TUV Rheinland India inks agreement with the MCCIA Electronic Cluster Foundation (MECF) for a new EUR4.8 million testing facility in Pune

BANGALORE, India, June 10, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- TUV Rheinland, a global leader in independent technical services, has signed an agreement with the Mahratta Chamber of Commerce Industries and Agriculture's (MCCIA) Electronic Cluster Foundation (MECF), one of the most proactive chambers in India, to promote the development of Electronic Manufacturing Clusters (EMCs) by setting up a common testing facility in Pune, India.

The new testing facility will be set up under the Brownfield Electronics Cluster scheme guidelines established by the Government of India's Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, (MeitY). The cluster is aimed at improving infrastructure, providing a Common Facility Centre (CFC) and boosting the electronic ecosystem of the region. The EUR4.8 million project, which will follow a Public Private Partnership model, will additionally feature a design center, support for prototyping as well as a test & measurement lab and an SMT Line.

The agreement was formally exchanged between Dr. Michael Fubi, CEO, TUV Rheinland Group and Mr. Prashant Girbane, Director General, MCCIA at TUV Rheinland India's headquarters in Bangalore. Also present were Wing Commander Shalak Gandhi (Retd), Managing Director, MECF and senior leaders from TUV Rheinland, including Mr. Ralf Scheller, Group COO, Mr. Andreas Hoefer, R-EVP, APA-IMEA, Mr. Holger Kunz, B-EVP, Products, Mr. Thomas Fuhrmann, MD, TUV Rheinland India, Mr. Kalyan Varma, Vice President & GFM, Electrical and Mr. Ravindra Kumar BS, Global Head, EMC Laboratories.

"TUV Rheinland has been committed to supporting the manufacturing of safer, higher quality electronic products in India. This new project will take this commitment further, with 10 meter anechoic chamber in the EMI/EMC facility along with Testing & Certification and comprehensive electrical safety and reliability facilities," said Mr. Thomas Fuhrmann, Managing Director, TUV Rheinland India.

"We are happy to join hands with the MECF in setting up a Common Facility Centre to boost the electronic manufacturing ecosystem in Pune. And we applaud the Ministry of Electronics and Information technology (MeitY), the Government of Maharashtra and MCCIA for their vision and commitment," he said.

His view was echoed by Mr. Holger Kunz, B-EVP Products, TUV Rheinland Group. "With the expansion of laboratory facilities into Pune, TUV Rheinland is significantly increasing its footprint in India. Our advanced infrastructure across the country also includes other laboratories located in Bangalore, Gurgaon and Visakhapatnam," he said. 

Mr Prashant Girbane, Director General, MCCIA stated that two prestigious organisations - MCCIA, with 85 years of proactive contribution to Pune and surrounding regions and TUV Rheinland, with nearly 150 years of creating safety and quality across industries, will definitely create a world class model by joining hands in setting up a CFC under MECF.

Wing Commander Shalak Gandhi (Retd), Managing Director, MECF also shared his views on the development. "This Common Facility Centre, promoted by MCCIA and supported by MeitY and Govt of Maharashtra, will help the electronics industry in Pune and surrounding areas to access the latest technology, improve cost-competitiveness and encourage shorter turnaround times, thus enabling the Pune region to become a default destination for design-led electronics manufacturing," he said.

"The partnership with TUV Rheinland will help in developing an entrepreneurial ecosystem, drive innovation and boost economic growth by increasing employment opportunities and revenues," he added.

"The project is part of the Central Government's Electronic Manufacturing Clusters scheme, designed to enable India to become a global player in Electronics, and also support creation of world-class infrastructure in Electronics System Design and Manufacturing (ESDM). The Central Government's National Policy on Electronics (NPE) aims to provide basic infrastructure to electronics manufacturing companies and set up testing and R&D facilities of international standards."

About TUV Rheinland

TUV Rheinland is a global leader in independent inspection services, founded nearly 150 years ago. The group maintains a worldwide presence of more than 20,000 people; annual turnover is EUR 2 billion. The independent experts stand for quality and safety for people, technology and the environment in nearly all aspects of life. TUV Rheinland inspects technical equipment, products and services, oversees projects, and helps to shape processes and information security for companies. Its experts train people in a wide range of careers and industries. To this end, TUV Rheinland employs a global network of approved labs, testing and education centers. Since 2006, TUV Rheinland has been a member of the United Nations Global Compact to promote sustainability and combat corruption. www.tuv.com 

About MCCIA

MCCIA has played a key role in the development of Industry and Commerce in and around Pune, and many of its pioneering initiatives have been applauded not only in Maharashtra, but all over the country. MCCIA has always played proactive role by giving constructive suggestions for policy changes at the Local, State and National levels.  We have expertise in setting and strengthening industry clusters in Pune. We have been instrumental in setting up National Agriculture and Food Analysis and Research Institute (NAFARI)  in 2001, the biggest Auto Cluster Development and Research Institute in Pune for providing support to Small & Medium Enterprises and 14 Lean Manufacturing Clusters to strengthen the MSMEs. We continue to lead in offering proactive services for the benefit of the business community around Pune and towards making Pune the most preferred investment destination for foreign industry in India. The MECF is another step in this direction.

About MECF

MCCIA Electronic Cluster Foundation (MECF) has been promoted by MCCIA with "Grant in Aid" from Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Govt of India under the Brownfield ESDM scheme and "Financial Assistance" from Government of Maharashtra.  MECF will have five verticals namely Design & Prototyping, Test and Measurement, SMT Line, EMI/EMC and Test & Certification.

Related Links

http://www.tuv.com