Maruti Suzuki Wind Tunnel Earns ARAI Certification for WLTP Testing
The Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) has issued a formal conformity certificate to Maruti Suzuki India Limited, approving the automaker’s vehicle road load determination facility for testing under India’s upcoming light vehicle emission regulations.
The certification enables Maruti Suzuki to use its in-house wind tunnel and chassis dynamometer infrastructure to conduct vehicle assessment cycles in accordance with the country’s evolving regulatory framework. The approval confirms that the company’s testing facilities satisfy the technical and procedural requirements laid down for road load determination, an essential step in measuring vehicle performance, fuel efficiency, and emissions under standardized laboratory conditions.
The evaluation framework complies with AIS-175, the Automotive Industry Standard that incorporates the Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicles Test Procedure (WLTP) into India’s regulatory system for M1 category passenger vehicles. WLTP is an internationally recognized testing methodology designed to provide more representative measurements of vehicle fuel consumption, carbon dioxide emissions, and pollutant output by using updated driving cycles and stricter testing procedures than earlier standards.
With this certification in place, Maruti Suzuki can carry out approved road load determination activities using its own validated facilities, reducing dependence on external testing infrastructure while supporting faster vehicle development and regulatory validation. Wind tunnel testing plays a key role in determining aerodynamic drag, while chassis dynamometer evaluations help replicate real-world driving conditions in a controlled laboratory environment to establish vehicle road load characteristics required for emissions and efficiency testing.
The approval also reflects ARAI’s role as one of India’s principal automotive certification and testing agencies, responsible for validating vehicle compliance with national safety, emissions, and performance standards. As the country continues aligning its automotive regulations with globally harmonized testing protocols, certified testing facilities will play an increasingly important role in ensuring consistent and reliable compliance across manufacturers.
Dr. Reji Mathai, Director of the Automotive Research Association of India, presented the official conformity certificate to Alok Jaitley, Executive Officer at Maruti Suzuki India Limited, in the presence of Akihiro Kuroda, Executive General Manager at Suzuki Motor Corporation. The certification marks another step in strengthening the company’s technical capabilities as the Indian automotive industry prepares for the wider adoption of WLTP-based testing procedures.