Australian design, Indian manufacturing: Heat and Control builds a global delivery model

International business story | An Australian government case published in July 2024 traces food-equipment maker Heat and Control's India route. The company entered India in 2006 selling equipment for Western snacks. The turning point came when customers asked for machinery for namkeen, a traditional savoury snack. Instead of transplanting its existing product, it first studied the local food.

According to the case, Australian engineers visited India to observe how namkeen was made and engineered a solution. A Chennai factory then assembled equipment using Australian parts, first at 500 kilograms per hour and later one and three tonnes per hour. Localisation was not a translated brochure; it meant redesigning the process and capacity around the product.

By early 2024 the Chennai factory employed more than 600 people in manufacturing, sales and administration. That is employment at the Indian operation, not revenue from a product. The facility also became a global supply base combining Australian design with Indian manufacturing. A local team needed sales, delivery and management capability, not just a representative address.

The India and South Asia manager told Austrade that about 70% of Chennai output was exported, with customers across South America, Europe and Southeast Asia. This is the company's reported export share; the case gives no revenue or profit figure. It nevertheless shows the plant was designed as a regional manufacturing node, making parts, talent, ports and agreements relevant to location choice.

The case records a multi-region order: business won from Europe for high-output machinery sold to South America, capable of producing 25 tonnes of French fries per hour and assembled in India. Australia led engineering design, while India handled detailed design, risk assessment and assembly. The deliverable joined capabilities across locations rather than representing a simple one-country export.

Austrade says its India manufacturing specialists provided on-the-ground advice for more than 20 years and helped with government, investment events and potential customers. Practical next step: map where customer insight, design, purchasing, assembly and service should sit, with cost and compliance responsibility for each. Pilot the one stage needing localisation most; do not assume a full factory must come first.

Sources

• Australian engineering and Indian manufacturing a recipe for global exports | Austrade

Some images in this article are generated illustrations.