Air conditioning major Daikin India, a 100% subsidiary of Japan’s Daikin Industries, is planning to set up its first R&D centre by July this year and its second plant to further integrate with its existing factory at Neemrana in Rajasthan.
While it will invest R100 crore in the R&D centre, around R400 crore will be pumped in to fund expansion plans over the next one to two years. So far, Daikin has invested R1,100 crore in India.
“India consists of various weather patterns across the length of the country, so the air-conditioning is different for different geographies. To enable local customisation and capture local data, this R&D center is being proposed.” Kanwaljeet Jawa, managing director, Daikin India, said, adding that “Rajasthan offers benefits like – easy access to labor, developed infrastructure, peaceful law and order and easy access to the rest of the country.”
As of now Daikin Japan’s Technology and Innovation Centre (TIC) at Osaka will continue to be the mother R&D hub, the India centre will support and develop products that will cater to domestic needs and map products for other SAARC countries, besides providing impetus to our exports, the MD said.
At present, Neemrana plant is exporting to Sri Lanka and Nepal and the company is looking at exporting to Middle East and Africa this year.
On how the company is going to compete with its competitors like Voltas, Samsung, Mitsubishi, Panasonic, Carrier & Blue star, the MD said that the company is committed to deliver environment-friendly products with cutting edge technology that offer goodness in terms of comfort, performance, and energy saving.
“Strong dealership/channel partners with credible competencies and best after-sales services will give us an edge over our competitors. Daikin is keen to expand manufacturing facility, leverage economies of scale to offer better products at affordable prices and create awareness for its brand via high decibel marketing and communication campaign for all sections of the consumer pyramid. And we are the only company in the world that makes refrigerant, compressors & air-conditioners. Our 90 years of experience, R&D is a testament to the fact that we are now the World’s No 1 AC company,” Jawa said.
(Travel for this report was sponsored by Daikin)
