The Indian electrification market is catching up with the global trends at a fast pace, technological solutions which have gained acceptance globally may still not be relevant in India, says Preshit Murudkar, CEO of Comau India in an interview with EVolution Auto India.
Q: Please walk us through the business journey of Comau along with its major milestones and crucial achievements.
Preshit Murudkar: Comau is a worldwide leader in delivering sustainable advanced automation solutions. With more than 50 years of experience and a global presence, Comau is helping companies of all sizes in almost any industry leverage the benefits of automation. Backed by a continuous commitment to designing and developing innovative and easy to use technologies, its portfolio includes products and systems for vehicle manufacturing, with a strong presence in e-Mobility, as well as advanced robotics and digital solutions to address rapidly growing markets in industrial sectors.
Comau started its operations in India in 1997 and is located in Pune, Maharashtra where it has a manufacturing plant and an Engineering office. Comau India has a total of 260 employees and today after successful operation of more than 26 years it has exposure of working with mostly all the leading automotive OEMs and supporting them on their automation needs for Body Welding, Engine & Power Train Assembly and Electric Mobility projects.
Comau India has played the role of a pioneer in more than one ways, It has always been the first to bring technological solutions to India, We were the first to localize Battery Module Assembly lines and have also successfully delivered Simultaneous Engineering projects for developing complete GIGA scale battery production plants also Comau products like the Robots, AGVs, Exoskeleton & the Educational Robots have efficiently served the needs of the general automation industry. Comau India will keep serving its customers with a clear perspective of being a global player with global technological know-how and local presence.
Q: The transition from industrial to intelligent robotics is transforming industrial processes in every sector. What is the role of advanced automation and robotics in the e-mobility/renewable energy sector?
Preshit Murudkar: Comau has been the pioneer in developing intelligent robotic systems which work hand in hand with our work force, we call them COBOTs.
With evolution of the E-Mobility sector the demand for high quality and high production lines has increased many fold, application of Robots and Automation has helped us suffice this demand. We have delivered high speed automated lines integrated with Robots and Vision systems.
Q: Comau is all set to develop innovative cell formation & testing technology solutions for National Institute of Chemistry in Slovenia. Tell us more about this collaboration and future plans.
Preshit Murudkar: The collaboration between Comau and the National Institute of Chemistry in Slovenia represents a significant initiative in the development of advanced technologies for the electrical activation and testing of next-generation battery cells. Comau, known for its leadership in industrial automation, won the project through a public tender and began work in June 2024, aiming to complete the installation by the end of 2025.
The project involves creating flexible machinery capable of handling the electrical activation and testing phases for various cell types, including pouch and prismatic cells, while also supporting testing conditions for cylindrical cells across a wide temperature range, including sub-zero conditions. One of the main challenges is managing cells of diverse sizes and sources, for which Comau has developed specific, adaptable solutions that enable safe handling and stable equipment connections. These devices can connect to climate chambers for precise temperature control and are equipped with advanced power electronics to maintain optimal current levels during testing.
A key project aspect is the high level of automation and safety, crucial to ensuring that scientists and operators can use the equipment safely and efficiently. Comau’s advanced software interface allows operators to monitor and set specific parameters, further enhancing process control and flexibility.
This collaboration highlights Comau’s central role in developing sustainable technology solutions for e-mobility and its commitment to a zero-emission future. The project with the National Institute of Chemistry also reflects Comau’s goal to expand research in energy storage technologies and provide innovative solutions for electric mobility, and highlights how we as a company are leading the evolution toward reliable and sustainable e-mobility.
Q: Comau has integrated proprietary technologies like laser welding and advanced vision systems to develop automated systems for producing cells, modules, and battery packs with exceptional efficiency. What have been the other technological developments at Comau?
Preshit Murudkar: At Comau, we have developed solutions where we start with proto lines and scale them to Semi automated lines and finally are able to convert these in to fully automated Giga scale plants, with this it we help our customers keep the initial investments low and gradually invest as and when the demand of their products.
Q: What have been the developments at Comau in terms of product innovation and market expansion?
Preshit Murudkar: The Indian electrification market is catching up with the global trends at a fast pace, technological solutions which have gained acceptance globally may still not be relevant in India. For the Indian market we have developed concepts of flexible multi model lines which can handle more than one product on one line and in turn reduce the overall investments.
Q: Please highlight Comau’s end-to-end electrification portfolio offering and the work done for the automotive OEMs in India.
Preshit Murudkar: We have in house capability to offer services right from Simultaneous Engineering till the industrialization phase of Battery Module and Packs, we have delivered systems which are flexible and scalable with processes like Laser Welding, Sealant Applications, Cell Sorting End of Line Testing, Thermal Insulation filling, Conveyor Systems, End Of Line Test systems & MES.
Q: The current Indian government has set a target of achieving 30 percent electric vehicle penetration by 2030. What are your views on the EV industry? What would be the contribution of Comau in this journey?
Preshit Murudkar: We feel the electric vehicle market is still in its evolution phase and we are here to support our customers. We see a few of our customers working on giga scale projects and as I mentioned above we are here to support them right from simultaneous engineering till the final industrialization phase.