Another Singaporean business, sofa maker HTL, expanded its production capacity into India in 2021 with manufacturing plants in both Chennai and Pune, in the western Indian state of Maharashtra.
The company hopes its presence in India will help to enlarge its footprint on the global stage.
“(India) has very strong domestic demand, and is a great place to export to different parts of the world, specifically to the US, UK, Middle East and even parts of Southeast Asia,” said the firm’s global brand head Celeste Phua.
With its two Indian facilities, the firm said it can cut down shipping time to regions like the Middle East by 70 per cent.
The large pool of skilled workers is also helping the company boost its productivity.
“The sofa is a handicraft item. So India works very well because a lot of the (workers can) sew and cut. India also provides a very rich and diverse labour workforce for us to tap on, and expand our manufacturing capacity,” Ms Phua said.
WASTE MANAGEMENT SECTOR
Some firms are also looking to harvest growing opportunities in India’s waste management sector, especially as the Asian giant puts in motion efforts to go greener.
This includes turning trash, such as disposed electronic goods, into precious resources.
Chennai is among the most populous cities in India and it produces more than 5,000 tonnes of waste each day.