At the recent Pamex event in Mumbai, Becker India highlighted its local manufacturing. “Last year in September, we started Make in India,” Milind Bhalerao, managing director of Becker India, said. The company has begun to produce a specific range of pumps locally, initially catering to Indian customers. Over time, Becker India plans to expand this portfolio and move towards exports of India-made products. The move signals a long-term commitment to building manufacturing capabilities within the country rather than depending entirely on imports.
The company, part of the 140-year-old German family-owned Becker group, is strengthening its localization efforts in India while introducing technology aimed at improving plant-wide efficiency for printers and packaging converters. Becker manufactures vacuum pumps and pneumatic compressor units, and its systems are widely integrated into printing machinery across global markets. “All the machines which are coming from Europe, from China, from the US—they have already Becker pumps installed,” Bhalerao said, adding that Indian printing equipment manufacturers also rely heavily on Becker systems. The brand, he noted, enjoys a strong market share in the sector.
Alongside the localization theme, Becker introduced an oil screw vacuum pump for centralised vacuum systems for supply to an entire pressroom as an instance. According to Bhalerao, centralised systems offer multiple operational advantages for large production facilities. “Customers get many benefits by putting a centralized system in their plants—to save energy, reduce noise, and reduce temperature in the production hall,” he explained. He further stated that the return on investment for such installations typically falls within two to two-and-a-half years. He described the oil screw pump as a new-generation solution developed specifically for evolving plant requirements in India.
Beyond hardware, Bhalerao pointed to a noticeable shift in customer expectations. “People are looking for solutions, not only the product as a commodity.” He further adds, “Buyers today are evaluating reliability, lifecycle performance, and energy efficiency rather than focusing solely on upfront cost. Our products last more than 30–40 years in the market.”
Commenting on his experience at the Pamex exhibition, he pointed out that various trade exhibitions continue to play an important role in Becker India’s outreach strategy. While the company has an established presence in the organised printing sector, such platforms allow it to connect with new and previously untapped customers. Bhalerao noted that events help overcome geographical limitations, as prospective buyers from different parts of the country visit the stand proactively, often already familiar with Becker’s reputation in the industry.
Various expansion plans are also taking shape as the Indian office has begun handling operations for the Middle East region and is adding Africa to its scope of activities. With a strong domestic base and growing manufacturing capabilities, Becker India is aiming to replicate its Indian growth story in neighbouring markets.
