Kolkata: Daikin Industries plans to invest ₹1,000 crore in India for setting up a global research and development (R&D) centre, the first outside its home base of Japan, reflecting the former's growing role in its global strategy. The centre will focus on software and product development for chillers and air-conditioning systems used in data centres, residential, and commercial applications worldwide, KJ Jawa, board member of Daikin Industries and MD of Daikin Airconditioning India, told ET.
"We want to be another Maruti Suzuki in India in terms of Japanese investment," he said, referring to the country's top carmaker Maruti Suzuki. "The parent is extremely bullish about India's potential." Daikin plans to hire about 500 engineers for the new centre from leading institutions, leveraging India's robust technical talent, according to Jawa.
He said the step is part of Daikin's broader aim to position India as its largest base outside Japan across manufacturing, exports, product development and component production. The R&D centre proposal, which was approved by the parent a few weeks ago, is likely to come up near one of Daikin's existing plants in Neemrana. Daikin's Japan R&D operations employ about engineers.
With global sales exceeding $33 billion, Daikin is among the world's largest AC manufacturers.
While Daikin India's financials for FY26 are yet to be finalised, Jawa said the company posted an estimated revenue of around ₹13,000 crore last fiscal, growing 8-9%. It has set a revenue target of ₹15,000 crore for FY27. He claimed Daikin currently leads the Indian AC market by revenue.
Although intermittent rains across parts of North and East India have dampened near-term demand for room ACs, Daikin expects growth to be supported by emerging segments such as data centre chillers and commercial cooling systems.
"We are supplying data centre chillers to most large projects in India and will soon begin local manufacturing, with designs sourced from Italy," he said. "This will involve an additional investment of ₹200 crore."
Daikin India, which exports to 54 countries, is working on its Vision 2030 road map, aiming to grow exports to 100 markets, touch $4 billion in revenue from India, and make the country a major component manufacturing hub.
"We want to be another Maruti Suzuki in India in terms of Japanese investment," he said, referring to the country's top carmaker Maruti Suzuki. "The parent is extremely bullish about India's potential." Daikin plans to hire about 500 engineers for the new centre from leading institutions, leveraging India's robust technical talent, according to Jawa.
He said the step is part of Daikin's broader aim to position India as its largest base outside Japan across manufacturing, exports, product development and component production. The R&D centre proposal, which was approved by the parent a few weeks ago, is likely to come up near one of Daikin's existing plants in Neemrana. Daikin's Japan R&D operations employ about engineers.
While Daikin India's financials for FY26 are yet to be finalised, Jawa said the company posted an estimated revenue of around ₹13,000 crore last fiscal, growing 8-9%. It has set a revenue target of ₹15,000 crore for FY27. He claimed Daikin currently leads the Indian AC market by revenue.
Although intermittent rains across parts of North and East India have dampened near-term demand for room ACs, Daikin expects growth to be supported by emerging segments such as data centre chillers and commercial cooling systems.
"We are supplying data centre chillers to most large projects in India and will soon begin local manufacturing, with designs sourced from Italy," he said. "This will involve an additional investment of ₹200 crore."
Daikin India, which exports to 54 countries, is working on its Vision 2030 road map, aiming to grow exports to 100 markets, touch $4 billion in revenue from India, and make the country a major component manufacturing hub.
