BENGALURU: German auto technology supplier Bosch is looking at partnerships and joint ventures to accelerate development and market entry in new mobility technologies, marking a shift from the traditionally in-house approach, its India managing director told TOI.The comment comes a day after Bosch announced a joint venture with Wheels India and Brakes India, both parts of the TSF Group, to develop electronically controlled and software-driven air systems for commercial vehicles.“Historically, Bosch has always done everything itself,” Bosch India MD Guruprasad Mudlapur told TOI. But he said the company is now seeing more value in combining complementary strengths through partnerships, especially in emerging automotive technologies.“The market perspective and the strength of the companies are on how we can put things together complementary, bring speed to market, how we can evolve things, in today’s environment when we partner, it can be much more dynamic and different,” he said.“It’s a thought process that is now gaining widespread attention in the group,” Mudlapur said.While joint ventures are relatively new for Bosch India, they are not new for the German group globally. Bosch has long worked in automotive electronics and mobility systems in China through partnerships, including United Automotive Electronic Systems, a long-running joint venture in the country’s automotive electronics market.Mudlapur also pointed to Bosch’s existing JV structures in China, saying the company has partnered with several large automotive players there over the past few years.The newly announced India joint venture will focus on electronically controlled systems for air compression, suspension and braking in commercial vehicles. Bosch will contribute electronics, software and control capabilities, while TSF Group will bring expertise in hydraulics and pneumatics systems.Mudlapur said the main objective of the partnership is to improve “speed to market”, while localization could emerge as a “by-product”. He also clarified that the joint venture was “not” a China-plus-one strategy.The venture will initially focus largely on exports, he said, as advanced electronically controlled braking and suspension systems are already more widely adopted in western markets than in India.“It starts largely with exports,” Mudalapur said, adding that the systems are currently more relevant in foreign commercial vehicle markets.Separately, Bosch said it is cautious about geopolitical risks associated with the Middle East crisis and crude oil volatility, warning that higher fuel-price pass-through could ultimately weigh on the broader economy and demand environment.Bosch India on Wednesday reported a 37.6% rise in net profit to Rs 2,770 crore for financial year 2025-26, while revenue from operations rose 10.8% to Rs 20,034 crore. Net profit in the March quarter rose 2.7% year-on-year to Rs 568 crore, while revenue rose 13.3% to Rs 5,566 crore.