Over the past decade, Schmersal India has evolved from a local manufacturing and sales operation into a strategic pillar of the Schmersal Group’s global ecosystem. With expanded manufacturing, a new 25,000 sq. ft. facility, a growing Global Competence Centre, locally developed products and an increasing focus on digitalisation, Schmersal India is strengthening its role as a hub for man-machine safety, engineering and innovation. As Indian manufacturing embraces automation and smart technologies, the company is positioning itself to deliver safer, smarter and more sustainable solutions—both for India and global markets. Excerpts from an exclusive interview with Ramji Singh, Managing Director, Schmersal India:
Q. Schmersal India has witnessed remarkable growth over the past decade. What have been the key milestones in this journey, and what is your long-term vision for the company in the Indian and global markets?
Over the past decade, Schmersal India has evolved from being primarily a local manufacturing and sales operation into a strategic pillar of the Schmersal Group’s global ecosystem. Our journey has been marked by several significant milestones, including the establishment and expansion of our manufacturing capabilities in India, the development of a strong nationwide customer and partner network, and the successful localization of products under the ‘Make in India’ initiative. We witnessed remarkable growth over the past decade from sales numbers to manpower increase. We have a long list of milestones and achievements, Global Support IT Centre in Pune in 2018 was followed by the inauguration ceremony of its Export Oriented Unit (EOU) expansion in 2020. In May 2021, we celebrated a major milestone by producing 100 thousand safety products in a single month. In December 2022, the company crossed INR 100 million turnover with its Indian operations. We supply our products and solutions to all SAARC countries. As part of its global strategy, Schmersal Group has also established a new competence centre for IT, software and engineering services in India (Schmersal Global Competence Centre) in 2022. We also expanded our sales activities in India by opening new sales offices and expanding its network of distribution channels in order to address new markets, increase geographical coverage and improve knowledge and awareness of machine safety in India. In July 2026, we moved to our new office at Ap4 Tech Park, Wagholi This new location is an important milestone for the company as it signals its continued growth and expansion in the Indian market. While we crossed many milestones for production and sales, from the year 2023, we are receiving “Great Place to Work” for SIPL and SGCC for the 3rd year in a row.
Long-term vision for the company in the Indian and global markets remains as “Make in India but for global market”.
As a domestic manufacturing entity equipped with essential infrastructure and expertise, we view”ATMANIRBHAR BHARAT” as a gateway to new business prospects and continued growth. The company is particularly optimistic about the automation sector and is dedicated to enhancing man-machine safety standards.
In the long term, Schmersal is confident in its ability to serve as a one-stop turnkey safety solution provider, offering a comprehensive product, services and solution portfolio to meet the diverse needs of its customers. We want to be the preferred partner for industrial safety and automation, enabling safer, smarter, and more sustainable factories while contributing to India’s ambition of becoming a leading manufacturing powerhouse on the global stage.
Q. The inauguration of your new 25,000 sq. ft. facility and the expansion of the Schmersal Global Competence Center (SGCC) mark a significant milestone. How will this new facility strengthen Schmersal’s engineering, digital solutions, and global innovation capabilities?
The inauguration of our new 25,000 sq. ft. facility represents far more than an infrastructure expansion. It reflects Schmersal’s long-term commitment to India as a strategic hub for engineering excellence, innovation, and digital transformation. The facility significantly enhances our ability to develop advanced machine safety solutions, software applications, embedded technologies, and engineering services for customers worldwide. With the expansion of the Schmersal Global Competence Center (SGCC), we are creating a stronger ecosystem that enables closer collaboration between our global teams and customers. The facility provides the required scale to attract highly skilled talent, accelerate product development cycles, and support next-generation technologies in industrial safety, automation, and connectivity. Importantly, this investment strengthens India’s role within the Schmersal Group as a center for innovation, enabling us to contribute not only to local market requirements but also to global product and technology roadmaps.
Q. Schmersal recently introduced six new ‘Make in India’ products covering machine safety, automation, and industrial efficiency. What market opportunities do you see for these products, and how do they strengthen India’s position as a manufacturing base for the Group?
Yes, we lauched a new range of innovative products designed to meet the evolving needs of various industries. These products, developed and manufactured in India, focus on enhancing industrial safety, improving process efficiency, and enabling smarter automation across sectors including manufacturing, logistics, vertical transportation, automotive, warehousing, and infrastructure.
Here are the newly launched portfolio features:
- Safety Field Box Port Extender – Enhances system connectivity and scalability by enabling seamless integration of field components across complex industrial setups.
- Magnetic Switch – A cost-efficient, European-standard-compliant solution offering reliable position monitoring with consistent performance and durability, especially suited for the elevator segment.
- Fork Sensor – Infrared-based sensing solution designed for precise object detection in high-speed, high-accuracy industrial applications.
- New Safety Limit Switch Series – Upgraded, robust, and versatile switches engineered to meet stringent safety requirements across diverse operating conditions, tailored for the Indian market.
