Siemens sets up a Graphics and Engineering Centre of Competence in India

Siemens Building Technologies Private Limited (SBTPL), a subsidiary of Siemens Ltd. has announced the setting up of its first Graphics and Engineering Centre of Competence (GECC) in India. This new GECC will provide engineering design, software configuration and graphics development services that will be delivered remotely for building automation projects of Building Technologies in the domestic as well as Asia Pacific markets. The centre will also have capabilities to provide need based, on-site support

The new competence centre will enable Siemens to improve the quality and speed of delivery of their building technology solutions, ranging from general offerings to specific energy efficient, green technologies. In the initial phase, the GECC will have about 30 engineers and the employee strength will be ramped up in line with business demands. 

In view of the above, the Board has approved the transfer of the SISL business in India to a subsidiary of Siemens AG at a price of Rs. 449 crore. An independent internationally reputed firm, Grant Thornton was appointed for the valuation. 

Commenting on setting up a GECC in India, Mr. Andreas Schierenbeck, CEO, Building Automation Business Unit of the Building Technologies Division said, “To set up our GECC, India emerged as the preferred destination principally because of its inherent strengths including talented manpower and an efficient cost proposition. Our aim is to build a world class engineering development centre in India that will own and drive outstanding engineering developments for the building automation and management systems.”  

Mr. Schierenbeck further added, “Despite the current economic slowdown, the building technologies market still holds a tremendous growth potential. Across the world, customers are looking for innovative solutions that reduce energy consumption in buildings and also minimize CO₂ emissions. We are confident that our GECC in Chennai will help us meet demands in emerging markets for green technologies. Siemens Building Technologies Division is one of the major companies worldwide to provide end-to-end innovative building technology solutions from a single source.”   

Mr. Anand Mecheri, CEO & Managing Director, SBTPL says, “We are happy that India will serve as a base for Siemens’ new Graphics and Engineering Centre of Competence. With India’s rich resource of engineering talent, the GECC will serve as a hub that addresses the unique requirements of the Building Technologies Division in both the domestic and international markets”.  

The setting up of the new GECC marks a significant milestone in the strengthened operations of SBTPL. It was back in 2007 that Siemens’ Building Technologies business was merged with iMetrex Technologies to form a separate subsidiary called SBTPL. Reflecting on the business’s progression, Mr. Mecheri notes, “Our combined synergies have helped us to further consolidate our leadership position in the market. Going forward, the new GECC will enable us to build on our strengths and pursue our growth strategy. In India, our focus on providing energy efficient solutions will continue. In this context, we have now introduced ‘Maximize Efficiency’ - a strategic initiative that will help buildings go ‘Green’ and consistently deliver outstanding value to them.” 

The Siemens Industry Sector (Erlangen, Germany) is the world’s leading supplier of production, transportation and building technologies. With integrated hardware and software technologies as well as comprehensive Industry-specific solutions, Siemens increases the productivity and efficiency of its customers in the fields of industry and infrastructure. The Sector consists of six divisions: Building Technologies, Industry Automation, Industry Solutions, Mobility, Drive Technologies and OSRAM. With around 209,000 employees worldwide Siemens Industry achieved in fiscal 2007 total sales of approximately EUR 40 billion (pro forma, unconsolidated). www.siemens.com/industry 

The Siemens Building Technologies Division (Zug, Switzerland), as a service provider and systems integrator and also as a manufacturer of the corresponding products, combines solutions and concepts for energy-efficient building automation, fire protection, electronic safety and electrical installation engineering. Due to this unique combination of activities, Building Technologies is a leading global player in the building automation market. The Division is an organizational unit of Siemens Schweiz AG (Zurich, Switzerland) and includes Siemens Building Technologies GmbH & Co. oHG (Erlangen, Germany), Building Technologies Inc. (Buffalo Grove, USA), their subsidiaries and holdings as well as all important Siemens activities in the field of building technologies. www.siemens.com/buildingtechnologies 

Siemens Ltd is the flagship listed company in India. Siemens in India, which comprises 22 legal entities, is a leading provider of industry and infrastructure solutions with a business volume aggregating about Rs 11,800 crore. It operates in the core business areas of Industry, Energy and Healthcare. It has nation-wide Sales and Service network, 18 manufacturing plants, a network of around 500 channel partners and employs about 17,000 people.