BENGALURU: In a significant move that underscores its commitment to innovation and the global energy transition, American energy giant Chevron has announced plans to invest $1 billion in a state-of-the-art engineering and technology center in Bengaluru. This new facility, named the Chevron Engineering and Innovation Excellence Centre, or “The Engine,” marks a pivotal moment in the 145-year history of the company, which reported $200 billion in revenue last year.
The investment is aimed at positioning Chevron at the forefront of developing affordable, reliable, and cleaner energy solutions, an imperative in the face of the world’s growing energy demands and the urgent need to address climate change. “This is a unique commitment in Chevron’s history to build a world-class technology hub that will help deliver the innovations needed for the global energy transition,” said Akshay Sahni, the incoming head of Chevron India, in an interview with The Times of India.
The Bengaluru hub will serve as a global center for Chevron’s technological and engineering efforts, with a strong focus on cutting-edge digital technologies. “We want to give employees here meaningful work that allows them to be part of solving the incredible challenge of providing affordable energy while building a lower carbon future,” Sahni added.
Chevron’s decision to establish this center in India is strategic, given the country’s burgeoning technology sector and its pool of highly skilled engineers. Several of Chevron’s global competitors, including Shell, BP, Saudi Aramco, and Sabic, have already set up technology and digital centers in India, with Shell making particularly significant investments in the region.
Sahni, a seasoned executive with 26 years of global experience at Chevron, brings a wealth of knowledge to his new role. A mechanical engineer by training, he holds a PhD from Stanford University and has worked in diverse geographies, including the US, Kazakhstan, Venezuela, China, Thailand, and Bangladesh. Sahni’s return to India, after years of working abroad, marks a personal milestone, fulfilling a promise he made to his mother decades ago to return home within two years—a promise he’s keeping 24 years later.
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The $1 billion investment will be rolled out over the next 5-6 years, with Chevron planning to hire 600 employees by the end of 2025. These hires will span various disciplines, including mechanical, civil, petroleum, and computer science. Chevron is in the process of finalizing a long-term lease for office space in Bellandur, Bengaluru’s IT corridor, with temporary facilities already secured to kickstart operations.
At the heart of The Engine’s mission will be the development and implementation of digital technologies. Sahni highlighted that the center’s focus will include establishing digital labs, particularly in areas such as artificial intelligence (AI) and neural networks. The work conducted at these labs will cover a wide range of activities, from using AI and machine learning to analyze subsurface geology—a critical aspect for identifying optimal carbon storage locations and safer, more efficient drilling sites—to creating digital twins of complex industrial facilities.
These digital twins will be essential for monitoring and optimizing Chevron’s global operations, ensuring a more reliable and efficient supply chain. “Everything we do will be deeply rooted in AI, machine learning, high-performance computing, and robotics,” Sahni emphasized.
Robotics will also play a crucial role at The Engine. Chevron is already employing robotics in various capacities, such as its collaboration with Boston Dynamics on the development of “Spot,” a four-legged robot equipped with sensors and thermal cameras. Spot is designed to navigate industrial sites, monitor equipment, and identify potential issues before they escalate into critical problems, enhancing safety and efficiency in Chevron’s operations.
Chevron’s billion-dollar investment in Bengaluru not only signals the company’s commitment to innovation but also positions it to play a leading role in the global energy transition, leveraging India’s tech prowess to drive its mission of delivering cleaner, more sustainable energy solutions.
