ABB in IndiaSustainability in action

As ABB moves ahead with its Next Level strategy, both global and local market developments, needs and expectations are being anticipated and closely monitored. ABB’s operations and activities in a country such as India have to be aligned with global objectives and meet country-specific business and sustainability requirements.

ABB has been manufacturing in India for more than 60 years and is well positioned to meet the government’s ambitious plans for sustainable growth in the coming years. With about 10,000 employees in more than 40 manufacturing sites and offices, as well as a major corporate research center and a new global business services center, ABB is supporting the government’s vision for sustainable development, and helping customers improve energy efficiency and lower environmental impact.

The provision of power lies at the heart of India’s growth plans. Underlining ABB’s contribution, the company won a $640 million order at the end of 2016 for an 1,800 kilometer transmission link that will be able to meet the electricity needs of more than 80 million people. Many components and technologies will be locally manufactured and sourced, in line with the government’s ‘Make in India’ initiative.

Among its ambitious plans, the Indian government has expanded its solar power targets considerably, aiming to produce 100 GW of solar capacity by 2022. ABB has steadily built up this business over the years to meet the demands of one of the world’s fastest growing solar markets.

50% of solar energy in India currently passes through ABB solar inverters.

From airports to massive solar parks, from remote, rural microgrids to rooftops, ABB technologies are paving the way to make the government’s solar vision a reality. More than 50 percent of solar energy in India currently passes through ABB solar inverters.

Innovative technologies are increasingly supporting customers to become more energy efficient and lower their environmental footprint. ABB’s control systems help to run and have accelerated growth in the cement and steel sectors – two of the bedrocks of the country’s infrastructure and economic growth. Similarly, ABB’s motors, drives and robots are boosting energy efficiency and productivity in the food and beverage sectors.

Seen in a broader context, these business offerings form part of ABB’s global efforts to help realize some of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), agreed in 2015. Increased transmission and distribution of power from renewable sources of energy, as well as microgrid solutions, and the deployment of resource efficient technologies in industry and utilities accord with SDG 7, which seeks to ensure access to affordable, reliable and modern energy for all and SDG 13 which calls for urgent action to mitigate the impact of climate change.

ABB’s business operations and technologies, as well as community activities to foster social progress in India, also reflect how ABB Group’s Sustainability Objectives for 2020 are implemented in a country.

Among these objectives is an ongoing program to ensure that suppliers meet ABB’s sustainability requirements, as well as business needs. India was one of the focus countries when ABB launched its global Supplier Sustainability Development Program in 2011. Since then, a culture of greater understanding and mutual benefit has been growing through regular assessments, support with corrective action plans where appropriate, training programs and working with suppliers on ABB’s environmental, safety and labor requirements.

A company is also judged by the value it creates in the community, not just through the creation of jobs and secondary employment, but also how it contributes to societal progress.

In India, ABB has a wide range of community projects aimed at improving people’s lives both around the company’s sites and in remote regions.

Such projects pre-date the 2013 Companies Act and corporate social responsibility requirements placed on companies. They are a reflection of ABB’s long and successful history in India, and commitment to the future of the country.