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German auto parts maker Bosch Group is setting up a plant in India to make white goods.
The company also plans to increase revenues from its engineering centre in the country as part of a strategy to expand its non-automotive business.
Bosch and Siemens Home Appliances Group, a joint venture between Robert Bosch GmbH and Siemens AG, will set up the plant in Tamil Nadu which will be commissioned this year.
“We will start manufacturing all the products in this plant which we currently import,” said V Ranjith Nair, head-business development at Bosch-Siemens.
Bosch and Siemens market similar products in India, but their brands are positioned differently.
Bosch is marketed as a mass premium brand, while Siemens is sold in the super premium category.
The range of refrigerators and washing machines under the Bosch brand will be expanded and there is a possibility of the company getting into more categories in the white goods’ segment, he added.
Focus on engineering Besides, Robert Bosch Engineering and Business Solutions, another group company that offers engineering and IT solutions, plans to grow its business from non-Bosch clients from 5 per cent to 18-20 per cent in five years. Most of the business will come from business application and engineering solutions, said company officials. Vijay Ratnaparkhe, President and Managing Director of the company, said innovation in software has reduced the cost or production. The company has four development centres, including one in India (Bangalore), and has about 14,500 employees. The executives were speaking at a media event organised by the group in Bangalore.
Bosch’s head for strategy, merger and acquisitions and new businesses, Harsha Ramesh Angeri, said the company has launched a locally-developed eye-care solution in India.
Vision screening The new eye screening and detection system, a compact hand-held fundus camera, is designed to respond to the shortage of eye-care specialists and the high demand for vision screening in the country.
Steffen Berns, President of the Bosch Group, said the last two months have seen a pick-up in the automotive sector, but overall, it has been a mixed bag.
“We are optimistic about the sector, but we are on a wait-and-watch mode.”
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