OBO Bettermann, Germany-based electrical support infrastructure company, is planning to invest Rs 150 crore in setting up a manufacturing facility at Oragadam, near Chennai.

Mr S. Gopa Kumar, Managing Director, OBO Bettermann India (100 per cent subsidiary of the German parent), told Business Line the investment would happen in two phases.

The company has acquired a five-acre parcel of land opposite to the Renault Nissan plant at Oragadam, he said.

The proposed facility will manufacture metal-based electrical and data cable support systems for the growing domestic and other Asian markets. OBO Bettermann is a €400-million family-run company manufacturing electrical infrastructure such as connection and fastening systems, transient and lightning protection systems, cable support and fire protection systems and cable routing and duct systems.

Globally, the company competes with brands such as Legrand and Schneider Electric in certain segments.

According to Mr Gopa Kumar, with the kind of civil infrastructure growth the country is witnessing currently, the market size for electrical and data cable support systems should be at least Rs 1,200 crore and mostly catered to by unorganised players.

“There is no properly engineered product available here at the moment, and the current requirements are met with plain sheet-metal covers fabricated by small time fabricators,” he pointed out.

OBO Bettermann set up its marketing office in India in 2008 and has since been market seeding its products through imports.

“We are now a Rs 25-crore company, with a chunk of it coming from the lightning and electrical surge protection devices segment. However, our focus will be on cable support infrastructure products market,” said Mr Gopa Kumar.

Currently, the German major has manufacturing facilities in Germany, Hungary, Brazil and Italy.

Published on May 30, 2011