Keshav Murthy, Director of Sales and Marketing at Homag India, shares perspectives that shed light on the dynamics shaping India’s woodworking industry

Homag’s new production site near Bengaluru enables local manufacturing of new product lines, supports exports, and provides advanced customer training through its large experience center.

The woodworking industry in India is undergoing significant transformation, spurred by urbanisation, expansion in the real estate and furniture sectors, and the rapid adoption of advanced manufacturing technologies.

At the intersection of these developments is Homag India, part of the global Group, recognised for engineering expertise and integrated solutions for woodworking and furniture production.

As one of the fastest-growing markets within the Homag Group, India presents both opportunities and challenges: a rising need for sustainable materials, demand for precision manufacturing, workforce upskilling, and technological modernization.

HOMAG India’s role extends beyond supplying machinery to fostering innovation, contributing to global knowledge networks, and supporting manufacturers of all sizes in adapting to evolving industry conditions.

Homag India’s Director (Sales, Marketing and Life Cycle Services), Keshav Murthy, provided some insights into the company’s strategic position, changing customer requirements, operational challenges, technological priorities and plans.

Serving in the industry for close to two decades has helped him gain significant industry exposure and experience. His perspectives shed light

on the dynamics shaping India’s woodworking industry and its place in the broader Asia-Pacific region.

Market position

Homag India plays a vital role as the Group’s hub for one of the fastest-growing woodworking markets. It not only serves local customers but also contributes through engineering, service and knowledge sharing within the Group.

Homag India stands out for combining German technology with local expertise. It delivers world-class machines and provides strong after-sales service, training and localised solutions. “Going forward, our role will expand as a centre for growth, innovation and customer-centric solutions in Asia,” he said.

In the next 3-5 years, the Indian woodworking industry will be shaped by automation and digital manufacturing, rising demand for sustainable and engineered wood, modular and space-saving designs, and stronger export opportunities supported by global quality standards, Keshav stresses. “Above all,” he adds, “the industry will be driven by increased domestic demand through real estate growth and urbanisation.”

Industry challenges

The main challenges for the Indian woodworking industry in the coming years would include rapid market growth, raw material supply constraints, demand for sustainable products, the need for digitalisation and automation, and workforce upskilling.

Keshav notes that Homag India supports customers with advanced Industry 4.0 solutions, real-time monitoring, energy-efficient machinery, and comprehensive training programmes to optimise production and meet market demands.

“Digitalisation is crucial for India’s woodworking industry as it improves productivity, efficiency and competitiveness. Our digital products – such as smartWOP for easy programming, Homag iX for design, Production Manager and MES for streamlined workflow, and cloud-based platforms like pulseCloud and Tapio – enable Indian manufacturers to optimise processes and remain competitive in a fast-evolving market,” he says.

What about ‘Industry 4.0’? Homag India is already providing Industry 4.0 innovations for the Indian market: IoT, artificial intelligence, cloud-based solutions and digital factory concepts.

“Our key advances include the intelligent virtual platform (iVP) for immersive 3-D factory planning, ‘digital twin’ solutions, predictive maintenance using AI, real-time monitoring, and integration of powerful software with smart machines to streamline production and increase efficiency,” Keshav points out.

Its core daily business in India revolves around supplying advanced woodworking machinery, including panel sizing beam saws, edge banders, CNC routers and machining centers, drilling machines, sanding solutions, automation systems, solutions for solid wood machines and digital products.

In India, Homag typically serves a broad mix: approximately 60% smaller and mid-size manufacturers, and 40% large-scale or premium customers. “This reflects strong demand from SME workshops as well as large furniture, panel and modular construction companies seeking advanced production solutions,” he says.

With the aim of growing three-fold by the year 2030, Homag’s new production site near Bengaluru enables local manufacturing of new product lines, supports exports, and provides advanced customer training through its large experience center. It also allows Homag India to serve Tier-2 and Tier-3 towns more effectively and respond quickly to customer needs.

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