Power and automation technology group ABB has announced that it will invest about $24 million (Rs 115 crore) on a new facility in India to manufacture a new range of products.

The new manufacturing facility would be set up in the company’s Nelamangala campus here and will produce miniature circuit breakers, residual current circuit breakers and surge protection devices, employing around 300 people, the company said.

“This is our biggest investment worldwide in 2011, with the motive to support the market growth in India with the availability of high quality products and state-of-the-art training centres and facilities,” said Mr Tarak Mehta, head of ABB’s low voltage products division.

Mr Tommy Andreasson, manager of low voltage products division in India, said: “With focus now on India, this investment is targeted to meet the customer requirements of the local market.”

ABB’s low voltage products division in India has delivered 25 million poles to the domestic market through wholesalers and a network of channel partners, the company said.

This investment will increase the production capacity to serve both domestic and export markets.

The plant will manufacture a new range of protection devices used in residential and commercial buildings, industrial and renewable energy applications, data centres and the telecommunications industry to protect installations against excess current, short-circuits and leakage current, it was stated.