Schmitz Cargobull has, according to its own statements, acquired 27.5 percent of the shares in the Indian company Sub Zero Insulation Technologies. The manufacturer of insulated and refrigerated commercial vehicle bodies, based in Pune in western India, produces more than 1,500 units annually and counts among the suppliers for vehicle manufacturers such as Tata Motors, Mahindra, Ashok Leyland, Volvo Eicher, Isuzu and Bharat Benz. The agreement also includes an option to increase the stake at a later date.
Expansion of the Indian cold chain market
According to Schmitz Cargobull, the partnership is part of the global
expansion strategy and targets the rapidly growing market for temperature-controlled transport in India. The background is that currently between 30 and 40 percent of perishable foods in the country are lost due to inadequate cold chains. These losses contribute significantly to greenhouse gas emissions.
"The Indian cold chain sector is developing rapidly, and Sub Zero has shown that it has great potential to lead this transformation. By combining our technical expertise with Sub Zero's market presence, we want to offer high-quality and efficient transport solutions across India and beyond. This is not only about business growth,
but also about building an infrastructure that can help reduce the 30-40% of perishable products that annually go to waste due to inadequate cold chains — a problem that also contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions," says Andreas Schmitz, CEO of Schmitz Cargobull AG.
Modernization and technology transfer
The focus of the cooperation is the modernization of production processes at Sub Zero's plant in Pune. Planned is the introduction of technologies from Schmitz Cargobull, including in the areas of insulated panels and trailer telematics. In addition, easy-to-assemble modular kits for refrigerated and dry freight bodies are
to be exported from Germany to serve both the domestic and international markets.
Knowledge exchange between Germany and India
According to the German manufacturer, the agreement includes training and knowledge-exchange programs between the teams in India and Germany. The aim is to harmonize manufacturing standards and raise production in Pune to a higher technological level.
Part of a long-term strategy
The investment is part of Schmitz Cargobull's overarching strategy to actively expand its international presence in emerging markets. According to the company, this should promote locally tailored solutions and establish worldwide standards in transport infrastructure. (av)
