Indian Prime Minister Modi and German Chancellor Angela Merkel visited Bosch facilities in Bangalore

Strong Indo-German ties

Investment of INR 650 crores (100 million euros) in 2015

• Merkel and Modi gain insights into Bosch’s research and vocational training activities in India
• Indian engineers contribute to Bosch’s activities in data mining and smart manufacturing
• Smart manufacturing to be an integral part of all 14 Bosch plants in India by 2018
• Since it was set up in 1961, the Bosch Vocational Center (BVC) has trained some 2,500 apprentices

Bangalore, 6-10-2015 — /EuropaWire/ — On October 6, 2015, the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the German Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel visited the facilities of Bosch in Bangalore. The visit is part of the chancellor’s three-day state visit to India, which focuses on innovation and technology, as well as skill development. At Bosch, the high-level delegation found out about the company’s research, engineering, and vocational education activities in India. “Our commitment to developing talent and the competence of our local engineers are part of our success story in India,” said Peter Tyroller, the member of the Bosch board of management responsible for Asia Pacific. He emphasized the significant contribution that Indian engineers have made to Bosch’s success story in India, as well as to their current importance for the company’s worldwide activities in many strategic areas such as data mining and smart manufacturing. “India is a key location in our global innovation network. To further strengthen our presence in the country, we plan to invest INR 650 crores (over 100 million euros) in 2015,” Tyroller added. The company recently opened a new site for the manufacturing of automotive components in Bidadi.

Over the medium and long-term, the company expects to see positive development in India. “The Indian government is systematically addressing key issues. We are confident that this will positively impact the country’s development,” said Dr. Steffen Berns, president of the Bosch Group in India. “Especially in areas such as mobility, infrastructure, industry, energy and security, there are many opportunities for our products and solutions,” Berns said.

Bosch implements smart manufacturing in India
The company also sees possibilities in India in the field of connected industry, or “Industry 4.0”. Bosch is a leading global provider and exponent of connected industry. The supplier of technology and services offers a broad range of solutions such as drives, automation, sensors, software, and predictive maintenance. “By 2018, we aim to implement connected production in all our 14 manufacturing locations across the country,” Berns said during the delegation’s visit. Industry 4.0 is already reality at several Bosch plants in India: In Bangalore, the company uses real-time data to shorten throughput times for the calibration of pumps for tractors. The location also provides associates with smartwatches that promptly notify them of a machine malfunction. Thanks to real-time monitoring, manufacturing downtimes can be prevented and productivity improved.

Outstanding competence of Bosch India’s software engineers
Bosch’s largest development center outside Germany is located in Bangalore and Coimbatore in southern India, and has over 12,000 research and development associates. One of the center’s areas of focus is on developing solutions for connected industry. Since 2014, the development center in Bangalore has also been focusing on big data analytics. One application example of data analytics is the “e-call modeling.” This estimates the probability of injury severity based on real-time vehicle, accident, and environment information. This information can be used by emergency service providers to prioritize the type of ambulance service needed to reach an accident location. To develop the solution, data-mining techniques were used to analyze automobile accident data collected by various government agencies.

Another innovation developed by the Bangalore-based development center is a compact retina camera. Its special software can detect medical conditions such as cataracts at an early stage. This light and cost-effective eye diagnostic tool was specifically designed to meet the needs of the Indian market, but can equally well be used in other, similar regions. In emerging markets such as India, Bosch focuses on products and solutions which are tailored to the local market. “We develop innovative solutions in India which are used in products around the world,” Steffen Berns said.

High demand for skills development in India
With 29,000 associates across India, Bosch is an important employer in the country. In 1961, Bosch brought the dual education approach to India and opened the Bosch Vocational Center (BVC) in Bangalore. Since it was founded in 1961, the BVC has trained over 2,500 apprentices in nine trades. On their tour of the Bosch vocational training center, Chancellor Merkel and Prime Minister Modi were given insights into the Bosch Group’s activities in vocational training, and in particular how it trains young people in India for technical trades. The BVC is recognized by the Indian government’s National Council for Vocational Training, and has received the Indian president’s “Best Establishment” award 50 times.

Video material:
India
Industry 4.0 at Bosch
Virtual depiction of a supply chain
Analyzing big data in manufacturing
Training opportunities at Bosch
Apprentice mechanics – theory lesson

Contact person for press inquiries:
Agnes Grill, phone: +49 711 811-38140

The Bosch Group is a leading global supplier of technology and services. It employs roughly 360,000 associates worldwide (as per April 1, 2015). The company generated sales of 49 billion euros in 2014.* Its operations are divided into four business sectors: Mobility Solutions, Industrial Technology, Consumer Goods, and Energy and Building Technology. The Bosch Group comprises Robert Bosch GmbH and its roughly 440 subsidiary and regional companies in some 60 countries. Including its sales and service partners, Bosch is represented in roughly 150 countries. This worldwide development, manufacturing, and sales network is the foundation for further growth. In 2014, Bosch applied for some 4,600 patents worldwide. The Bosch Group’s strategic objective is to create solutions for a connected life. Bosch improves quality of life worldwide with products and services that are innovative and spark enthusiasm. In short, Bosch creates technology that is “Invented for life.”

The company was set up in Stuttgart in 1886 by Robert Bosch (1861-1942) as “Workshop for Precision Mechanics and Electrical Engineering.” The special ownership structure of Robert Bosch GmbH guarantees the entrepreneurial freedom of the Bosch Group, making it possible for the company to plan over the long term and to undertake significant up-front investments in the safeguarding of its future. Ninety-two percent of the share capital of Robert Bosch GmbH is held by Robert Bosch Stiftung GmbH, a charitable foundation. The majority of voting rights are held by Robert Bosch Industrietreuhand KG, an industrial trust. The entrepreneurial ownership functions are carried out by the trust. The remaining shares are held by the Bosch family and by Robert Bosch GmbH.

Additional information is available online at www.bosch.com and www.bosch-press.com, http://twitter.com/BoschPresse.

*The sales figure disclosed for 2014 does not include the former joint ventures BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgeräte GmbH (now BSH Hausgeräte GmbH) and ZF Lenksysteme GmbH (now Robert Bosch Automotive Steering GmbH), which have since been taken over completely.

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German Chancellor Merkel and Indian Prime Minister Modi visited the facilities of Bosch in Bangalore on October 6. By two apprentices at Bosch in India, they were presented a lion which symbolizes the “Make in India” initiative of the Indian government.