Space Camp and Startupbootcamp.