Ingersoll Rand India is a diversified industrial manufacturer with multi-location capabilities in compression and air treatment, serving industries such as electronics, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, cement, metals and energy, while strengthening its role as a localisation- and export-led manufacturing hub, states Sunil Khanduja, Managing Director, Ingersoll Rand India.

Kindly brief us about Ingersoll Rand India (in terms of its businesses, manufacturing facilities, end-user industries served, etc.) 

Ingersoll Rand India is part of Ingersoll Rand Inc, a US-headquartered global industrial company with over 150 years of innovation and more than a century-long presence in India. In India, we operate through multiple divisions and have 40+ brands. Through our Compression Systems and Services (CSS) business, we deliver advanced air compression, air treatment and after-market solutions across oil-free, centrifugal, reciprocating and oil-lubricated technologies. 

We serve a wide spectrum of end-user industries including pharmaceuticals, food & beverages, electronics, automotive, cement, steel, chemicals, textiles, FMCG, general manufacturing, power and energy. Our manufacturing footprint spans Naroda (Gujarat), which produces oil-lubricated and Reciprocating compressors and air treatment equipment, and our newest facility in Sanand (Gujarat), focused on ETO ( Engineered to order), next-generation oil-free and centrifugal technologies, Bio CNG specialised gas compressors, Nitrogen generators, Chillers, High pressure air compressors (LRBU)?along with exports and localisation-led growth. This is complemented by a strong nationwide service network and digital platforms that enable lifecycle performance management for customers. 

In Oct 2025, Ingersoll Rand opened its new Sanand manufacturing facility in Gujarat. How does this expansion fit into Ingersoll Rand India’s long-term growth strategy, particularly in terms of scale, localisation and export capability? 

The Sanand facility is a cornerstone of Ingersoll Rand India’s long-term growth strategy. It significantly expands our manufacturing scale while strengthening localisation across high-technology product platforms, particularly oil-free, centrifugal and bio gas compressors. This enables us to deliver faster lead times, improved supply resilience, and better cost competitiveness for Indian customers. 

Equally important, Sanand enhances our export capability, positioning India as a strategic manufacturing hub for regional and global markets. The facility is designed with advanced automation, sustainability standards, and digital manufacturing systems, supporting our ambition to build world-class operations while aligning with India’s Make-in-India and Atmanirbhar Bharat priorities. 

Which end-user industries are expected to drive demand over the next phase of growth? 

We see strong growth momentum from electronics and semiconductors, electric vehicles and battery manufacturing, chemicals, pharmaceuticals and life sciences, food and beverage, and renewable energy-related industries such as hydrogen, solar manufacturing, and energy storage. Infrastructure-led sectors including cement and metals will also continue to be major demand drivers. These industries increasingly require high-purity, high-reliability, and digitally enabled systems — areas where Ingersoll Rand has strong differentiation. 

Industrial manufacturing in India is witnessing rising demand for engineered-to-order, high-performance and high-reliability systems. How are customer expectations evolving, and what does this mean for solution providers operating in this space? 

Customers today are moving beyond equipment purchases to long term partnerships and complete care of their assets. ?They expect solutions that are engineered to their process conditions, integrated into their operations, digitally connected, and supported by guaranteed uptime and lifecycle performance. Reliability, energy optimisation, safety, and regulatory compliance are no longer optional — they are baseline expectations. 

For solution providers, this means shifting from product-centric selling to system-level engineering, digital enablement, and service-led engagement. At Ingersoll Rand, this translates into deeper application engineering, modular customisation, predictive maintenance offerings, and performance-based service models that deliver measurable business outcomes for customers. 

Sustainability is increasingly becoming a competitive differentiator in industrial manufacturing. From your perspective, how critical will net-zero operations, digital monitoring and resource efficiency be in shaping future manufacturing investments? 

Sustainability is no longer a compliance requirement — it is a strategic growth driver. Net-zero manufacturing, real-time energy monitoring, circular resource use, and water efficiency will increasingly determine where and how capital is deployed. Customers are actively evaluating suppliers based on environmental performance, transparency, and lifecycle impact. 

Digital platforms play a critical role here by providing real-time visibility into energy consumption, emissions, and asset health, enabling data-driven decisions that improve efficiency and reduce waste. Companies that embed sustainability into product design, manufacturing operations, and service delivery will gain a decisive competitive advantage. 

How important are modern technologies and automation (including AI) in enhancing operational excellence in the manufacturing sector? 

Advanced automation, analytics, and AI are fundamental to achieving operational excellence today. They enable predictive maintenance, process optimisation; quality control, and supply chain resilience — all while improving safety and workforce productivity. AI-driven insights help manufacturers shift from reactive operations to predictive and prescriptive decision-making. 

At Ingersoll Rand with Helix, iConn and Ecoplant, ?we are embedding digital intelligence into both our products and manufacturing operations, enabling customers and internal teams to unlock higher uptime, better asset utilisation, and lower total cost of ownership. 

As India strengthens its manufacturing, what are the challenges on the way to becoming a global manufacturing hub? 

India’s manufacturing growth journey is very promising, but challenges remain. These include supply chain localisation depth, infrastructure readiness, skills availability, regulatory harmonisation, and ease of doing business across states. Additionally, manufacturers must balance rapid scale-up with global quality standards, sustainability expectations, and technology adoption. 

However, with continued policy reforms, investments in infrastructure, and focus on skilling, India is well positioned to overcome these challenges and emerge as a globally competitive manufacturing destination. 

Looking ahead, what is your outlook for India’s industrial and process manufacturing sectors over the next five to seven years? 

We are very optimistic about India’s industrial growth trajectory. Over the next five to seven years, we expect strong expansion driven by infrastructure investment, supply chain diversification, electrification, energy transition initiatives, and domestic consumption growth. Sectors such as pharmaceuticals, electronics, clean energy, chemicals, power, energy and advanced manufacturing will lead this momentum. 

India will not only grow as a consumption market but also as a global production and export hub for high-value engineered systems and industrial technologies. 

How is Ingersoll Rand India preparing to stay ahead in an increasingly competitive and volatile environment? 

We are focused on six strategic pillars: innovation-led growth, growth through air treatment, localisation and manufacturing excellence, digital and service expansion, customer-centric solution engineering, and talent development. Investments in facilities like Sanand, advanced digital platforms, and next-generation product portfolios position us strongly for the future. 

Equally important is our commitment to building deep partnerships with customers, channel partners, and suppliers, enabling us to deliver resilient, high-performance solutions even in dynamic market conditions. This combination of global technology leadership and strong local execution allows Ingersoll Rand India to stay ahead in an increasingly competitive and evolving industrial landscape.