Automaker Polestar is collaborating with Infosys to create a global technology hub in Bengaluru, India. This strategic partnership aims to leverage Infosys’ existing development center to enhance Polestar’s capabilities in electric vehicle (EV) software development, focusing on key areas such as in-car infotainment, advanced driver assistance systems, and telematics.
The newly established hub will also play a crucial role in supporting Polestar’s product management and customer engagement initiatives, while accelerating the delivery of direct-to-consumer digital services through cloud-native development, testing, and data engineering. This collaboration, disclosed in a filing with the Bombay Stock Exchange, underscores Infosys’ expanding interest in the automotive sector, particularly following its acquisition of in-tech in April, an engineering research and development services provider specializing in the German car industry.
The partnership grants Polestar access to Infosys’ engineering and innovation labs, as well as its design studio, a move that has been positively received by the automaker. Maria Lexe, Polestar’s head of digital, expressed confidence in Infosys’ expertise, stating, “Infosys has a successful background with similar operations, and we are confident in their ability to lead this tech hub in order to generate IT efficiencies and empower innovation.” Sven Bauer, Polestar’s head of software, added that the collaboration aims to build automotive competence in the tech hub to support the company’s expanding vehicle portfolio and upcoming model launches.
The announcement of the digital hub comes at a challenging time for Polestar, which, despite its Swedish origins and backing from China’s Geely, is striving to establish a stronger foothold in the competitive EV market. Originally founded in 2005 as a tuning division for high-performance Volvos, Polestar transitioned into a standalone EV brand after its acquisition by the Swedish automaker in 2015. However, sales have been difficult to achieve, leading to a 15% reduction in the global workforce earlier this year, resulting in approximately 450 job losses.
Additionally, Polestar confirmed in August that CEO Thomas Ingenlath would be replaced amid a major cost-cutting initiative aimed at achieving profitability after significant financial losses. Infosys’ executive vice president, Jasmeet Singh, welcomed the opportunity to collaborate with Polestar, emphasizing the company’s commitment to harnessing its extensive automotive engineering experience and digital transformation capabilities to develop next-generation EV solutions. He stated, “We will work closely with Polestar’s global design and development hubs to set new standards in next-gen mobility.”
