Asia's longest high-speed track for automotive testing inaugurated in Indore

Asia's longest high-speed track for automotive testing, measuring 11.3 kilometres, was virtually inaugurated in Indore, Madhya Pradesh on Tuesday by Union Minister Prakash Javadekar. The longest high-speed track in Asia is also the the fifth-largest in the world. The high-speed track in the city's Pithampur town will be used for automotive and component testing by automobile companies.

The National Automotive Test Tracks (NATRAX) facility will facilitate measuring the maximum speed capabilities of high-end cars and other categories of vehicles. The four-lane track will be used to carry out development and homologation tests for all kinds of vehicles.

The new high-speed test track is 16 metres wide and is oval-shaped. The facility is located 50 kilometres away from Indore and has been developed in around 2,960 acres of land. It has been designed for neutral speeds up to 250 kmph and a maximum speed of up to 375 kmph on curbs.

The massive size of the test track will prove to be beneficial to Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) as it will enable performing a wide variety of automotive tests on one track, such as coast down tests, brake tests, speedometer calibration, constant speed fuel consumption test, noise test, vibration measurement, and mileage accumulation test, among others.

NATRAX offers 14 different types of testing tracks supplemented by state-of-the-art test equipment. Some of these tracks include braking track, handling track, fatigue track, comfort track, gradient track, sustainability track, among others. There are R&D laboratories and workshops for testing evaluation of all types of vehicles ranging from two-wheelers to heavy commercial trucks.

While inaugurating the high-speed track, Javadekar said that it is a proud moment for India and a key initiative in realising Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat. Taking to micro-blogging platform Twitter, he wrote, "High-Speed Track is the heart of any proving ground for the auto sector. Today, inaugurated the longest high-speed track in Asia at Indore."