Motor Industries Company Limited (Mico), the flagship of the Bosch Group in India, will be re-christened as Bosch Limited. Also to be renamed is Robert Bosch India Limited, which focuses on development and services, to Robert Bosch Engineering and Business Solutions Limited. Bosch will also invest a total of Rs 2,650 crore in India by 2010, including an earlier announced investment of Rs 1,800 crore (2005-08), for the expansion of common rail diesel production, manufacturing of gasoline systems components, electronic control units, and local ABS anti-lock braking system. ?In future, all the subsidiaries in India will bear the Bosch name,? indicated Bernd Bohr, chairman of the Bosch Automotive Group.
A decision on this is awaiting the approval of the company?s shareholders and the authorities. However, Bosch plans to continue using the Mico brand for their well-established products for the automotive aftermarket.
?As much as we are keen to promote awareness of the Bosch name in India, Mico remains a valuable brand for us. It is so well established in the local market that we will continue to use it – particularly for our well-established products for the automotive aftermarket,? Bohr explained. Apart from standardising the companies? names, there are changes taking place at the top level as well.
Albert Hieronimus, who led Mico for the last four years, will be moving out and will be replaced by VK Viswanathan, currently the joint managing director and member of the board of directors at Mico, as the new managing director of the re-christened company – Bosch Limited with effect from February 1, 2008.
Hieronimus will be appointed as the chairman of the board of management of Bosch Rexroth AG and will also head the board of directors of Bosch Limited.
?We plan to set up an ABS production facility at Bosch Chassis System India Limited plant at Pune,? said a senior official. The facility will roll out in late 2008. Currently, in India only 8% of the cars have the ABS system.?We expect this figure to double by 2012. And Bosch is preparing for this,? said Bohr.