Alfred K?rcher GmbH & Co. KG has established a subsidiary in India. The world's leading manufacturer of cleaning technology, based in Winnenden, near Stuttgart, Germany, has opened its subsidiary in India. With this, the company now has sales organizations of its own in 50 countries. The aim in establishing the Indian company is to step up expansion of its countrywide dealer and service network to increase customer proximity on the Indian subcontinent. The managing directors are Mr Anil Sethi and Mr Stephen Ede.

"India holds tremendous potential for K?rcher. It is one of the world's largest and fast growing economies, where cleaning needs are increasing in line with increasingly complex processes," said Mr Hartmut Jenner, Chief Executive Officer of the K?rcher group. "The country's infrastructure has been expanded greatly in recent years and many hotels, office buildings, public institutions and roads have been built. Our innovative machines make it possible to clean them quickly, thoroughly and efficiently."

K?rcher has collaborated for more than ten years with Manmachine India Pvt Ltd, a family firm established by Mr Anil Sethi in 1987. Based in Noida, the company is one of the largest providers of cleaning technology in India. Over this period it has also built up a sales and service network with trading partners and eight branches of its own. With the establishment of K?rcher India, Manmachine has joined the K?rcher group of companies. The Indian subsidiary has 127 employees.

K?rcher provides innovative solutions such as pressure washers, vacuums and steam cleaners, dry ice blasting machines, sweepers and scrubber-driers, car washes, cleaning agents, drinking water and wastewater treatment systems, water dispensers and pumps for home and garden. The main buyers of its machines are in the automotive sector, commercial cleaning, hotels and catering, farming, local authorities, trade and industry, and private households.

As the world market leader, K?rcher currently has more than 8,000 employees in 50 countries and 70 subsidiaries. A family firm founded in 1935, it manufactures its cleaning equipment in Germany, Italy, Romania, the United States, Brazil, Mexico and China. Fifty thousand service centres in all countries ensure full service cover for customers worldwide. In the company's development centres, more than 600 engineers and technicians are engaged in design-engineering new solutions. In 2010, the cleaning specialist posted sales of more than of 1.5 billion (10,000 crore rupees), the highest in its history, and sold 7.3 million machines, more then ever before in its 75 years in business.

By continuing to develop new solutions, and thanks to its strong customer focus, K?rcher has succeeded in growing continuously throughout its 75-year history. At the same time, economic success and sustainable development have always been a clear corporate focus. "We invest more than the average in research and development, in modern production processes and in high-quality employee training and continuing education," K?rcher CEO Hartmut Jenner said. "Equally important is proximity to our customers because cleaning is complex and has to satisfy a wide range of demands. That is why in every sales region we rely on high service standards and expert advice." With the economic success that this brings, the company creates the conditions for involvement over and above its day-to-day business - in cultural projects, social institutions or environmental protection.