Henkel Launches Application Engineering Center for Electronics in India
Henkel has inaugurated its new Application Engineering Center for the electronics sector in Chennai, India. From left to right: Kevin Becker, vice president innovation for Electronics; Wen Zhou, corporate vice president for Electronics; S Sunil Kumar, country president, Henkel India; Timothy McKenney, director, strategy & PMO for Electronics; and Jason Cheung, dead of Sales Consumer Device India and China. Image courtesy of Henkel.
Henkel recently announced the launch of an Application Engineering Center in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, further strengthening its Adhesive Technologies business in the electronics sector. The company will also be setting up an adhesive materials manufacturing plant for the electronics sector at its multi-technology manufacturing site in Kurkumbh, near Pune, India.
Henkel reports that these investments underscore its commitment to localization, innovation, and accelerated product development to meet the rapidly evolving demands of the region’s electronics industry. As India's electronics industry is projected to grow exponentially in the next few years, Henkel’s expanded footprint positions it to strongly support this rapid growth.
“As the country solidifies its position as a global electronics manufacturing hub, Henkel is proud to reinforce its ‘Make in India’ commitment, and be a key partner in this journey,” said S Sunil Kumar, country president for India at Henkel. “These new facilities in Chennai and Kurkumbh align with this growth, strengthening regional self-sufficiency and supply chain resilience. This marks an exciting milestone in our journey to better serve our global customer base while expanding our footprint in the region. It demonstrates our commitment to fostering long-term partnerships, driving innovation, and creating value for our customers.”
Located in Tamil Nadu — a key hub for global electronics manufacturing — the Chennai facility is designed to accelerate new product introductions (NPIs) and reduce time-to-market for customers. The center houses five specialized labs dedicated to advanced adhesive solutions and thermal management materials, essential for enhancing the reliability, durability, and sleek designs of smartphones, wearables, and other consumer electronics. Equipped with state-of-the-art dispensing systems, vacuum impregnation technologies for device waterproofing, and high-precision material analysis tools, the center enables rapid prototyping, proof-of-concept testing, and product validation. This center will enhance Henkel’s global innovation footprint, complementing its existing sites in Germany, the United States, China, Singapore, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam. Henkel reports that with these investments, the company strengthens its role as a key innovation partner for electronics manufacturers worldwide.
Wen Zhou, corporate vice resident electronics at Henkel Adhesive Technologies, shared that these investments are a natural progression of the company’s growth in India and the electronic market’s supply chain diversification. “We meet our customers where they are,” said Zhou. “We have had established Indian operations for a long time, and with customers intensifying their operations in the region, we are investing in additional local capabilities to deliver collaborative NPI and product validation expertise with more immediacy.”
The new plant in Kurkumbh will enhance Henkel’s capabilities in high-performance adhesive and coating solutions, reinforcing its commitment to localization and meeting the evolving demands of India’s electronics sector. The plant will benefit from the industry 4.0-based, smart-factory system deployed at the Kurkumbh manufacturing site, which enhances operational efficiency and product quality while minimizing downtime.
Additional information about Henkel is available at www.henkel.com.
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