Marquardt bets big on India: opens global R&D centre in Pune, plans new plant

Marquardt India, the leading manufacturer of electromechanical and electronic switches and switching systems for automobiles and other sectors, opened its global R&D centre in Pune today. The centre with skilled engineers is well equipped to cater to the demands of global and local automotive customers. Dr. Harald Marquardt, CEO of the Marquardt Group, and Vishal Narvekar, Managing Director of Marquardt India, inaugurated the new facility.

The company has invested more than Rs 100 crore in the new R&D facility, which is spread across 300,000 square feet and is located in Hinjewadi Phase 3, Pune. More than 450 highly-skilled engineers in the automotive domain will cater to global and local automotive customers for the Marquardt Group. The team develops solutions for electrically driven vehicles, as well as entry and authorisation systems and human machine interfaces for cars, trucks and off-road vehicles.

Solutions for EVs and BMS assembly in India
Along with its traditional business, Marquardt India intends to launch a completely 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 future prospects in electrically powered two-wheelers and off-road vehicles

India: a key market for Marquardt
Speaking at the inauguration of the R&D centre, Dr. Harald Marquardt said, “We are celebrating a very special premiere in the 97-year history of the Marquardt Group: 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.”

He added, “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. With our clients at the centre of all we do, we will continue developing industry-leading products and services to meet their highest demands. Our investment in India is a clear and everlasting commitment to the country”.

New plant coming up in Talegaon
Dr Marquardt continued: “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 5 acres, we will accommodate production and electronics manufacturing as well as logistics, training rooms and a nice staff restaurant. We will create several hundred more jobs. Above all, we will be even closer to our customers, offer them greater added value and continue to grow”.

Vishal Narvekar, MD, Marquardt India said, “Our new R&D Centre in Pune will enable us to harness modern technology to produce products of the future. For us, this is much more than just a new facility. It is a true milestone in the Marquardt Group's decades of successful development in India. With our investments in the new R&D center 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”.

Marquardt India, which adheres to global quality standards for products and services, has a broad capability to develop highly complex mechatronics products with Autosar and model-based software that meet the highest functional safety and advanced cyber security standards. Apart from India, the company has R&D centres in the United States, Germany, Romania and China.

The Germany-based Marquardt Group is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of electromechanical and electronic switches and switching systems. The products of the mechatronics expert are used by many global automotive majors and include operating components, vehicle access, driver authorization systems and battery management systems. The Marquardt Group employs around 10,200 personnel worldwide at 21 locations in four continents. The company generated sales revenue of 1.3 billion euros (Rs 11,262 crore) in fiscal year 2021. Each year, Marquardt invests around 10 percent of its revenues in research and development.