Knorr-Bremse Launches Global AI Hub in Chennai to Drive Digital Transformation and Operational Efficiency
Knorr-Bremse, a global leader in braking systems and a major supplier of subsystems for rail and commercial vehicles, has officially launched a new global artificial intelligence (AI) center in Chennai, India. This strategic move marks a significant milestone in the company’s broader digital transformation and operational efficiency strategy under its BOOST initiative. The Chennai AI hub is poised to play a pivotal role in accelerating innovation, enhancing process optimization, and integrating AI-driven solutions across the organization’s global operations.
Accelerating AI Integration Across Functions
The center in Chennai, which entered its ramp-up phase in August 2025, will begin operations with approximately 70 AI specialists. These experts will focus on developing advanced AI applications and technologies to improve efficiency, performance, and decision-making throughout the company. In its initial phase, the center will prioritize the development of AI agents for accounting and software development. These areas were selected due to their high potential for automation and immediate impact on internal operations.
Following these initial deployments, Knorr-Bremse plans to expand the application of AI technologies into other critical functions such as supply chain management, process optimization, project management, and even research and development. These AI-enabled systems are expected to play a transformative role in streamlining workflows, automating repetitive tasks, and enabling data-driven decision-making across business units.
Strategic Vision Behind the Chennai AI Center
Marc Llistosella, CEO of Knorr-Bremse AG, emphasized the strategic importance of the new AI center as a cornerstone of the company’s global transformation efforts. “A core objective of our BOOST strategy program is to increase the efficiency and performance of our organization,” Llistosella said. “As part of this, we are taking our global processes to a new level. Our new AI center in Chennai is a targeted investment in artificial intelligence. Its application to operational processes will make an important contribution to the digital transformation of Knorr-Bremse.”
He further highlighted Knorr-Bremse’s ambition to become a frontrunner in the industrial application of AI. “As the global market leader, we want to be at the forefront of industrial AI use. This means not just improving and accelerating processes, but also fundamentally rethinking how we operate.”
Leveraging Chennai’s Tech Ecosystem
Sathees Navaratnam, Chief Digital Officer at Knorr-Bremse, noted that the choice of Chennai as the location for the global AI hub was deliberate, given the city’s robust technology ecosystem and deep talent pool. “AI is rapidly finding its way into all areas of our company – from procurement and HR to IT,” said Navaratnam. “Our presence in Chennai provides us with access to a highly qualified workforce. These professionals can train AI models using Knorr-Bremse’s proprietary data and rapidly adapt AI agents to our business requirements.”
Navaratnam emphasized that the AI solutions developed in Chennai will support teams throughout the organization in optimizing their processes, accelerating workflows, and enhancing data-driven decision-making capabilities.
Empowering AI Agents to Optimize Complex Operations
The AI agents being developed in Chennai are intelligent software programs designed to autonomously execute complex tasks by breaking them down into smaller, manageable steps. These agents will be used in diverse applications, such as automated invoice verification, software development, progress tracking, cost monitoring, and even virtual product testing.
Supporting these AI agents is a powerful analytics engine developed by Knorr-Bremse, which serves as the operational core of the AI system. This engine can already generate software code faster and more accurately than traditional development teams, positioning it as a game-changer in enterprise-scale automation and software delivery.
Enhancing Customer Value and Innovation
Beyond internal process improvements, the AI center will also bring tangible benefits to Knorr-Bremse’s customers. By embedding AI in its multi-stage engineering and innovation pipelines, the company plans to enhance the performance, adaptability, and speed of its system solutions for rail and commercial vehicles.
AI agents will soon assist in the development of electronic and software components for braking and other safety-critical systems. This will enable Knorr-Bremse to streamline its R&D processes, adapt more rapidly to changing market requirements, and better integrate customer-specific needs into the product development lifecycle.
By embracing AI at this scale, Knorr-Bremse aims not only to reinforce its market leadership but also to redefine industry standards for operational excellence and innovation in mobility technology.
A Future-Ready Foundation
The Chennai AI center signifies a long-term commitment to digital transformation and future-readiness. It reflects Knorr-Bremse’s understanding that AI is not merely a technological trend, but a foundational pillar for the next era of industrial growth and competitiveness. With this initiative, the company is positioning itself at the intersection of technological advancement and strategic foresight, ensuring that it continues to lead the mobility systems industry into the future.
By integrating AI into its core operations and customer-facing solutions, Knorr-Bremse is setting the stage for a smarter, faster, and more efficient future — both for the company and the sectors it serves.
