"If you can make it here you can make it everywhere"

ABB CEO Morten Wierod on making the country a hub for complex, high-impact infrastructure projects and helping Indian companies go green

- BY RICHA SHARMA

ABB is a global name in electrification and automation technology. Its Indian subsidiary, which turned 75 this January, has evolved into one of its most dynamic and fastest-growing arms driving global innovation and technological excellence. CEO Morten Wierod, in an interview with Richa Sharma, talks about expansion and plans to make India the third-largest market in the next few years. Edited excerpts:

Q: How do you see ABB's growth in India?

A: Our business is one-third America, one-third Europe and one-third Asia. Today, the US and China are number one and number two, respectively, and India is number five. It is the same as their GDP (ranks), but with strong growth, India will be ABB's third-largest market in a few years. I always say that India is the most important market, because if you win in India, you can win anywhere. It's a bit of Frank Sinatra: “If you can make it here, you can make it everywhere.”

Our technology centre in Bengaluru, with over 3,000 experts in engineering and R&D, plays a vital role in supporting Indian and global projects. From electrifying offshore oil platforms in the North Sea to large LNG infrastructure projects, much of the critical engineering, automation, and panel manufacturing happens here. This highlights India's strength as a hub for executing complex, high-impact infrastructure projects.

Our unit in India takes care of regional exports. If you are a market leader in India, you have the scale, the competitiveness and the know-how to go outside.