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MILAN- Carmaker Stellantis said on Wednesday it had inaugurated a new software hub in Bengaluru, India, its second innovation centre in the country, focusing on cockpit and driver assistance technologies.

Software is increasingly crucial in modern vehicles and a growing source of revenue, with carmakers expanding research investments and hiring more executives with specific experience to offer clients more features driven by connectivity, data and e-commerce.

Stellantis aims to generate 20 billion euros ($19.4 billion) in additional annual revenues by 2030 from its software-driven strategy.

The new facility in India will be the main development centre for one of the three technology platforms Stellantis will start deploying in 2024, the STLA SmartCockpit, focusing on digitally integrating vehicles and drivers, the group said in a statement.

It will house laboratories including a next-generation acoustic one, developing specific audio signatures as well as premium audio experiences for Stellantis vehicle owners.

Among its tasks, the hub, which will eventually employ around 500 people, will also help develop artificial intelligence (AI) and driver assistance (ADAS) technologies for autonomous driving, Stellantis said.

Bengaluru in the 1990s rapidly grew as India's answer to Silicon Valley, attracting millions of workers and the regional headquarters of some of the world's biggest IT companies. It now hosts more than 3,500 IT companies and some 79 "tech parks".

Stellantis, the world's fourth largest carmaker, is present in the Indian market with its Jeep and Citroen brands.

($1 = 1.0305 euros)