INDIA – Recently released data reveals a new record in sales of industrial robots in India with 3,412 new units installed in 2017.

That is an increase of 30 percent compared to the previous year (2016: 2,627 units). Between 2012 and 2017 India saw a compound annual sales growth rate (CAGR) of 18 percent.

“The automotive industry will remain the main driver of the increasing robot installations in India,” says Junji Tsuda, President of the International Federation of Robotics. “Numerous new projects are announced by the international and domestic car manufacturers aiming to expand production capacities. Moreover, OEMs increasingly require local supply of automotive parts.”

A clear sign that the general industry is catching up with the automotive sector can be seen by the sales numbers of industrial robots in i.e. the rubber and plastics industry, the metal industry and the electrical and electronics industry, which increased by 46 percent in 2017.

“The general industry will further invest in production capacities and modernization to serve this growing consumer market,” says IFR President Junji Tsuda. “Therefore, an accelerated and strong robot sales growth is expected between 2018 and 2021.