The international automotive supplier Brose officially opened its first manufacturing plant in India. The 100% family owned company boasts of a 2300 sq. mt. facility in Hinjewadi, Pune. The plant here will be producing Window Regulators in the first year and has a capacity to produce two million units a year. By September this year, the plant will also be producing manual seat height adjusters and in the medium term the plan is to manufacture and supply the entire product portfolio locally.
The company has already invested 3.5 Euros in their India plant so far and are looking out for space to expand so that they are closer to OEM's in India. Brose provides the Volkswagen group with its products in the European market and there is a wide possibility that this may continue in India as well. When asked about its tie-ups in India Surinder Chauhan, Plant Manager, says that they have approached companies like Tata’s and Mahindra’s but did not disclose the final verdict.
The factory and development centre in Pune too was a strategic decision as the company is then close to most of the OEMs in India. Brose also looks at Pune as a knowledge base and plans to recruit and train students from the city. The company plans to employ more people and extend its division from the current 85 employees to 150.
The company already has a R& D facility in Germany. When asked if the Indian engineers would have a say in the development of a product, Peter Gresch, Vice-President Development and Electronics, Brose Group, said that the Indian engineers will be working hand-in-hand with the ones in Germany and will certainly have the freedom to innovate.
With a 300 million Euros to invest in their venture in Asia, the Brose Group will be opening an R&D in Shanghai and are looking forward to a Joint Venture in Korea. Incorporated in 2006, the company's expansion plans puts them on the radar when it comes to the OEMs in India.
