Bosch Home Comfort Group is stepping up its India expansion plans to strengthen its position among leading AC brands. The company is targeting a double-digit market share within two years. It also aims to become one of India's top five cooling and comfort brands in the medium term.
The company plans to launch Bosch-branded air conditioners in India next year. Managing Director Sanjay Sudhakaran told PTI that the group will follow a dual-brand strategy to target different consumer segments.
Bosch Home Comfort Group, part of German engineering major Bosch GmbH, acquired the global residential and light-commercial air-conditioning business of Johnson Controls and Hitachi in August 2025.
Under its strategy, Hitachi will focus on the mainstream and mass-premium segments, while Bosch will target the performance-premium and super-premium categories. The Bosch range will compete with brands such as O General and Mitsubishi Electric, with prices starting at around Rs 45,000 to Rs 50,000.
The company plans to invest 80 million euros, or approximately Rs 900 crore, in India over the next few years. The investment will support manufacturing expansion, localization and stronger engineering and testing capabilities.
The investment will support the company's expansion into residential and light-commercial air conditioning products, including variable refrigerant flow (VRF) systems under the Hitachi brand.
The company is already manufacturing its latest range of Hitachi VRF products at its Kadi facility in Gujarat. It has also expanded its global research and development center in Ahmedabad to focus on light-commercial air conditioning technologies.
Sudhakaran said the company would expand capital expenditure in line with market growth. It may also explore setting up another manufacturing facility in southern India, although he did not confirm any such plans.
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Bosch Home Comfort Group plans to strengthen local manufacturing and backward integration to improve cost competitiveness. The company also has access to compressor supplies through a joint venture with a major global compressor manufacturer operating a plant in Ahmedabad.
On the distribution front, it will use Hitachi's existing retail and service network to support both brands. The company will also explore opportunities through Bosch's consumer appliances retail footprint.
Bosch-branded air conditioners are expected to be available through Bosch and BSH-branded stores, alongside large-format retailers, regional outlets and online platforms.
The group expects to create synergies across several business functions, including:
While both brands will share backend operations, their customer-facing positioning will remain different. Bosch will focus on German engineering and premium positioning, while Hitachi will continue to build on its legacy in air conditioning and Japanese engineering.
Globally, Bosch Home Comfort Group operates brands such as Bosch, Hitachi, York and Buderus across heating, cooling and comfort solutions.
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