ContiTech has announced plans to strengthen its innovation capabilities at its Surface Solutions facility in Pune through investments in a dedicated Color Lab, enhanced prototype development facilities and an expanded local research and development (R&D) team. The initiative aims to accelerate product development and provide greater technical support to automotive manufacturers in India.The investment includes the establishment of ContiTech's first dedicated Surface Solutions Color Lab in India. The facility will support colour development, colour matching, appearance evaluation and customer-specific material development for automotive interior applications. While primarily serving Indian customers, it will also support selected development activities across the Asia-Pacific (APAC) and Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) regions.Alexander Scholz, Head of Business India, Surface Solutions, ContiTech, said India remains a key growth market for the company. He highlighted that the investment supports ContiTech's 'In India, for India' strategy by enabling faster response times, localised product development and closer technical collaboration with automotive manufacturers.The planned prototype development facilities will further strengthen the company's ability to evaluate and validate customised automotive interior solutions. These capabilities are expected to support growing demand for premium interior materials, advanced synthetic surfaces and sustainable material solutions.Burak Üzel, Head of Design, Surface Solutions, said automotive interiors have become an important differentiator for vehicle manufacturers, with customers increasingly seeking premium, comfortable and personalised experiences. He noted that the new facilities will enable local development and validation of colour concepts while supporting next-generation interior design and material technologies.ContiTech also plans to expand its Pune R&D team by adding four positions to strengthen technical expertise and support customer development programmes across the region.As part of its operational expansion, Alok Pandey has recently been appointed Head of Plant Management Pune. He will oversee the facility's continued development, focusing on operational efficiency, innovation and customer-oriented capabilities.Jan-Philipp Behrndt, Head of Operations Automotive Plants, Surface Solutions, said the expansion of local R&D capabilities, combined with enhanced technical infrastructure and leadership, will strengthen Pune's contribution to ContiTech's global innovation network.The investment reinforces ContiTech's focus on localised innovation and its commitment to supporting India's automotive industry through advanced material technologies, product development and strengthened manufacturing capabilities.