Zeroed In On Nagpur Due To Zero Mile Vantage Point, Says Horiba India Boss

Nagpur: Horiba India Chairman Jai Hakhu said on Saturday that the Japanese conglomerate chose Nagpur for its latest investment because of the city’s strategic Zero Mile location, which positions it at the heart of India.
Speaking at the inauguration of Horiba’s advanced medical equipment and consumables manufacturing plant, Hakhu spoke more about the decision to set up the facility at the nationally central location.

“Nagpur’s Zero Mile location made it an ideal choice for us. It allows for efficient distribution of products across the country without relying on ports. We aim to use this central position to streamline our operations and expand ,” he said.
Horiba India has also partnered with Nagpur University to offer training programmes for students, preparing them for future employment opportunities.
“We have started with 70 employees and plan to increase this number to over 100 soon,” Hakhu added.
While the current focus is on manufacturing reagents, the company is preparing to set up a semiconductor unit, but with focus on producing ‘mass flow controllers’ (MFCs), a critical component for semiconductor making.
Corporate officer Rajeev Gautam emphasized that the Nagpur facility is just the beginning of the company’s vision for growth in India. “We have utilized 50% of our facility, and the remaining space will be developed as per our expansion plans,” he said.
The Nagpur plant is poised to become a hub for hematology-focused medical devices, with ambitions to eventually expand into materials, energy, and environment. “Our goal is to achieve 50% localization of products initially,” Gautam concluded.