HARTING views India as a high-potential market: Jörg Scheer

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HARTING views India as a high-potential market: Jörg Scheer

HARTING views India as a high-potential market: Jörg Scheer

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Apr 29,25

In this interaction with Rakesh Rao during Hannover Messe 2025, Jörg Scheer, MD of HARTING Electronics & HARTING Customised Solutions, highlights on emerging opportunities with the rise in electrification across industries.

HARTING views India as a high-potential market: Jörg Scheer

HARTING, a traditional, family-owned company, is celebrating its 80th anniversary this year. The company, currently led by Philip Harting (the third generation of the HARTING family), is today a truly international organisation with 14 production facilities and 42 sales companies spread across the world. In this interaction with Rakesh Rao during Hannover Messe 2025, Jörg Scheer, Managing Director of HARTING Electronics & HARTING Customised Solutions, highlights on emerging opportunities with the rise in electrification across industries.

Could you describe your role in more detail?

In my position, I lead the global product portfolio strategy. My team and I work to understand current and future market needs and translate those insights into a strong and relevant product lineup. We ensure that our subsidiaries across the globe are equipped with the right solutions tailored for their respective markets.

What is HARTING best known for in the global market?

HARTING is globally recognised for its excellence in the field of rectangular connectors. In fact, we have been pioneers in this domain and have helped to set industry standards for decades. As the needs of various industries evolved, we also expanded our product offerings. We added circular connectors, such as the M8, M12, M17, and M23 series, which are commonly used in field installations and suit a wide range of industrial applications. This expansion has allowed us to meet the growing demand for reliable and versatile connectivity solutions.

What industries and sectors does HARTING primarily serve?

Our work is guided by a central mission, which we call connecting the All Electric Society (AES). This phrase reflects our firm belief that the world is steadily moving toward full electrification. We see this transformation occurring across the value chain — from renewable energy generation through wind and solar sources to electrified applications on the user end. HARTING plays an integral role in this transition by delivering the connectivity and cabling infrastructure needed to bring everything together.

To align with this mission, we focus on five major sectors: industry, energy, infrastructure, mobility, and agriculture.

How important is the rise in electrification for your business?

It is extremely significant and a major driver for our future growth. According to projections, global energy demand will double by 2050 due to factors such as population growth and increased electrification. Alongside this rising demand, there will be a rapid increase in the share of renewable energy sources in the global energy mix. This shift is already visible worldwide, including in fast-developing markets like India. HARTING’s solutions are well-positioned to support this transformation.

How is HARTING addressing the growing renewable energy segment?

We have adopted a focused approach to renewable energy by targeting specific applications such as wind turbines. In this space, we collaborate closely with leading manufacturers to co-develop connector and cabling solutions tailored to their unique needs. Our goal is to deliver solutions that meet evolving customer expectations for higher power, improved reliability, and cost efficiency. Additionally, through our sister company Studer Cables AG, which specialises in cables, we are able to offer complete connectivity packages that combine connectors and cables into a unified solution.

What role does Asia, and India in particular, play in your global operations?

Asia is a crucial region for HARTING, contributing around one-third of our global turnover. Within Asia, India accounts for approximately 25 per cent. Over the years, we have continuously expanded our footprint in India through investments in manufacturing, sales, and support infrastructure. Our presence in the country is growing steadily, and we view India as a high-potential market with long-term growth prospects.

Could you please shed light on your investment plans?

We are investing around €75 million over the next five years to build a fully automated and digitalised manufacturing facility in Germany. This “Future Factory” will serve as a benchmark for modern production and innovation. However, our investments are not limited to Germany. We are also expanding our capabilities in other parts of the world, including India, Vietnam, and the United States. In India, we are enhancing our local manufacturing step by step by installing new machines and expanding our production footprint to meet regional demand.

Do you anticipate any major disruptions or challenges in the next couple of years?

I do not foresee any major disruptions to our core business of physical connectors and cabling, especially for demanding environments such as energy infrastructure. Wireless technologies cannot completely replace the reliability and robustness required in such applications. However, artificial intelligence (AI) is one area that could become a game changer. While AI may not directly impact our business model, it can significantly improve internal processes. Companies that successfully implement AI in areas like development, production, and supply chain management will gain a strong competitive edge. In that sense, AI has the potential to be disruptive.

What kind of opportunities do you see in the Indian data centre area?

We already support major global data centre operators with our connectivity solutions. Since many of these companies are expanding their presence in India, it is a natural extension for us to support them locally as well. Moreover, if Indian data centre operators continue to grow in scale and sophistication, we are open to working with them too. We see this as a promising opportunity for our business.

How do you see India’s role evolving within HARTING’s global growth strategy?

India is following a growth trajectory that is, in many ways, reminiscent of China’s development over the past decade. As global companies diversify their manufacturing and investment strategies, India is emerging as a natural choice. We see significant opportunities in India, particularly in areas aligned with the government’s long-term strategic plans. For instance, India’s roadmap for hydrogen energy aligns well with our capabilities, and we already offer connectivity solutions tailored to hydrogen applications. Our goal is to grow alongside India by supporting such national initiatives.

Which sectors are driving demands for HARTING?

Without a doubt, the strongest sector for us in India is rolling stock—the railway industry. Today, there is virtually no Indian train that does not have at least one HARTING connector installed. During my recent visit, I met with a local manufacturer working on India’s first indigenous high-speed train, and they are using our products in that project as well.

The second most important sector for us is machinery and industrial automation. We are also seeing growing interest in sectors related to India’s electrical grid, including transformers and substations. These areas offer substantial potential for growth and innovation, and we are actively developing solutions to meet their requirements.