ABB sets up $50 mn automation products unit in B'lore

ABB, a power and automation technologies provider, today announced the setting up of a greenfield manufacturing plant at Nelamangala near Bangalore to manufacture automation products.

With this plant, ABB will expand capacity to meet the needs of the future in the country and cater to export markets in Africa and South East Asia. Spread over 18 acres, the factory will manufacture products such as air circuit breakers, switch fuse units, moulded case circuit breakers, low and medium voltage drives and systems, high power rectifiers, static excitation systems and main and auxiliary traction converters among others.

The company has invested $50 million for setting up the new factory. The new facility was inaugurated today by Swiss Ambassador to India, Philippe Welti and Tom Sjoekvist, head of autiomation products division for ABB Group and Biplab Majumder, country manager of ABB in India. ABB has also set up a 'demo room' showcasing a wide array of ABB products in this facility. The new plant will help ABB generate an additional revenue of close to $100 million in the automation products business this year, Sjoekvist said.

"The new production facility will help significantly increase ABB's production capacity in India and enhance the company's footprint in the region while catering to growing demand for intelligent automation products in the Indian and overseas markets," he said.

Commending ABB's growth in the last 6-7 years, he noted that the virtual debt-free status and a healthy order backlog would help ABB tide over the global economic crisis. "Improving energy efficiency and focus on renewable energy were key factors in adding value," he said.