Hafele Strengthens “Make in India” Commitment with New Local Production Setup

• Beginning of Manufacturing in India, built to scale with a larger vision ahead

Hafele announced the commencement of operations at its new local production setup in Maharashtra, India, marking a significant milestone in the company’s long-term localisation strategy and reinforcing its commitment to the Government of India’s “Make in India” initiative. This development represents a strategic step toward building a future-ready manufacturing ecosystem in the country, enabling local value creation while laying the groundwork for scalable operations.

Hafele’s global manufacturing and supply chain network already includes production facilities across Europe, forming a strong foundation of manufacturing excellence. The India production initiative builds on this established base, extending the company’s capabilities into one of its most strategically important growth markets.

In its initial phase, Hafele has commenced production with the MatrixBox Premium+ range of drawer systems—a solution designed to enhance functionality and durability in modern kitchens. Engineered for smooth soft-close and noiseless performance, the system supports heavy-duty usage and offers extensive design versatility through multiple premium finishes and customisable add-ons. This milestone marks the beginning of Hafele’s manufacturing strategy in India, with the setup created to enable the phased addition of further products and categories over time, aligned with market needs and long-term localisation plans.

This initial production site enables an early start to local manufacturing while Hafele simultaneously develops its larger-scale manufacturing hub to support future growth and expanded operations in India.

The initiative has been conceived as a strategic enabler within Hafele’s broader localisation roadmap. It supports early capability building, workforce training, process validation, and supply-chain stabilisation—while enabling more agile and efficient operations aligned with evolving market needs.

As part of strengthening its local manufacturing ecosystem, Hafele has expanded its Service+Customised capabilities in India. The company now produces bespoke aluminium profiled cabinet fronts at its dedicated set-up in Mumbai. These customised aluminium fronts are pre-assembled and pre-drilled to ensure precision, consistent quality, and efficient installation across kitchen, wardrobe, and furniture applications. By bringing this capability in-house, Hafele enhances design flexibility, improves lead times, and creates greater value for its channel partners—further advancing its long-term localisation strategy.

Sharing a global perspective, Michael Distl, Chief Financial Officer, Hafele Group, stated: “Strengthening our global production network requires strategic investments in key growth markets like India. This initiative enables early process validation, enhances financial efficiency, and builds organisational readiness, while ensuring that governance, quality, and compliance standards remain fully aligned with Hafele’s global benchmarks.”

Highlighting operational significance, Boris Katic, Chief Operating Officer, Hafele Group, added: “Building strong manufacturing capabilities begins with people, finding the right processes and supply chains. This initiative is part of our broader vision to decentralise global supply chains by creating strategic sourcing and production hubs in key regions, thereby strengthening our position as a manufacturing-driven organisation and extending our production footprint closer to the markets we serve. In this context, India is poised to play a pivotal role, not only serving domestic demand, but also evolving into a hub that supports global markets in the years ahead.”

Commenting on the development, Frank Schloeder, Managing Director, Hafele South Asia, said: “This marks a decisive step forward in our ‘Make in India’ strategy. It enables us to build manufacturing capabilities locally, nurture talent, and respond faster to the needs of the Indian market. India continues to be a strategic growth market for Hafele, and this milestone reinforces our long-term commitment to local value addition and operational excellence.”

The initiative supports Hafele’s long-term strategy of increasing localisation by lowering reliance on imports, strengthening supply-chain resilience, and enabling faster, more agile responses to the needs of the Indian and South Asian markets, while creating a strong base for scalable and sustainable manufacturing operations in the years ahead.