In a bid to cater to the demands of global and local automotive customers, a leading manufacturer of electromechanical and electronic switches and switching systems for automobiles and other sectors, Marquardt India on Tuesday opened its global R&D centre in Pune.
Dr Harald Marquardt, CEO, Marquardt Group, and Vishal Narvekar, Managing Director, Marquardt India, inaugurated the centre.
Apart from India, the company has R&D centres in the United States, Germany, Romania and China.
Dr Marquardt said, “We are celebrating a very special premiere in the 97-year history of the Marquardt company; never before have we set two such major milestones in one country in just one week, as we inaugurate our new R&D centre today and tomorrow we will do the groundbreaking ceremony of Marquardt India’s production plant at Talegaon. India is a very significant market for the Marquardt group and we have been working hard to develop our presence here. With this cutting-edge facility, we will increase our competitiveness and R&D capabilities not only in the Indian market, but also globally.”
“Tomorrow we will start the next construction project in India: At Talegaon, we are investing in a state-of-the-art plant that will be completed as early as mid-2024. On a total area of more than five acres, we will accommodate production and electronics manufacturing as well as logistics, training rooms and a nice staff restaurant. We will be even closer to our customers, offer them greater added value and continue to grow”.
The company has invested more than INR 100 crore in the new R&D facility, which is spread across approximately 300,000 square feet. The team develops solutions for electrically driven vehicles, entry and authorisation systems and human-machine interfaces for cars, trucks and off-road vehicles.
Narvekar said, “The new dedicated building will enable us to harness modern technology to produce products of the future. For us, the new R&D Center in Pune is much more than just a new facility. With our investments in the new R&D centre and state-of-the-art plant, we will be able to create more employment opportunities in India. We currently employ over 450 people and have space for more than double the number at our new R&D centre in Pune”.
Solutions For EVs
Along with its traditional business, the company intends to launch a new product area for its Indian operations. It will be developing the assembly of battery management systems for electrically powered vehicles at the new R&D centre, which is now one of the largest projects in the Marquardt world.
In addition to the automotive business, Marquardt India anticipates significant prospects in electrically powered two-wheelers and off-road vehicles.
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