Harman International (India) Pvt. Ltd., the premium audio and infotainment group, has recently announced the official launch and inauguration of its first manufacturing plant in India.
The plant is located in the Chakan industrial area in Pune. With a production capacity of 400,000 car sets per annum, this state-of-the-art facility will deliver cutting edge infotainment and audio solutions for its OEM partners in the country and will work closely with them to bring the ‘connected car' experience to more people. The plant has been made operational in a record time of less than a year since the ground breaking ceremony.
In line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ‘Make in India' vision, Harman places a large emphasis on localization, which allows it not only to customize solutions exclusively for the Indian market, but also optimise costs to meet the market requirements. A prime example of this is the Tata Zest, which is the first car on Indian roads to have an infotainment system designed by Harman in India*
"Harman's investment in this new manufacturing plant represents the potential we see in the India market and our long-term commitment to our local partners," said Dinesh C. Paliwal, Harman Chairman, President and CEO. He further added, "Consumers are demanding greater connectivity, from the car to the home to the enterprise and everywhere in between.
"Harman technologies drive this seamless connectivity, designing acoustics and infotainment systems that enhance the driving experience and enable greater safety and security on the road. We are excited to expand our presence in India and eager to tap into the tremendous engineering, production and design talent in country to help Harman develop next generation automotive solutions that benefit drivers around the world."
Located in Pune, the plant has the advantage of being close to a large base of automotive OEMs. The first phase of the manufacturing facility will focus on production of next generation audio and infotainment systems for Tata, Fiat and Volkswagen projects.
In the subsequent phases, the company would like the facility to cater to its other business units as well - Professional and Lifestyle Audio. At present, Harman has a manufacturing facility in China and another one in the pipeline in Brazil.
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