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MOTORINDIA
l
February 2012
resulting in year-on-year growth of
about 20 per cent. In terms of head
count, Bosch in India added 4,000
more associates in 2011, taking its
present associate strength to 25,000.
It is expected that it will have 32,000
associates by the end of 2013.
Bosch worldwide
Globally the Bosch Group sales
touched 50 billion euros in 2011, up
from 47.3 billion euros in 2010. In
Automotive Technology, the com-
pany expects a business volume
of 30 billion euros, compared with
28.1 billion euros in 2010. In 2011,
Bosch invested around 3.3 billion
euros for research and development
globally in automotive technology
alone.
Bosch Group’s growth in 2011
is also reflected in its global work-
force. By the end of the year, the
group headcount had grown by
15,000, taking associate numbers to
300,000. In the Automotive Group,
headcount grew by some 10,000, to
177,000.
Bosch is continuously working to
make driving cleaner, safer and more
economical. With a broad range of
technical measures, globally the
group will reduce fuel consumption
of both diesel and gasoline engines
by 30 per cent. The turbo-charging
of downsized engines is an impor-
tant example. Such technologies
comply with evertightening fuel
economy and emission standards.
Globally Bosch plans to sell some
7 million gasoline direct injection
systems in 2013, three times as many
as in 2010. Sales of its common-rail
diesel-injection systems are set to
rise from 9 million units in 2010 to
over 12 million units in 2013.
Paving the road to e-mobility
Globally Bosch invests some 400
million euros annually in e-mobility
and offers a full portfolio of prod-
ucts ranging from motors and power
electronics to auxiliary systems.
Its successful entry into the e-Bike
drives market saw it deliver 70,000
units this year. With its joint venture
for lithium-ion batteries, Bosch is
working to increase the range and
reduce the cost of this key compo-
nent. By 2013, it will be working on
21 projects for 13 automakers.
Bosch thus expects good opportu-
nities for the plug-in hybrid, whose
battery can be charged simply from
a wall socket. The all-electric range
is sufficient for day-to-day urban
trips. The company sees strong po-
tential for small evehicles, especial-
ly in megacities.
In the coming years, complex
driver assistance systems based on
radar and video sensors will make
the vision of accident-free, autono-
mous driving a reality. Bosch has
dedicated over 600 developers to de-
veloping technologies in this field.
While demand for driver assist-
ance systems and internet-based
mobility solutions is currently con-
centrated in established markets,
Bosch companies in India are mak-
ing an important contribution to de-
velopments in these areas too. With
over 8,500 associates, Robert Bosch
Engineering Services and Business
Solutions provides a full range of
software for automotive electronics
applications, and has customers in
all of the world’s major economic
regions.
In his closing words, Dr. Bohr said
that Bosch activities in India clear-
ly demonstrate the importance of
drawing on regional strengths. “Our
strong global presence has enabled
us to cope with an increasingly vola-
tile business environment. And our
deep local roots have helped us es-
tablish lasting partnerships with our
Indian customers”.
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products & Components
While a major shift towards
purely electric driving isn’t ex-
pected until the middle of the
next decade, Bosch anticipates
that transitional solutions will
gain acceptance much before.