3M India’s R&D facility in Bangalore was built with the intention to accelerate development of products ‘in India for India’; today they organized a two-day exhibition ‘Tech Connect’, to showcase some of the 10,000+ products across 3M’s 46 technology platforms. TechConnect was conceptualized to offer a platform for its customers and display an ecosystem to collaborate and co-create solutions by combining various technologies of 3M to develop unique new products. For 3M India, R&D is the backbone of its innovation and design which helps the company to create solutions for its customers.
Speaking at the event, Ms. Debarati Sen, 3M India‘s Managing Director , said, “Customer and market insights are core to our innovation process. Our R&D centers in India have relentlessly worked towards understanding the needs of Indian households and markets to cater to the local needs of consumers. Our focus is also to bring to India, the best of 3M’s technologies while manufacturing products in India, in order to drive India’s growth and work closely with Government’s ‘Make in India’ project.”
The Indian team has designed products which are unique and meaningful to a user in India in the Consumer and Industrial business verticals. In addition, it is also a critical hub to contribute product platforms for 3M’s global markets. The R&D center showcased its innovation in the areas of heat and light management, health and safety, improving the quality of life, sustainability and design – innovations which are in sync with trends that India is currently witnessing. Also showcased at the event were core technologies which include adhesives, non-woven, advanced materials, electricals and electronics, films and advanced lighting.
Some of the unique/award winning products designed and developed in the India R&D Centre:
Scotch-Brite TM Twister Mop:
3M India’s Scotch-Brite TM Twister Mop, a completely designed in India for India product received international recognition in product design excellence by winning the 2016 Red Dot Product Design award. In a market that is flooded with a variety of floor cleaning tools, 3M India was able to empathize with a customer’s struggle of keeping the floor clean in their homes and based on in-depth market research, created an easy-to-use tool that is light in weight, has superior cleaning efficiency and a good usage experience specifically for Indian households.
Variable Messaging Sign Boards:
3M’s Smart Variable Messaging Sign solution provides real time and automated traffic updates, journey time, live congestion updates for important junctions and also intelligently suggests alternate optimal routes for road users to reach their destination sooner and safer. The 3M Smart Variable Messaging Sign solution also provides live weather updates, live air quality updates, and serves as a single window medium for dispatching emergency information to citizens across government agencies like Police, Fire, Ambulance, highway patrol etc. The system is also designed to intelligently pick up information from road side sensors to provide real time parking information to commuters. This was deployed in Bangalore during the Aero Show, in Assam during the Brahmaputra river festival and many other cities as well which won many accolades from traffic authorities and commuters.
3M™ Solar Raised Pavement Marker:
A sustainable solution for road safety, the innovative full plastic body 3M Solar Raised Pavement Marker is designed with several unique features resulting in superior performance and increased run time. Solar Raised Pavement Marker (RPM) utilizes the sun’s energy to power a ‘ring’ of light that offers warning on medians during night driving. 3M Light Management Technology ensures uniform light through the ring, while the raised profile of the RPM offers tactile feedback to deliver passive safety.
Over the past five years, 3M has filed 100+ patents from R&D centers in India. 3M’s R&D centres also have a design studio where Design Thinking tools and methodologies are used to uncover latent and unmet needs of their customers. 3M applies science and innovation to make a real impact by igniting progress and inspiring innovation in lives and communities across the globe.
About 3M India
3M was established in India in 1988 and next year will complete 30 years of operations. 3M India headquarters is based in Bengaluru with branch offices at Mumbai, Gurgaon, Pune, Kolkata, Hyderabad and Chennai. 3M leverages its global innovation expertise to develop home-grown solutions that address unique needs of diverse customers in the Indian market. 3M has invested in Innovation Centers at Bengaluru and Gurgaon to boost local product development and its manufacturing footprint is spread across Bengaluru, Pune and Ahmedabad. From products that improve manufacturing efficiency and impact improved healthcare delivery to safety markers that help increase road visibility, everyday kitchen and home care aids and car care products; today, 3M innovation touches millions of Indians – making lives easier and better. For more details, visit www.3mindia.in.
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