Mann+Hummel ropes in Bosch for India foray

The Mann+Hummel group, a Euro 1.38 billion manufacturer of automotive components on Thursday announced the commencement of its India operations.

The German firm's Indian joint venture with Bosch group has set up a manufacturing plant in Tumkur, about 79 km from Bangalore.

Mann and Hummel Filter Private Limited concentrates on selling Mann-Filter products to automotive and industrial aftermarket, as well as Indian OEM business and in all other fields of activity of the Mann+Hummel group.

In July, the production of filter elements for the automotive and industrial aftermarket started. The Tumkur plant will house up to 250 employees in the coming months, the company said.

The plant, which will be inaugurated on Friday, will develop and manufacture oil, fuel, air and cabin filter components as well as oil and fuel spin-on filters for the Indian automotive and industrial sectors.

The plant, which will cater to the demands of the Indian market, will provide optimum support for applications and original equipment in the rapidly expanding local automotive industry.

The expansion of the Indian business is an important milestone in the group's strategic activities. Mann+Hummel, development partner and original equipment supplier to the international automotive and mechanical engineering industries, is focusing its attention on consistent internationalisation and globalisation in order to strengthen its worldwide competitiveness and market access.

Mann+Hummel's global strategy includes Asia as its third support column in addition to Europe and America. Together with China, Japan and Korea, India plays an important role in the Asian strategy of the company.

"India is already the fourth largest automotive market in Asia, with continuing strong upward trends," said Peter Wink, managing director of Mann+Hummel India.

Mann-Filter is the Mann+Hummel brand name for the independent automotive and industrial aftermarket. Its product range includes fuel, oil, air and cabin filters, as well as air drying boxes.

Mann+Hummel established a sales office near Bangalore in 2003 to promote sales in India, supplying to original equipment customers as well as to the aftermarket.

The company then intensified its activities in India by establishing a 100 per cent subsidiary, Mann and Hummel Filter Private Limited in 2005. In addition, Mann+Hummel together with the Bosch group established a joint venture in Tumkur in 2005.

Robert Bosch Investment Nederland BV and the Indian subsidiary of the Bosch group, Motor Industries Company Ltd (MICO), each hold 25 per cent of the shares, with the other 50 per cent held by Mann and Hummel Filter Private Limited.