Bengaluru: 3M India is emerging as a larger global innovation and capability hub for the US-based industrial major, with its India GCC crossing 400 employees and the company increasingly developing products and capabilities here for markets beyond India.Aseem Joshi, MD, 3M India, said the Bengaluru GCC, which had fewer than 100 employees two to three years ago, now has more than 400. The focus is shifting from headcount growth to taking on differentiated work that addresses priorities on 3M’s global agenda.“It’s not just about adding people. It’s about the kind of work that we do,” Joshi said, adding that 3M is examining how problems important to its global leadership can be solved from India.The GCC already handles most of the company’s global analytics work, with capabilities spanning data analytics and AI. 3M is also evaluating functions such as marketing and communications for India.The expansion comes as 3M India builds on strong domestic growth. The company reported revenue of Rs 5,090 crore in the last financial year, up 14.5%. Joshi said the growth was profitable, with improvements in earnings per share and other financial metrics.The bigger opportunity, however, is being created by India’s manufacturing and technology expansion. Transportation and electronics account for about 35% of 3M’s India business, while safety and industrial contribute about 32%. Healthcare accounts for just under 20%, with the balance coming from consumer products.Automotive, electronics manufacturing and industrial applications are emerging as key growth drivers. Increased manufacturing in India, including electronics and mobile phone assembly, is driving demand for 3M’s adhesives, abrasives and specialised materials.India is also becoming a test bed for products that can subsequently be introduced in international markets. Joshi cited 3M’s automotive insulation technology, with products developed in India for demanding local conditions now being considered for overseas markets.A similar transition has taken place with road-safety products. Products that were earlier imported from Western markets are now manufactured in India, with their design subsequently refined for Indian road conditions. They are now being exported to other markets.“Over time, what was brought in from overseas is now recognised as an area of expertise for India, and we’re looking to export from India,” Joshi said.The company is also responding to increasingly sophisticated Indian customers. In automobiles, for instance, more features across price segments are raising performance requirements for materials. 3M has developed lighter noise, vibration and harshness solutions that are 30-40% lighter than earlier generations while improving noise reduction.Electronics is another major opportunity, with demand coming from global manufacturers shifting production to India, as well as Indian companies moving up the value chain. 3M supplies materials used in polishing, assembly, thermal management, conductivity and shock absorption.AI is also changing customer engagement. 3M is developing “Ask 3M”, an AI-enabled system that can help customers identify products for specific applications based on parameters such as temperature, pressure and water exposure.For India, the shift points to a broader evolution — from being a market for global products to a centre that develops, manufactures and exports products and capabilities. 3M currently operates three factories, an R&D centre and customer experience centres in India, and expects to continue growing over the next three to five years.
