US-based automation giant, Rockwell Automation, is seeing India as an important manufacturing destination and expanding its presence here. The company has started constructing a new factory in Chennai that it will commission in two phases. This move is in sync with Rockwell’s drive to exploit the country’s strength in IT and software by further augmenting its existing software development operations in the region.
Scott Wooldridge, president, Asia Pacific operations for Rockwell, noted that India increasingly will become important to Rockwell both in software as well as in manufacturing. With the Chennai facility, Rockwell is advancing its effort to increase its factory footprint in India, which has been under way for nearly two years. The facility will eventually employ around 230 people. Production is scheduled to be launched in May 2025. This decision aligns with the trend of global companies following a “China plus one” strategy diversifying supply chains and lessening dependence on China.
Wooldridge added that, besides manufacturing, the company will remain focused on research and development in India, contributing to Rockwell’s global operations. India is also home to the company’s largest employee base outside the US, with over 4,000 employees, up from 1,000 four years ago.
Rockwell’s operations are spread across several cities in India, including Delhi, Pune, and Bengaluru, with continued expansions at these locations. Besides its direct manufacturing entry, the company has been partnering with major Indian manufacturers, such as Mahindra, Tata Group, Apollo Tyres, and MRF, for a long time.
The first phase of the Chennai plant will be focused on the semiconductor sector, and the second phase will be focused on the growing data center industry, capitalizing on India’s expanding digital infrastructure. Rockwell does not manufacture data centers but produces essential components used in them and tools for semiconductor fabrication plants.
Rockwell sees manufacturing in the Indian economy as crucial for India’s growth and thus hopes to see the contribution of manufacturing to the country’s GDP increase from 15% to 20%. The company also looks to serve India’s sustainability goals, particularly in solar energy, electric vehicles, and water management systems, which the nation will need for its rapid urbanization.
