Nissan Motor signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Government of Kerala to establish a new global center for digital operations in India.

The Nissan Digital Hub will be the first of a number of software and information technology development centers in Asia, Europe and North America. These will comprehensively transform Nissan’s business by placing digital technology at the heart of key operations and services.

The hubs are intended to allow Nissan to provide best-in-class user experiences, product development capabilities, security and connectivity as the automotive industry evolves, with growing use of autonomous, connected and electric vehicle technology.

The first center will initially be in Technopark—a technology park owned by the government of Kerala in Trivandrum—before moving to a permanent location in the city. Once fully operational, it will provide a range of in-house services to strengthen Nissan’s digital capabilities in India and other global markets.

The investment to build the new Digital Hub adds to Nissan’s commitment to India. Together with its Alliance partner Renault, Nissan already has a large manufacturing plant outside Chennai with a potential annual capacity of 480,000 vehicles for the domestic market and exports. A global Alliance R&D center, also in Chennai, employs 7,000 engineers working on projects including vehicle and technology development. Nissan’s sales company for India is based in Gurgaon.