Schwing Stetter: Reinventing R&D as a Revenue Engine

In the sprawling industrial outskirts of Chennai, the research and development (R&D) division of Schwing Stetter India, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Germany’s Schwing Group, is setting an example for similar divisions in other companies. Once perceived as a cost centre – a necessary but peripheral expense in the larger scheme of things – the R&D unit has morphed into a profit centre over the past few years.

Through its Global Capability Centre (GCC), it now exports designs to affiliates in the United States and Germany, develops prototypes, and spearheads the launch of internationally market-ready products. This evolution is creating a ...