The MULTIVAC Group has inaugurated its new production facility in India after a construction phase of under two years. With an investment of approximately nine million euros, the Sales and Production complex spans 10,000 square metres and is set to commence operations in early 2024. With an initial workforce of around 60 employees, the primary objective is to enhance customer supply in India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh by leveraging regional proximity for shorter delivery times.
The industrial hub of Ghiloth, located 120 kilometres southwest of Delhi, celebrated the official opening ceremony on December 15, 2023. Ritesh Dhingra, Managing Director of MULTIVAC India, and the leadership of the MULTIVAC Group welcomed guests to mark this significant milestone. Distinguished attendees included Rajesh Nath (Managing Director of VDMA India), Dr Sapna Poti (Director Strategic Alliances, Office of Principal Scientific Adviser to the Govt. of India), representatives from the architecture firm Colliers, and delegates from the Swiss Chamber of Industry and Commerce and the German Chamber of Industry and Commerce. Selected customers and partners also graced the occasion, featuring insightful speeches from industry leaders in the bakery, dairy, sweets, and medical sectors.
Christian Traumann, CEO of the MULTIVAC Group, who inaugurated the plant along with the Group Presidents Dr Christian Lau (COO) and Dr Tobias Richter (CSO), emphasized the increasing significance of the South Asian region, stating, “The South Asian region has become increasingly important for us in recent years.” The opening of a modern facility in one of the world’s largest and fastest-growing economies represents a crucial milestone in MULTIVAC’s global expansion strategy. The company currently operates 13 other production sites worldwide, including Germany, Austria, Spain, Brazil, Bulgaria, China, Japan, and the USA, along with over 80 sales and service companies globally.
Given the rising demand for packaging machines in the fresh food sector in India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh, MULTIVAC’s new plant aims to provide enhanced packaging technology and responsive service. Christian Traumann expressed, “With our new plant in India, we will be able to provide food manufacturers as well as medical device companies with even better state-of-the-art packaging technology and responsive service thanks to our regional proximity and new production capacity – from production to installation and putting into service, through to maintenance.” The new facility, operational from the second quarter of 2024, will initially focus on assembling small fully automatic traysealers and compact thermoforming packaging machines in a production area of around 5,000 square metres. Plans for the production of mould sets and dies for packaging machines are slated for 2025. The site also includes a dedicated space for spare parts and consumable material storage, enabling faster availability for local customers.
In addition to its role as a production facility, the new plant encompasses a multifunctional building with a 5,000-square-metre area dedicated to a showroom and a training and application centre for packaging and bakery machines. Ritesh Dhingra, Managing Director of MULTIVAC India, highlighted the significance of this infrastructure, “This infrastructure offers our customers, technicians and sales staff here on site the opportunity to delve even deeper into the world of processing and packaging technology and to jointly develop and test customised solutions,”. MULTIVAC has maintained a presence in India for over a decade through its subsidiary. The joint venture established with the LARAON Group in 2009 marked a pivotal step in MULTIVAC’s internationalization strategy, facilitating entry into new markets in South Asia. Ranjan Dhingra (Chairman of the LARAON Group) and Ruchit Dhingra (Director of the LARAON Group), board members of the joint venture, were also present at the opening ceremony.