Daikin plans Rs 2,800 crore India investment for cooling R&D and capacity

Daikin is lining up Rs 2,800 crore in fresh India investment, including Rs 1,300 crore for chiller and high-capacity AC R&D. The Japanese cooling major is targeting R&D and innovation centres by 2028 as it expands across residential, commercial and data-centre demand.

— Source publishedFri, 28 Aug, 2026, 03:46 IST·First seen Fri, 28 Aug, 2026, 04:12 IST·Source Times of India · Business

What happened

Daikin plans Rs 2,800 crore of fresh India investment, including Rs 1,300 crore for chiller and high-capacity air-conditioner R&D. The Japanese company is

Key facts

  • Rs 2,800 crore
  • Rs 1,300 crore
  • 2009
  • 2025
  • 2028

Why this matters

Daikin’s planned R&D and innovation centres through 2028 raise the strategic value of Indian cooling technology, manufacturing and channel partnerships.

What to watch

  • Capex approval and commissioning milestones for the Rs 1,300 crore R&D program.
  • Data-centre construction pipeline, power-availability announcements and large cooling-system order wins.
  • India AC demand during peak summers and commercial real-estate absorption.
  • Government incentives, import-duty changes and energy-efficiency/refrigerant regulations.
  • Competitor investments and pricing actions from Voltas, Blue Star, LG, Carrier, Mitsubishi Electric and Johnson Controls.
  • Announce locations, timelines and product scope for chiller/high-capacity AC R&D centres.
  • Expand local manufacturing and supplier partnerships for compressors, controls, heat exchangers and refrigerant systems.
  • Target data-centre developers, EPC firms and large commercial real-estate projects with integrated cooling contracts.
  • Increase hiring of HVAC engineers, digital controls specialists and service technicians.
  • Use R&D output to launch India-specific energy-efficient and low-GWP refrigerant products.