Advanced center will help the electronics industry in Pune access the latest technology, improve competitiveness and become a default destination for design-led electronics manufacturing
TÜV Rheinland, a global leader in independent technical services, has signed an agreement with the Mahratta Chamber of Commerce Industries and Agriculture’s (MCCIA) Electronic Cluster Foundation (MECF), one of the most proactive chambers in India, to promote the development of Electronic Manufacturing Clusters (EMCs) by setting up a common testing facility in Pune, India.
The new testing facility will be set up under the Brownfield Electronics Cluster scheme guidelines established by the Government of India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, (MeitY). The cluster is aimed at improving infrastructure, providing a Common Facility Centre (CFC) and boosting the electronic ecosystem of the region. The € 4.8 million project, which will follow a Public Private Partnership model, will additionally feature a design center, support for prototyping as well as a test & measurement lab and an SMT Line.
The agreement was formally exchanged between Dr. Michael Fubi, CEO, TÜV Rheinland Group and Mr. Prashant Girbane, Director General, MCCIA at TÜV Rheinland India’s headquarters in Bangalore. Also present were Wing Commander Shalak Gandhi (Retd), Managing Director, MECF and senior leaders from TÜV Rheinland, including Mr. Ralf Scheller, Group COO, Mr. Andreas Hoefer, R-EVP, APA-IMEA, Mr. Holger Kunz, B-EVP, Products, Mr. Thomas Fuhrmann, MD, TÜV Rheinland India, Mr. Kalyan Varma, Vice President & GFM, Electrical and Mr. Ravindra Kumar BS, Global Head, EMC Laboratories.
“TÜV Rheinland has been committed to supporting the manufacturing of safer, higher quality electronic products in India. This new project will take this commitment further, with 10 meter anechoic chamber in the EMI/EMC facility along with Testing & Certification and comprehensive electrical safety and reliability facilities,” said Mr. Thomas Fuhrmann, Managing Director, TÜV Rheinland India.
“We are happy to join hands with the MECF in setting up a Common Facility Centre to boost the electronic manufacturing ecosystem in Pune. And we applaud the Ministry of Electronics and Information technology (MeitY), the Government of Maharashtra and MCCIA for their vision and commitment,” he said.
His view was echoed by Mr. Holger Kunz, B-EVP Products, TÜV Rheinland Group. “With the expansion of laboratory facilities into Pune, TÜV Rheinland is significantly increasing its footprint in India. Our advanced infrastructure across the country also includes other laboratories located in Bangalore, Gurgaon and Visakhapatnam,” he said.
Mr Prashant Girbane, Director General, MCCIA stated that two prestigious organisations - MCCIA, with 85 years of proactive contribution to Pune and surrounding regions and TÜV Rheinland, with nearly 150 years of creating safety and quality across industries, will definitely create a world class model by joining hands in setting up a CFC under MECF.
Wing Commander Shalak Gandhi (Retd), Managing Director, MECF also shared his views on the development. “This Common Facility Centre, promoted by MCCIA and supported by MeitY and Govt of Maharashtra, will help the electronics industry in Pune and surrounding areas to access the latest technology, improve cost-competitiveness and encourage shorter turnaround times, thus enabling the Pune region to become a default destination for design-led electronics manufacturing,” he said.
“The partnership with TÜV Rheinland will help in developing an entrepreneurial ecosystem, drive innovation and boost economic growth by increasing employment opportunities and revenues,” he added.
“The project is part of the Central Government’s Electronic Manufacturing Clusters scheme, designed to enable India to become a global player in Electronics, and also support creation of world-class infrastructure in Electronics System Design and Manufacturing (ESDM). The Central Government’s National Policy on Electronics (NPE) aims to provide basic infrastructure to electronics manufacturing companies and set up testing and R&D facilities of international standards.”