Vanderlande Opens India Innovation Centre in Pune to Boost Logistics Tech

Vanderlande, a global leader in logistics process automation, has inaugurated its India Innovation Centre (IIC) in Pune, marking a significant milestone in the company’s ongoing commitment to innovation and customer-centric solutions. The new facility, designed as a collaboration-driven space, reflects Vanderlande’s core principle of placing customers at the heart of its operations, with innovation as the driving force behind progress. The Centre is intended to foster an environment where engineers and experts from across the globe can come together to co-create, test, and innovate end-to-end solutions in a variety of fields, including robotic automation, autonomous systems, artificial intelligence, and digital-physical integration. These areas of focus will not only cater to Vanderlande’s existing global customer base but also help shape the future of automation across the warehousing, airport, and parcel sectors. The opening of the IIC in Pune is a key development in Vanderlande India’s evolution as a Global Capability Centre (GCC). This facility further strengthens India’s position as Vanderlande’s second-largest technology hub globally, after the Netherlands. Vanderlande’s Chief Financial Officer, Astrid van Druten, emphasized the significance of this new innovation centre in India’s expanding role within the company’s technology journey. "For our customers, automation is no longer optional it is essential", she said. She went on to highlight that the Innovation Centres are crucial for creating smarter and more efficient solutions, underscoring the company’s core values, such as 'Every Day Better', which focuses on continuous improvement and innovation. "India will further strengthen our global innovation ecosystem through this new centre", she added. The IIC, spanning across two acres, brings together global collaboration, research and development, and system testing under one roof. It is designed to integrate training, testing, and full engineering ownership of Vanderlande’s market-leading systems. The Centre is equipped to allow teams to work more closely on the entire engineering lifecycle, from conceptualization to implementation, enabling them to develop real-world applications that will enhance automation solutions for customers worldwide. The centre also offers a unique opportunity for current and future employees to deepen their technical expertise while contributing directly to the automation journeys of customers across the globe. Manish Patil, Managing Director of Vanderlande India, shared his excitement about the new Centre, calling it a major step forward for the company. "The inauguration of our new India Innovation Centre marks an important milestone that reflects Vanderlande’s confidence and continued investments in Vanderlande India. The centre embodies our ambition to support innovation, build global capabilities, and make a positive impact on Vanderlande’s worldwide operations", he said. Vanderlande India’s journey began with a small support office and has since grown into a thriving Global Capability Centre with over 1,300 employees. The company’s operations in India span various areas, including research and development, software development, core engineering disciplines, and shared services. The opening of the India Innovation Centre signifies the next phase of Vanderlande India’s evolution, moving from execution to a more innovative approach, advancing the company’s 'Everyday Better' journey and further solidifying its role in global logistics automation. Founded in 1949, Vanderlande is a global leader in future-proof logistics process automation, with a strong presence in the warehousing, airports, and parcel sectors. The company’s integrated portfolio of systems, intelligent software, and life-cycle services enables fast, reliable, and efficient automation on a global scale. Vanderlande employs over 11,000 people worldwide and reported a turnover of €2.3 billion in FY2025. In the airport automation sector, its solutions for baggage handling and passenger services are used at more than 600 airports, including 17 of the world’s top 20, handling over 4 billion bags annually. In the parcel sector, Vanderlande’s systems sort over 52 million parcels every day for leading global operators. Since becoming part of Toyota Industries Corporation in 2017, Vanderlande has further solidified its position as a global leader in automated material handling solutions.