Bosch chanting clean, affordable mantra in India
India was one of the better performers for German auto component giant Bosch in 2009 when the global recession pulled its numbers down significantly. No wonder Bosch has earmarked Rs 2,000 crore worth of investment for India.
In line with this development, Bosch Limited is planning to introduce new varieties in starters, generators and fuel injection systems under the company’s portfolio of products.
Speaking to Deccan Herald, Joint Managing Director Manfred Duernholz said the company has realised the potential of India and is busy churning out newer processes and developing technologies specifically for the Indian market.
These will be clean and affordable technologies that will be accepted by the end customer, he adds noting that Bosch is aiming for technologies that will comply with emission norms in 2015-16.
Cost is a very critical aspect in India and ‘quality’ at Bosch. So the challenge is to create –– a value for money product/technology –– something that is of best quality at an affordable price, he said.
Riding on the success of their common-rail injection system for low-priced vehicles (LPV), also to be used in the diesel version of Tata’s Nano and being the only company manufacturing anti-lock braking systems (ABS) in the country, Bosch is already in the forefront of innovation in its field.
Taking this further, Duernholz says that India will see more from Bosch in the fields of tractors and trucks among other segments.
“India is the largest manufacturer of tractors in the world and we see a huge potential in this segment. And with emission norms only going to get tougher we are working on technologies that the end customer can afford and utilise,” he observed.
On specific projects, he said, “our focus is clearly in the direction of cleaner technologies, as that it is the need of the hour.” We are working on enhancing the levels of fuel consumption, faster combustion levels and after treatment processes for tractor segment, he said adding in the truck segment they have a dedicated workforce developing cleaner systems.
Further, he notes that developments from India will also be used in markets that are similar in nature, and that India can well become the hub for Bosch with respect to countries like Bangaldesh, Africa et al.
