TERMS OF REFERENCE (ToR)
Consultant Firm Engagement
1. About the Organization and Project
Overview of the Organization:
India Resources Trust (IRT), an independent knowledge organisation , provides objective information and practical proposals to foster environmentally sound and socially equitable development. Know more: wri-india.org
Project Background
This work is being undertaken as part of the “Electrifying Mobility in Cities: Investing in the Transformation to Electric Mobility in India” initiative by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), guided by NITI Aayog and executed on ground by WRI India.?The project workstreams focus on freight electrification, battery circularity and enabling a just and equitable transition to electric mobility in India. Under the workstream on ‘Enabling a just and equitable transition to electric mobility’, WRI India proposes to strengthen electric vehicle (EV) testing, validation and homologation infrastructure in collaboration with the Marathwada Accelerator for Growth and Incubation Council (MAGIC), Karnataka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), Karnataka Digital Economy Mission (KDEM), and other local industry associations in the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (CSN) cluster in Maharashtra and the HubballiDharwad-Belgaum (HDB) cluster in Karnataka, respectively.
Context about the assignment
With India’s dual push on transport electrification and EV supply chain localization, the country’s automotive sector stands at a pivotal juncture. The transition from internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEVs) to EVs is transforming vehicle technologies and creating demand for testing, validation and homologation across the lifecycle of automotive product development, as depicted in Figure 1. The figure maps how testing progressively evolves from predictive and virtual validation to physical, integrated, and regulatory compliance testing. Thorough testing across batteries, electronic control units (ECUs), charging systems, sensors, and connected vehicle architectures extends well beyond homologation into design validation supplier qualification, production, endof-line testing, and lifecycle compliance.
India’s testing and validation ecosystem needs to evolve beyond certification labs to enable faster, safer, and more scalable innovation. Limited access to advanced testing infrastructure, high costs of testing, validation and certification, long homologation timelines6, and fragmented availability of testing capabilities for batteries, power electronics, cybersecurity, and advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) continues to slow product development and prevents products from reaching market on time.
The a-forementioned challenges are significant for emerging EV clusters like CSN and HDB, where recent investments by companies such as Ather Energy, Toyota, JSW Group, UNO Minda, Nidec Motors and Tsuyo Manufacturing are growing. Our engagement with stakeholders in these clusters revealed that MSMEs manufacturing automotive components lack EV-specific validation capability.They do not have the requisite technical knowledge and/or financial bandwidth to invest in capitalintensive testing infrastructure individually without guaranteed revenue.
Moreover, the upgradation of existing common facility centres in these clusters may not be feasible. This is because upgrading older ICE test setups for new components like EV motors does not work due to major mechanical differences. Existing facilities also struggle with old equipment that may not be able to support rapid EV advancements, such as newer battery chemistries or high-voltage safety requirements. At the same time, legacy facilities are already struggling to meet current ICEV standards, making them ill-equipped to handle EV validation. Advanced testing rigs also require massive annual maintenance and calibration facilities, which older facilities fail to sustain.
Hence, strengthening the EV testing, validation and homologation infrastructure in these regions would not only accelerate product development and improve compliance readiness but also strengthen the regional EV supply chain ecosystem. It will reduce dependence on distant nationallevel centers such as the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI), Pune, and help decongest their capacity, while positioning the clusters as strategic EV innovation hubs.
Deadline for submission
10th October 2026
Expression of interest
All expressions of interest, queries and proposals in response to this RFP must be received via email to the contact below by 10th October 2026.
For any queries, please contact: Priya Bansal (Program Manager – Electric Mobility) at Priya.bansal@wri.org
For detailed information, please check the complete version of the RFP attached below