Bosch to invest Rs 1800 cr in India

COIMBATORE: Germany-based Bosch will invest e325 mn (Rs 1800 cr) in India during 2005-2008 and would make efforts to develop new products, a top executive of the company said today.

The company is expecting 25 per cent of its revenue to come from the Asia Pacific region by 2015 and India is expected to contribute a major share of the total sales, currently at 730 million Euros (Rs 4000 crore), Franz Fehrenbach, Chairman, Robert Bosch GmbH, said here.

Speaking at the inauguration of the Coimbatore facility of Robert Bosch, India, Fehrenbach said the company is investing three billion Euros, amounting to 7.4 per cent of total sales, for R and D and would continue to invest on research on a consistent basis.

Saying that Bosch is investing 2.5 billion Euros, about 10 per cent of the total sales, in automotive technology, he said this investment was above the industry average.

In his address, Friedhelm Pickhard, Managing Director, Robert Bosch India, said the Coimbatore facility would handle services in automotive applications, industrial automation, mechanical engineering and shared services area.

With four facilities in Bangalore, the Coimbatore facility would have a capacity of 125 associates, which would be increased to 2500 associates in the coming years, Pickhard said.