Bosch’s centenary year celebration draws to a close, going back to its roots in Kolkata, where it all began in 1922 with the setting up of its first sales agency with Illies & Co. From then on, it grew to the present, where it now encompasses 16 manufacturing sites and seven development and application centres, employing close to 30,500 associates, and has been ‘Making in India’ since 1953.
The company's 100-year journey, encapsulated in the Spark.NXT insignia, was unveiled last June to commemorate the centenary. It signifies the spirit that propels the organisation forward and embodies the vision of innovation, sustainability and future readiness. Developed at an investment of INR 800 crore in a 76-acre plot, Spark.NXT campus has several in-house developed smart and sustainable solutions that are ‘Invented for life’ and support the Government’s vision for an Atmanirbhar Bharat.
Soumitra Bhattacharya, Managing Director, Bosch Limited & President, Bosch Group in India, said, “The hallmark of Bosch’s success in India is its values and purpose. It is rare for a corporate to realise a unique milestone marking a centenary in a country. We celebrated the transition and transformation journey with “Inclusivity” and “purpose” as its core essence. Today’s ‘Back to our Roots’ event in Kolkata marks the end of this commemorative year and it is also a testament to our commitment in further strengthening our foothold in India.”
The company has invested over INR 9,000 crore in the country in the last ten years. It plans to make an additional INR 2,000 crore investment by 2025-26 for building advanced automotive technologies and digital mobility solutions. Its state-of-the-art customised products and solutions have been at the forefront of the transformation in India’s mobility and ‘beyond-mobility’ landscape.
According to a press release from the company, Bosch Limited became one of the few companies to become Carbon Neutral under Scopes 1 and 2 in 2020. Recently, Futurescape’s 9th edition of the Responsible Business Rankings ranked the company the 14th of 100 companies that are gearing up to tackle the responsibility challenges that face us today. To commemorate the 100 years celebrations, the organisation has pledged the plantation of 100,000 saplings to be completed by March 2023.
Empowering NextGen
BRIDGE (Bosch’s Response to India’s Development and Growth through Employability Enhancement), a CSR programme, helps to fulfil the growing need for skilled workforce through 750 BRIDGE Centers across India. It has trained more than 50,000 youth across several States in the country through the 3-month short-term programme, the release said.
Multi-brand Workshops
Bosch Automotive Aftermarket division plans to expand its multi-brand car service centres to over 1,000 workshops. With a network strength of approximately 4,000 outlets by 2027, including the unit repair centres for diesel and electrical component service centres and the need-of-the-market 2-wheeler service concept, Bosch Service Workshops are positioned to be the most accessible and reliable outlets for automotive repair and maintenance.
Future-fit Factory
Having completed 48 years of operations in India, Bosch Rexroth is driving its focus towards customer-centric ‘Now. Next and Beyond’ products and solutions as it inches towards completing half a decade. The company, a pioneer in hydraulics, is driving the vision of ‘the factory of the future’ on the back of strong IoT expertise, simultaneously focusing its efforts on localisation, digitalisation, and sustainability of machines and plants while delivering best-in-class future-ready products and solutions.
Connected Experiences
In the field of safety, security and communications, Bosch is operating in a very exciting and dynamic market environment while simultaneously launching 'Local for Local' products alongside bringing the global portfolio to the Indian market. Bosch’s Building Technologies is expanding its portfolio of solutions to the Commercial and Healthcare verticals while further penetrating the transportation vertical with Integrated solutions across Security, Safety and Communication domains.
Digital Support
Established in 1997, Bosch Global Software Technologies (BGSW) is the largest software and technology centre for Bosch outside Germany and is a powerhouse of technology and innovation, playing a significant role in the company’s global R&D network. Headquartered in Bengaluru, BGSW has cemented its innovation footprint in Coimbatore, Pune, and Hyderabad facilities this year. BGSW applies cutting-edge software techniques to solve some of the most challenging problems across domains such as mobility, manufacturing, sustainability, and consumer goods.
Bhattacharya said, “While Bosch India is known for taking a leading role in shaping the new era of mobility in the country, our prowess extends to beyond mobility segments. Bosch has set new benchmarks in innovation led localised manufacturing making us truly made in India. Bosch India firmly has its gaze on the future and will continue to invest in the development of technologies for a sustainable future.”
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