Wipro, Marelli bring 'cabin digital twin' solution to connected vehicles

IT services major Wipro Limited announced on Monday that it has partnered with Marelli Electronic Systems, a mobility technology supplier to the automotive sector, to quickly introduce connected vehicle services to the market. This company's aim to develop an innovative solution called the 'cabin digital twin,' which empowers original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to swiftly bring connected vehicle services to market, the company said in a statement.

In 2020, Wipro bagged a multi-year global agreement from Marelli for automotive engineering services. With operational headquarters in Saitama, Japan and Corbetta, Italy, Marelli has a significant presence in India: with this new opening, now the company's Indian footprint includes 14 production sites and 2 R&D centers in 7 cities.

The automotive industry is facing the challenges of evolving software and data demands, requiring a robust cloud-based infrastructure with strong software competence. Additionally, it is crucial to maintain cost efficiencies, reduce deployment time, and enable frequent updates throughout a vehicle's lifespan.

To address these challenges, Marelli utilized Wipro's cloud car capabilities to create the industry's first viable cabin digital twin product. This solution allows for the testing, validation, and seamless updating of software-defined vehicle (SDV) features, significantly reducing the time required for new software updates to reach the market. Wipro's expertise in leveraging cloud and containerised microservices also facilitated the swift implementation of new features by Marelli, resulting in significant cost savings and streamlined project completion times.

The collaborative effort between Wipro and Marelli aims to empower OEMs to quickly respond to evolving customer demands, ushering in a new era of innovation and efficiency in the automotive sector.

Yves-Antoine Brun, Vice President and Head of Wipro Engineering Edge Europe, stated that this initiative with Marelli leverages Wipro's software engineering expertise and introduces a connected, cloud-native solution to the market.

Roberto Secchi, Head of Software Platform and DevOps at Marelli Electronic Systems, expressed excitement about continuing the multi-year partnership with Wipro. He highlighted Marelli's progress in the SDV field, driven by focused investments and the exploration of various business opportunities driven by a passion for innovation.

Earlier this year, Wipro said that it will invest $1 billion in AI over the next three years. The investment is expected to help advance AI, data and analytics and consulting capabilities. On October 18, the IT services firm reported a marginal decline in its July-September quarter (Q2FY24) revenue at ₹22,516 crore due to the macroeconomic slowdown and cut backs on discretionary IT spending by clients. The IT major's profit after tax (PAT) rose 0.70% year-on-year (YoY) to ₹2,667 crore.