BENGALURU: Zebra Technologies is expanding in tier-2 and tier-3 cities, owing to rising demand from manufacturing, quick commerce and logistics sectors in emerging industrial and consumption hubs, Subramaniam Thiruppathi, Country Head Intelligent Supply Chain (ISC), told TNIE.
The company is increasing its presence in cities such as Hosur, Krishnagiri, Salem, Coimbatore, Pune and Ahmedabad, where industrial activity and consumption are rising. Thiruppathi said these locations are seeing stronger economic momentum, driven by manufacturing growth and a widening middle-class base.
“Manufacturing is our fastest growing vertical,” he said, adding that growth in factories is also supporting sectors such as retail, e-commerce and transportation. As incomes rise in these regions, spending on goods is increasing, leading to expansion in both physical retail and online commerce.
He pointed to the growth of dark stores and fulfillment centres as a key trend. These facilities, which support quick commerce and faster deliveries, are becoming an important part of Zebra’s business in India. The company works with retailers and logistics providers to improve tracking, inventory and delivery efficiency.
Transport, logistics and ports are also seeing higher demand for digitisation. “Manufacturing also needs transport and logistics (TNL), both at the periphery and internally. Retail e-commerce needs TNL,” he said.
Government projects have emerged as another fast-growing area. Thiruppathi said public sector demand is increasing across departments such as police, defence and excise, including systems used for tracking goods like liquor bottles. “Government is digitising across the police, army, navy, and the excise department… This is also very fast-growing,” he said.
Despite the strong growth, India remains a small part of Zebra Technologies’ global business. Thiruppathi said the country contributes about 2–2.5% of overall revenue. “India is clearly the fastest growing country… percentages are increasing actually even in terms of growth percentage and also global market share,” he said.
The company is also hiring to support its expansion, especially in emerging industrial regions. It focuses on sectors such as automobiles, electronics manufacturing services (EMS), and pharmaceuticals, as well as organised retail and e-commerce.
Regarding technology adoption, Thiruppathi said companies are increasingly turning to automation and artificial intelligence (AI) to improve operations. However, he noted that data remains a key challenge. “The biggest challenge for adopting AI is data,” he said.
He added that businesses are moving away from relying only on historical reports towards real-time insights. “Now, no more people want to know systems of record. They want systems of reality,” he said, referring to the need for live operational visibility.