Brose India: Representatives of the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs visit Pune site

Around 40 representatives of the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs, Bavarian SMEs and Franconian universities visited the Brose development and sales office in Pune last week to meet with company representatives and to discuss the opportunities and risks associated with the localization of German firms in India. Dr. Hans Schleicher, Head of the Minister’s Office at the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs and Technology, and Dr. Leopold-Theodor Heldman, the German Consul General in Mumbai, accompanied the delegation on their visit to the Brose site.

‘The visitors were particularly interested in intercultural collaboration and in the strategy we are pursuing for success in India,’ said Thomas Weber (Vice-President Development Standards Brose Group), following the delegation’s reception in Pune. ‘Other companies that want to establish operations in India face the same challenges as us: it is all about retaining employees over the long term.’

To achieve this, the international automotive supplier has been following its own approach for years. All new employees are sent to Germany for on-the-job training for several weeks
and receive intensive assistance from their German colleagues. The family-owned company achieves a high level of motivation in its Indian workforce by providing challenging jobs in an international working environment and by offering opportunities to take on responsibility early on. The New Brose Working World also plays a significant part in the company’s success. Staff at all sites work in an almost identical working environment that follows the same organizational models. Meetings and sporting events promote cooperation and strengthen staff loyalty.

Consul General Dr. Leopold-Theodor Heldman said, ‘I am surprised at the size and capacity of Brose, and especially at its consistent image all over the world.’

The visit also explored further opportunities for exchanging views. Prof. Jürgen Lehmann, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Bavarian-Indian Centre for Business and University Cooperation in Hof, expressed a particular interest in intensive collaboration between the Bavarian universities and Brose in India.

Brose in India

The Brose Group has had an office in Pune in India since 2006. Around 85 employees are currently developing electronics, electric motors, window regulators, seat adjusters and closure systems for the Indian market and for other sites within the Brose Group. Brose India also manages the Group’s regional procurement activities and provides IT services. The number of Brose employees in India will double in 2011 to almost 150.

In January 2011, Brose officially began operations at a facility in Pune for the production of window regulators and seat adjusters. Later this year, the company plans to purchase a plot of land to build its own plant.

Brose in Asia

As the Asian automotive market has grown rapidly over the past 15 years, the Brose Group has expanded its activities in this dynamic region. Today the company has nine sites in Asia: in China, Japan, Korea, India and Thailand, and it currently employs nearly 3,000 people in the region.