We Have To Regain The Credibility The Industry Lost

It was Dr. Volkmar Denner's second visit to India since he became the top boss at Bosch, the world’s biggest automotive component manufacturer. It could not have come at a more remarkable time. The Dieselgate scandal of 2015 has just taken a turn for the worse with the arrest of Audi CEO Rupert Stadler last week. For a staunch proponent of the technology, there is much at stake for Bosch on how this controversy plays out. While Denner is concerned with the loss of credibility of the industry, he is also looking beyond the immediate. Taking an hour out of his three-day India tour, Denner shares with Sumant Banerji his vision on electric mobility, the need to straddle various technologies and Bosch’s big plans in India that include ₹1,700 crore investment roadmap over the next three years. Edited excerpts:

- Sumant Banerji

How are you preparing for a future where the internal combustion engine would be a minority in your overall portfolio while hybrids and electric powertrains would enjoy a majority?

This is something we have to prepare for and that is what we did. For many years we have kept investments very high in electric mobility. Not many people know or realise that Bosch is already the market leader in the largest electric vehicle market in the world – China. So, we do everything to prepare ourselves for the electrified future and we believe in an electric future. We also entered new markets in this area like two-wheelers. From bicycles to scooters, we have been very active since many years. We believe in the electric future. But we are also convinced that the industry and, hence, Bosch too, needs an adequate transfer period. There has to be a balance of this shift so that we can ensure adequate employment in the industry. If it happens too fast, then it would be a problem. But if there will be a transition phase where we have a possibility to adjust, then for Bosch, as a technology leader, there are more opportunities and chances than threats.

In the backdrop of the Dieselgate scandal, Bosch has been a vocal supporter of the technology, even displaying how new-age diesel engines emit far less NOx emissions than what has been prescribed. Yet, do you feel that it is a lost cause and regulators have already made up their mind against diesel in particular and combustion engines in general?