TLDR: Knorr-Bremse, a global leader in braking systems, has inaugurated a new global Artificial Intelligence (AI) center in Chennai, India. Set to commence operations with approximately 70 experts in August 2025, the center will initially focus on developing AI agents for automated accounting and software development. This strategic move aims to significantly enhance efficiency, accelerate digital transformation, and expand into areas like supply chain management and project optimization, leveraging Chennai’s robust IT infrastructure and skilled workforce.
Knorr-Bremse, a prominent global market and technology leader in braking systems and a key supplier for rail and commercial vehicle systems, has officially opened its new global Artificial Intelligence (AI) center in Chennai, India. This significant development marks a pivotal step in the company’s overarching global digital strategy, designed to substantially boost process efficiency, overall performance, and implementation speed across its worldwide operations. The center is slated to begin its ramp-up phase in August 2025.
The Chennai facility will be staffed by approximately 70 highly skilled experts dedicated to pioneering innovative AI solutions. The initial phase of their work will concentrate on creating ‘AI agents’ – sophisticated software programs capable of autonomously breaking down complex tasks into manageable steps and executing them. These agents will first be applied to automate accounting processes and foster more agile software development within the organization.
Looking ahead, Knorr-Bremse plans a phased expansion of these AI applications into other critical business functions, including supply chain management, comprehensive process optimization, and project management. The company also anticipates leveraging AI agents for advanced capabilities such as progress measurement, meticulous cost control, and virtual product testing.
The strategic selection of Chennai as the location for this global innovation hub was driven by its robust IT infrastructure and a rich talent pool of highly qualified specialists. This environment provides Knorr-Bremse with ideal conditions to establish a fully operational global innovation center, moving beyond a mere research facility, and effectively harnessing the potential of generative AI through flexible solutions.
Marc Llistosella, CEO of Knorr-Bremse AG, emphasized the strategic importance of this investment, stating, “A core objective of our BOOST strategy program is to increase the efficiency and performance of our organization. As part of this, we are also taking our entire global processes to a new level. Our new AI center in Chennai is a targeted investment in artificial intelligence, whose application to operational processes will make an important contribution to the digital transformation of Knorr-Bremse. As the global market leader, we want to be a frontrunner in the industrial use of AI, improving, accelerating, and completely rethinking numerous processes, working methods, and approaches.”
Sathees Navaratnam, Chief Digital Officer at Knorr-Bremse, further elaborated on the center’s role: “AI is rapidly finding its way into all areas of the company – whether procurement, human resources or, of course, IT. Against this backdrop, our presence in the technology hub of Chennai offers ideal conditions, both now and in the future. Specifically, highly qualified specialists on site can train AI models using our company data and quickly and flexibly adapt so-called AI agents to our needs. The solutions will support teams throughout the Group in improving processes, accelerating workflows, and making data-driven decisions.”
Beyond internal process optimization and efficiency gains, the AI center is poised to deliver significant benefits to Knorr-Bremse’s customers. AI will be seamlessly integrated into the multi-stage engineering and innovation processes for the company’s advanced system solutions for rail and commercial vehicles. This includes the use of AI agents to support the development of electronic and software components, such as those integral to braking systems, thereby making Research & Development (R&D) processes faster, more adaptive, and more flexible, and enabling a closer integration of increasingly differentiated customer needs into product development.
Technologically, the AI agents are powered by a specially developed analytics engine, which serves as the central ‘nerve center’ of the AI operations. This engine possesses the advanced capability to generate software code with greater speed and accuracy than human developers.
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Knorr-Bremse, with a history spanning 120 years, continues to drive innovation in mobility and transportation technologies. In 2024, the company’s two divisions collectively generated revenues of approximately €7.9 billion, supported by a global workforce of over 32,000 employees across more than 100 locations in 30 countries.
