Bosch to invest Rs.300 crore for capacity expansion

Bangalore, May 3 (IANS) Global supplier of automotive and industrial products and services Bosch group would invest Rs.300 crore to expand production capacity and headcount in its Nasik plant in Maharashtra, the German major said Thursday.

As part of the Rs.2,200-crore investment, the German major planned for its India operations. The capacity expansion is aimed at meeting rising demand for its advanced diesel injection equipment, common rail injection systems and nozzle holders.

"We are investing in the Nasik plant to enhance production space by 35,000 square meters to meet the expansion plan. In addition, we plan to hire about 400 people in different areas of work," Bosch vice-president (commercial) Gopikumar said in a statement here.

The company has also committed to protect environment with green technology and products.

"We have taken up several social initiatives in areas of education, healthcare, environment and community development to improve the quality of our employees and their families. We have also adopted Dubeywadi village to provide socio-economic benefits," Gopikumar observed.

The $67-billion (euro 51-billion) Bosch group comprises Robert Bosch GmbH and over 350 subsidiaries and regional firms across 60 countries the world over and employs about 300,000 people.

Bosch spent $5.3 billion (euro 4 billion) for research and development (R&D) in 2011 and applied for about 4,100 patents worldwide to enhance quality of life by providing solutions, which are both innovative and beneficial," Gopikumar added.

The Rs.11,300-crore ($2.17 billion) operates six firms in the Indian sub-continent with 13 manufacturing sites and seven development and application centres and employs around 25,000 people.