Honda India Foundation (HIF), the CSR arm of Honda group companies in India, has broken ground for a new Road Safety Centre of Excellence in Viramgam, Gujarat, marking a significant step in its long-term commitment to safer mobility in the country. Conceived as a dedicated hub for road safety education, awareness and data-led interventions, the Centre is being developed in partnership with Gujarat Police and is expected to become operational by 2027, benefiting around 5,000 people every year through structured programmes.
A dedicated hub for road safety
Located in Viramgam, the upcoming Centre of Excellence (CoE) is designed to function as a practical platform where road users, communities and institutions can engage with road safety in a more systematic way. It will combine classroom-style training, simulation-based learning and accident-data analytics to support safer road behaviour and informed decision-making on traffic management and road design. In an environment where road accidents remain a major public concern, the project aims to bring education and evidence together to drive change at the local and regional level.
Road Safety Education & Awareness Wing
In its initial phase, supported by HIF, the CoE will feature a Road Safety Education & Awareness Wing. This will include an exhibition zone, interactive simulation facilities and educational tools tailored for students, youth groups, local communities and other stakeholders. The focus here is on making road safety more accessible and engaging, especially for younger road users who are at high risk but often lack structured exposure to safety training. By combining visual exhibits with simulator-based experiences, the Centre aims to help people understand the consequences of unsafe behaviour and the benefits of safe practices in a more experiential manner.
Accident Research & Data Analytics Unit
Alongside the education wing, the Centre will house an Accident Research & Data Analytics Unit. This unit is tasked with analysing accident and traffic patterns, identifying high-risk locations and supporting evidence-based interventions and road safety audits. By using data to map out blackspots, common violation types and peak-risk periods, the unit can help authorities and planners design targeted solutions — whether that means changes to signage, enforcement strategies, road engineering or awareness campaigns. This data-led approach is intended to make road safety efforts more precise and effective over time.
Partnership with Gujarat Police
The project follows an earlier Memorandum of Understanding between Honda India Foundation and Gujarat Police, and the ground-breaking ceremony underlined the collaborative nature of the initiative. The event was attended by senior officials including Shri G.S. Malik, Director General of Police, Gujarat; Shri Raju Bhargava, Director General of Police (Armed Units), Gujarat; and Smt. Nipuna M. Torawane, Principal Secretary, Home Department, Gujarat, alongside HIF and Honda leadership. Their presence signals strong institutional support for the Centre and underlines that road safety is being treated as a shared responsibility between public agencies and private stakeholders.
On the occasion, HIF Trustee Vinay Dhingra highlighted that road safety requires a combination of awareness, training and data-driven insight. He noted that the Centre of Excellence is meant to serve as a practical platform that not only trains individuals but also helps guide more informed road safety interventions. Shri Gyanender Singh Malik, Director General of Police, Gujarat, appreciated Honda India Foundation’s support and emphasised that such collaborations strengthen the state’s structured road safety education efforts and help reduce accident risks through targeted, data-backed measures.
Part of a wider CSR vision
The new Centre fits into Honda India Foundation’s broader CSR strategy. Established in 2019, HIF is built around the belief that mobility is about more than machines — it is also about expanding access to opportunities, ideas and better futures for people and communities. The Foundation has already impacted more than 16.2 million lives across multiple domains including road safety, education, environment, rural development, healthcare and employment-linked skilling. The Viramgam CoE extends this work by creating a permanent, physical hub focused specifically on road safety.
HIF represents the collective CSR efforts of multiple Honda group companies in India, ranging from Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India and Honda Cars India to Honda India Power Products, Honda R&D India and other associated entities. By pooling resources and expertise, the Foundation is able to undertake larger, more impactful initiatives such as the Road Safety Centre of Excellence.
Looking ahead
Once operational, the Viramgam Centre of Excellence is expected to play a meaningful role in shaping safer road behaviour and strengthening local road safety ecosystems. By targeting approximately 5,000 beneficiaries annually through structured programmes, and combining on-ground education with analytical insight, the Centre can become a model for similar collaborations in other regions.
In a country where road accidents cause significant loss of life and injury each year, initiatives like this underscore the growing recognition that sustainable improvement requires long-term investment in education, research and partnerships. For Honda India Foundation and Gujarat Police, the Road Safety CoE is both a practical project and a symbol of shared commitment to making mobility safer for everyone who uses the roads.
