Henkel has launched of its Customer Application Center in Bengaluru, reinforcing its commitment to India’s expanding electronics manufacturing sector. The facility will function as a collaborative innovation hub where Henkel experts and customers can co-develop, test and validate advanced adhesive and thermal management solutions for next-generation electronics manufacturing.

The centre represents one of Henkel’s most significant application engineering investments in the India Middle East and Africa (IMEA) region. It addresses a key gap in India’s electronics value chain, the lack of local, world-class application testing and validation infrastructure, enabling manufacturers to develop, qualify and scale advanced materials without the time and cost of overseas testing.

India’s electronics manufacturing sector has grown nearly six-fold over the past decade, with momentum driven by the expansion of data centres and AI computing infrastructure, 5G and fibre networks, electric vehicle charging systems, industrial automation and advanced medical devices. These sectors depend on high-performance adhesives, thermal management materials and protective coatings, while requiring faster, localised application engineering support.

Bengaluru was selected due to its concentration of semiconductor design talent, electronics R&D centres and global OEM engineering teams, positioning the facility close to key innovation stakeholders.

“India’s electronics manufacturing ecosystem is at an inflection point, and Bengaluru is at the center of it,” said S. Sunil Kumar, Country President – India, Henkel. “What manufacturers across our focus sectors increasingly need is not just world-class materials, but a local partner who can co-develop, test, and validate those materials under real production conditions, and help them move from concept to market faster. That is precisely what this center is designed to do. It is our most tangible expression yet of Henkel's long-term commitment to India's electronics future.”

The 5,000 sq ft facility, including approximately 2,400 sq ft of laboratory and testing space, is designed to replicate actual electronics manufacturing conditions. This enables customers to evaluate and optimise materials and processes before scaling production. Around 60–65 per cent of the investment has been allocated to advanced lab and testing equipment, with 20–25 per cent directed towards customer co-development infrastructure.

The centre serves five high-growth sectors: telecom and 5G infrastructure, data centres and AI computing, power electronics and EV systems, industrial automation and medical electronics. Its capabilities include advanced thermal management testing, precision dispensing systems, electrical characterisation tools and rapid-cure chambers, supporting prototyping, material validation and production readiness.

The facility supports India’s Make in India and Production-Linked Incentive objectives by bringing application engineering, process optimisation and reliability validation onshore. Activities previously routed through overseas facilities can now be conducted locally, reducing development timelines and accelerating time to market.

Henkel’s application experts will collaborate closely with customer engineering teams at the facility to co-develop solutions tailored to specific device architectures and manufacturing requirements, distinguishing the centre from conventional testing laboratories.

SM&E's Take on the News:

Henkel’s new Customer Application Center strengthens India’s electronics manufacturing ecosystem by enabling local testing, co-development and faster validation of advanced materials, reducing dependence on overseas facilities. This will accelerate innovation and time-to-market across high-growth sectors such as AI, 5G, EVs and industrial automation, supporting India’s ambitions as a global electronics hub.