LAPP sees India offering growth opportunities over the next 15–20 years
LAPP has completed the expansion of its Bhopal manufacturing facility, making it the German connectivity solutions company’s largest manufacturing plant worldwide.
The facility is expected to support the company’s planned growth through 2028 and account for close to 40% of its business in the coming years.
LAPP’s Bhopal unit was originally commissioned in 2012 for cable and wire manufacturing. The latest expansion, completed in August 2026, has added capacity for low-voltage power cables up to the 3.3kV voltage class. While LAPP has not disclosed the exact amount, the company said the expansion involved an investment in the three-digit-crore range.
Speaking to EFY, Updhar Srivastava, Vice President, LAPP India, said the expanded facility is already fully operational and will serve both the Indian market and international markets.
The Bhopal facility manufactures instrumentation, control and power cables, along with specialised cables for solar and e-mobility applications, including EV charging infrastructure.
A key feature of the facility is its high level of manufacturing automation. LAPP uses the latest distributed control systems (DCS) and programmable logic controllers (PLCs), with automated systems also deployed in its compounding and cable manufacturing operations.
The company has also established an in-house compounding facility to produce materials used for cable insulation and outer sheathing. An e-beam facility at the plant is used to strengthen the outer sheathing of cables for harsh operating environments.
According to Updhar, the company purchases only new machinery for its manufacturing operations. The Bhopal facility uses a combination of machines sourced from Europe and equipment manufactured by Indian suppliers.
Updhar mentioned that approximately 90% of the raw materials used at the facility are sourced from India. Around 90% of the products sold by LAPP in India are also manufactured locally.
“The company has been increasing localisation over the past five to six years to reduce its dependence on imports and mitigate supply-chain risks. We have developed a larger Indian vendor base for raw materials and components used in cable, connector, and harness manufacturing”, emphasised Updhar.
The strategy is particularly relevant for cables because their size and weight can make freight costs significant when products are imported. According to Updhar, increasing local manufacturing and sourcing has helped improve Lapp’s competitiveness while enabling exports to neighbouring markets.
Products manufactured at the facility will serve the Indian market and SAARC countries, while LAPP also plans to supply cables and harnessing solutions to markets in Asia, the Middle East, and parts of Europe. The company expects Bhopal to supply specialised cables to other LAPP entities globally.
Lapp sees opportunities in e-mobility, solar, data centres, and semiconductors, alongside infrastructure projects including railways and metros.
Its Indian R&D setup covers cables, connectors, and harnessing solutions, and works with customers on specialised and non-standard requirements.
The Bhopal expansion has also increased LAPP’s manufacturing workforce. More than 200 employees are currently employed directly at the facility, while the expansion has created more than 100 additional jobs.
“LAPP is hiring for manufacturing-related skills and relies largely on in-house training. Experts from European operations are brought to India when required to train employees on manufacturing technologies”, shared Updhar.
The company expects India to offer significant growth opportunities over the next 15–20 years. Over the next three to five years, LAPP is focusing on sectors attracting strong investment, including railways, metros, semiconductor manufacturing, data centres, solar, and e-mobility.
With the Bhopal expansion now operational, Updhar said the company will evaluate further expansion of its manufacturing and sales operations based on market demand.