- Overspeed Governor Limit Switch – Designed to detect when systems such as elevators exceed safe operational speed, ensuring enhanced safety and immediate response.
- Multi-level Parking Control System – Enables authorized users to control vehicle movement across levels using key-based operation, supporting efficient and secure multiparking.
These solutions align with Schmersal’s vision of turning workplaces into safer places. The products have been developed to address the increasing demand for advanced machine safety, automation, and productivity enhancement solutions across various industries. Customers are looking for solutions that offer high performance, reliability, compliance, and cost efficiency. Our locally manufactured products are designed to meet these expectations while maintaining Schmersal’s global quality standards. From a strategic perspective, local manufacturing improves responsiveness, shortens lead times, and enhances supply chain resilience. It also strengthens India’s position as a key production and export base for the Schmersal Group, supporting our objective of serving global markets more efficiently and competitively.
Q. Industrial safety is evolving rapidly with Industry 4.0, IIoT, and smart manufacturing. How is Schmersal integrating digital technologies, software, and intelligent safety solutions to help customers build safer and more connected factories?
The future of industrial safety lies in the convergence of safety, automation, and digitalization. At Schmersal, we are integrating intelligent sensors, safety controllers, software platforms, and connectivity solutions to create smarter safety ecosystems. Our solutions enable real-time monitoring, diagnostics, predictive maintenance capabilities, and enhanced visibility into machine performance and safety status like tec.dloto (digital lockout tagout), tec.ems (Energize your operations with IoT-powered EMS) and tec.ps (Real time monitoring to identify failure, anticipate problem and transform data into smarter decisions). Through IIoT-enabled technologies, customers can access valuable data that helps improve machine availability, optimize maintenance schedules, and reduce unplanned downtime. We also focus on combining functional safety with operational efficiency by integrating safety technologies into digital factory architectures. Through tec.nicum, we help customers achieve compliance, improve productivity, and create connected manufacturing environments where safety becomes an integral part of performance optimization rather than a standalone requirement.
Q. The Product Experience Center showcases Schmersal’s comprehensive machine safety solutions and the capabilities of tec.nicum. How will this initiative help customers better understand machine safety compliance and lifecycle safety engineering?
The Product Experience Center has been established as an interactive platform where customers can see, experience, and understand machine safety solutions in real-world application scenarios. It bridges the gap between theoretical compliance requirements and practical implementation.
Center showcases the Schmersal Group’s comprehensive safety solutions and demonstrates machine safety compliance expertise provided by tec.nicum.
Visitors can experience:
- Safety solutions for people and machines
- Machine guarding, interlocking, and access control systems
- Comprehensive machine safety solutions and services based on six key pillars under tec.nicum, complemented by software and engineering services
- The transformation of industrial machine applications into safer, smarter, and more digital solutions through Software as a Service (SaaS), in collaboration with
tec.nicum and the Global Competence Center (GCC)
Through live demonstrations, application-specific solutions, and expert guidance, customers can gain a deeper understanding of functional safety principles, risk assessment methodologies, and safety system integration.
Q. India is becoming a global manufacturing hub under initiatives such as ‘Make in India’. How do you see the demand for machine safety solutions evolving over the next five years, and what sectors do you expect to drive the highest growth?
Machine safety solutions in India will grow significantly over the next five years. As manufacturing becomes more automated and globally integrated, compliance with international safety standards will become an increasingly important business requirement rather than just a regulatory obligation. Industries are recognizing that investments in safety not only protect people but also improve productivity, equipment reliability, and operational continuity. This shift is creating a strong demand for advanced safety technologies, consulting services, and digital safety solutions. We anticipate robust growth from sectors such as automotive, electric vehicles, battery manufacturing, food and beverage, pharmaceuticals, logistics, packaging, metals, material handling, and warehousing automation. Emerging investments in semiconductor manufacturing, renewable energy, and advanced industrial automation are also expected to create significant opportunities for machine safety technologies.
Q. As Schmersal celebrates over a decade of manufacturing in India, what message would you like to share with Indian OEMs, system integrators, and manufacturing companies about the future of industrial safety and Schmersal India’s role in enabling sustainable industrial growth?
As we are the only manufacturer plant for machine safety product as per international safety standards and we celebrate more than a decade of manufacturing in India, I would like to thank our customers, partners, employees, and stakeholders for being part of our journey. India’s industrial sector is entering an exciting phase of transformation driven by automation, digital technologies, and growing global competitiveness.
My message to OEMs, system integrators, and manufacturers is clear: Machine safety is not merely a compliance requirement; it is an investment in productivity, sustainability, reliability, and business excellence. Organizations that integrate safety into their design and operational strategies will be better positioned for long-term success. Schmersal India remains committed to being a trusted partner in this transformation. Through local manufacturing, engineering expertise, digital innovation, and comprehensive safety solutions, we will continue to support Indian industry in building safer, smarter, and more sustainable manufacturing environments that meet the highest global standards.
