Kolkata, India – The 100 years’ journey of Bosch India of sparking innovation is encapsulated in the Spark.NXT insignia which was unveiled to commemorate the centenary. Spark.NXT signifies the spirit that propels the organization forward and embodies the vision of innovation, sustainability and future-readiness.
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 first sales agency with Illies & Co. From these humble beginnings, it now encompasses 16 manufacturing sites and 7 development and application centers, employing close to 30,500 associates, and has been ‘Making in India’ since 1953.
Speaking on the occassion, Mr. Soumitra Bhattacharya, Managing Director, Bosch Limited & President, Bosch Group in India said, “The hallmark of Bosch’s success in India are its values and purpose. It is rare for a corporate to realize 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”.
Earlier this year, Bosch India inaugurated its 76-acre Spark. NXT campus with an investment of INR 800 crores with inhouse developed smart and sustainable solutions that are ‘Invented for life’ and supports the government’s vision for an Atmanirbhar Bharat.
Staying true to its commitment to India, Bosch has made an investment of over INR 9,000 crore in India in the last 10 years and plans to make an additional INR 2,000 crore investment by 2025-26 for building advanced automotive technologies and digital mobility solutions. With its state-of-the-art customized products and solutions, it has been at the forefront of the transformation in India’s mobility and ‘beyond-mobility’ landscape.
Additionally, sustainability is defined as a central task within the Bosch Group. In India, 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 Bosch Limited on the 14th position of 100 companies that are gearing up to tackle the responsibility challenges that face us today. To commemorate the 100 years celebrations, Bosch India has pledged the plantation of 100,000 saplings to be completed by March 2023.
Empowering the next generation to unleash their full potential:
BRIDGE (Bosch’s Response to India’s Development and Growth through Employability Enhancement), a pioneering Bosch CSR program helps fulfilling the growing need for skilled manpower through 750 BRIDGE Centers across India. BRIDGE has trained more than 50,000 youth across several states in India via this 3-month short term program. The program has also received notable recognitions including the FICCI CSR Award and the NHRD CSR Best Practice award.
Mr. Bhaskar Bhat, Lead Independent Director, Bosch Ltd. and Chairman of Bosch Ltd. CSR committee, spoke on the 10-year completion of the BRIDGE program, “Skilling the generation which will drive the future of the country is a true representation of an organization’s participation in nation building. Bosch has remained true to its commitment which is visible through its consistent efforts over the past decades of empowering youth through its skilling initiatives transcending geographies in India".
Snapshot of Beyond Mobility Segment Performance
As a leading supplier of technology and services, Bosch in India has significantly boosted its beyond mobility business with forward-looking digital solutions built on growing infrastructure and consumer demand. The Beyond Mobility segment has helped different sectors leapfrog into the future of an intelligent and connected future.
Creating a futuristic digital ecosystem for multi-brand workshops
Bosch Automotive Aftermarket division now seeks to expand its multi brand car service centers to over 1,000 workshops. With a network strength of approximately 4,000 outlets by 2027, including the unit repair centers for diesel and electrical component service centers and 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.
Unlocking the next generation of ‘Cordless’ power tools
Bosch has helped in constructing the Modern India over the past 27 years with its dynamic range of power tools. Driven by the need for convenience among the customers, the cordless segment aims to double its turnover in this segment by 2023. Another interesting trend to note is the increasing preference among customers to buy power tools online. In line, the division has added 164 retailers to its ecommerce spectrum, bringing its total count of direct retailers to 1,600. Additionally, the launch of a strong pipeline of products will boost the division’s localization share to 30 percent in 2023.
Creating the ultimate sustainable future-fit factory experience
Having completed 48 years of successful operations in India, Bosch Rexroth is driving its focus towards meaningful customer centric ‘Now. Next and Beyond’ products & solutions as it inches towards completing half a decade. Bosch Rexroth—as 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 localization, digitalization, and sustainability of machines and plants while delivering best-in-class future-ready products and solutions.
Strengthening the India Commitment: Made in India for India
Building on the consumer brand love across its products in Laundry (Washing Machines) and Cooling (Refrigeration) categories, BSH recently announced the launch of the Bosch Tabletop Cooktop which marks its entry into the mass-premium segment of free-standing cooking appliances. In the last few years, BSH has significantly strengthened its manufacturing capacity in India and is aiming for 75 percent localization by 2025. The company has also concentrated its efforts towards R&D to ensure that its products are attuned to the needs of Indian consumers under its impressive focus towards the ‘Made-in-India’ scheme.
Accelerating Next Gen 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 in the transportation vertical with Integrated solutions across Security, Safety and Communication domains.
Providing digital support to bring seamless synergy in software and hardware
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 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.
“Staying true to our purpose of Invented for Life, we foster innovation that spark enthusiasm and offer our customers the best solution. 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 localized 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” said, Mr. Soumitra Bhattacharya, Managing Director, Bosch Limited & President, Bosch Group in India.
