The Indian company Tata is helping BMW develop software for the Neue Klasse

In April 2024, the BMW Group and Tata Technologies signed an agreement to establish a joint venture and develop software. They are setting up an IT development center in India by opening locations in Bangalore and Pune and another facility in Chennai. Initially 100 people will work there, but in a few years this number is expected to increase tenfold.

Tata Technologies CEO Warren Harris shared more details about the 50:50 joint venture during a recent earnings call. Sales are expected to exceed $100 million in just a few years. Meanwhile, thousands of people will be employed by the end of 2025 after the joint venture begins operations on November 1st. Nachiket Pranjpe, the man in charge of automotive at Tata Technologies, described the collaboration as “kind of a cornerstone of the entire BMW software stack.” .”

One of the first projects that BMW and Tata Technologies (part of the Tata Group) are working on is the development of software for the Neue Klasse. The next generation of electric vehicles will be introduced gradually from 2025 with the all-new iX3. A year later, the i3 sedan goes into series production. Both cars will use the tenth generation infotainment (iDrive X), which will also be carried over to non-NK vehicles.

Pranjpe said the joint venture will have additional responsibilities. In addition to writing code for the new infotainment, the engineers are developing technologies for automated driving. In addition, BMW TechWorks India also supports manufacturing operations. Ultimately, the German luxury brand remains in control by claiming ownership of the software.

It has been confirmed that at least six Neue Klasse models will be launched by 2028. The iX3 is manufactured at BMW’s new factory in Debrecen, Hungaryand the i3 sedan will do it are assembled in Munich, Germany. Production of NK cars in China is scheduled to begin in 2026. The world’s largest luxury car manufacturer will also produce the iX3 in Mexico from 2027.

With iDrive X, BMW is signaling the gradual demise of the rotary knob. The physical dial will not be installed on New Class cars. It’s already disappearing, considering the 1 Series, X1, 2 Series Active Tourer, 2 Series Gran Coupe and X2 no longer have it. NK models are also unlikely to have an instrument cluster. Instead, the Panoramic Vision is replaced as a dashboard-wide head-up display.

The dashboard is dominated by a central touchscreen, which is significantly larger compared to what BMW uses today. Expect even fewer traditional keys on the New Class models, as the focus on minimalism is even more evident.

Source: Automotive News