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MOTORINDIA
l
February 2012
105
commissioned for ramping up pro-
duction. The company is also con-
structing a new plant in Ahmedabad.
With a floor area of 37,000 sqm the
plant is expected to be functional by
the first quarter of 2012. This facil-
ity will produce hydraulic valves,
power units and control blocks as
well as cylinders.
Technology focus
On the tech-
nology front,
Bosch experts
in India are
set to assume
w o r l d w i d e
responsibility
in the area of
software en-
gineering sup-
port for elec-
tronic control
units (ECUs).
Their devel-
opment work
will focus on
ECU for ve-
hicles
with
conventional
d r i v e t r a i n
technologies
as well as hy-
brid and elec-
tric vehicles.
More
than
800 engineers
in Bangalore
and
Coim-
batore have
already been
recruited pri-
marily for this
task.
In the past
year, Bosch
in India has also been successful in
working on fuel economy technolo-
gies that are relevant for India and
other emerging markets. Technolo-
gies such as the Value-Motronic en-
gine management platform, which
was developed for emerging mar-
kets in co-operation with Indian en-
gineers, have also had a positive in-
fluence on the Bosch Group’s global
development processes.
Significant amount of work is
being implemented in the field of
safety systems. By 2015 90 per
cent of all new vehicles worldwide
will be fitted with antilock brak-
ing system (ABS). In India, ABS is
currently featured in about 13 per
cent of locally sold vehicles. With
capability to support OEMs’ needs
for ABS, Bosch in India produces
some 300,000 systems per year at
its Chakan facility. These are used
for passenger cars, SUVs and UVs.
In addition, Bosch also offers an af-
fordable ABS for two-wheelers in
India.
Commenting on the investment
plans for Bosch in India, Dr. Bohr
observed: “Despite uncertainties
due to global political and economic
developments the Indian economy
has continued to develop strongly
and is expected to see steady growth.
In the automotive sector in particu-
lar, Bosch expects the number of
cars per 1,000 inhabitants in India
to rise to 35 by 2025, up from 12 at
present. This year alone, automotive
production in India is set to grow
about 11 per cent. In contrast, the
number of vehicles produced glo-
bally is expected to increase by 3 to
5 per cent in 2012. In the backdrop
of such developments, Bosch would
like to contribute and be part of the
India growth story. This investment,
along with plans for expansion and
development of new technologies, is
testimony to our commitment to the
Indian market.”
In 2010 Bosch Group sales in In-
dia stood at Rs. 9,270 crores. As per
preliminary figures, sales is expected
to touch Rs. 11,000 crores in 2011
products & Components
“Indeed, our joint efforts with Indian engineers
have provided us with valuable insights into how
Bosch technologies can be made more cost-effective
across the board. Making Bosch automotive prod-
ucts accessible and affordable everywhere is one of
our central aims, and we see our India team con-
tributing significantly on this front. ”
– Dr. Bernd Bohr