ABB is entering 2026 with unprecedented momentum, backed by its largest-ever order book and strong confidence in sustained demand for electrification and automation solutions. Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, CEO Morten Wierod outlined the company's strategic vision for capitalizing on what he describes as a multi-decade electrification opportunity.

Record Order Book Drives 2026 Outlook

The global engineering and technology company is positioned for continued growth, with Wierod emphasizing that electrification represents far more than a short-term cycle. He stressed that this trend could extend well beyond 2050, driven by underinvested grids worldwide and customers' push for more productive and sustainable operations.

"This is the electrification of everything. It's not like a little glimpse. It will take even up to 2050, at least, because grids are under invested, and customers want to go with more automation and more electrification," Wierod explained during the interview with CNBC-TV18.

India Steel Industry Transformation

ABB is witnessing significant opportunities in India's industrial sector, particularly in steel production. The company is helping large customers transition from coal-based processes to electric arc furnaces, a shift that simultaneously improves cost efficiency, enhances competitiveness against cheap imports, and reduces emissions.

This dual benefit of improved competitiveness and reduced emissions exemplifies what Wierod describes as a "win-win" scenario that drives ABB's business growth.

Energy Expansion vs. Energy Transition

Wierod provided insights into global energy trends, noting that despite renewable energy growth, the world has not yet begun true energy transition. Since 2019, the same amount of electricity generated from coal, gas, and oil remains constant globally, with all renewable additions supporting energy expansion rather than replacement.

Several factors are driving increased energy demand:

• Rising living standards as people emerge from poverty
• Increased air conditioning usage
• Data center expansion consuming additional electricity percentages
• Grid reliability and security concerns

India has demonstrated exceptional progress in renewable energy, particularly solar power, contributing significantly to global energy expansion efforts.

Grid Automation and Smart Energy Management

ABB's automation solutions focus on optimizing energy usage timing and distribution. Wierod compared electricity grid management to traffic flow, noting that coordination can prevent unnecessary stress on networks. The company's grid automation technologies help balance loads by managing when different energy-consuming activities occur.

Key Automation Applications:

• Building energy management systems
• Industrial load balancing
• Grid stability solutions
• Smart timing for energy-intensive processes

India Market Strategy and Global Positioning

India currently represents ABB's fourth-largest market globally, but the company has set ambitious targets for elevation. Wierod announced the goal of moving India to third position before 2030, with internal mandates to achieve this milestone even earlier.

The company views India as both a significant growth market and a potential export hub for neighboring regions and beyond. ABB currently exports from Indian facilities to the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America, leveraging the country's competitive cost base.

Expansion and Investment Plans

ABB's Indian operations are experiencing substantial expansion across multiple facilities. Wierod described India operations as "a bit of a building site" due to ongoing expansions at every factory and campus. The company is investing in increased capacity, technology, research and development, and manufacturing capabilities.

The expansion strategy encompasses both organic growth and potential mergers and acquisitions. ABB is actively evaluating M&A opportunities of various sizes globally, including in India, focusing on adjacencies that strengthen their electrification and automation offerings or provide enhanced market access.

Future Growth Drivers

Looking ahead, ABB expects continued momentum from several key trends. The combination of electrification and automation often work together, creating synergistic opportunities for the company. Grid reliability has become increasingly important, with recent examples like Spain's eight-hour nationwide power outage affecting 60 million people highlighting the critical importance of resilient electrical infrastructure.

The company's optimistic 2026 outlook is supported by sustained investment in grid infrastructure, industrial automation, and energy management solutions across global markets, with India representing a particularly significant growth opportunity in the company's strategic portfolio.

ABB India Limited has successfully completed a major infrastructure modernization project for Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited's (BPCL) Vadinar-Bina Pipeline, demonstrating the company's capability to execute critical energy infrastructure upgrades without operational disruption. The project enhances India's energy security by modernizing automation and monitoring systems across the vital 935 km cross-country oil pipeline.

Project Scope and Technical Implementation

The comprehensive modernization program encompassed several critical technical components designed to enhance operational efficiency and security. The project included a complete ABB Ability™ SCADAvtage system modernization for the entire pipeline infrastructure, ensuring state-of-the-art monitoring capabilities.

The technical scope involved replacement of 35 Remote Terminal Units (RTU) across pumping, pigging and sectionalizing valve stations, along with installation of new SCADA servers at both Vadinar and Bina locations.

Enhanced Security and Resilience Features

A significant focus of the modernization effort centered on strengthening cyber security and system resilience. The project implemented comprehensive network protection measures, system hardening protocols, and centralized monitoring capabilities to ensure robust operational security.

The enhanced security framework includes failover capability and disaster recovery servers implemented at both Vadinar and Bina locations, providing robust support to maintain uninterrupted operations even during challenging conditions. These measures significantly strengthen the pipeline's cyber security posture and overall system resilience.

Strategic Importance and Operational Impact

The Vadinar-Bina Pipeline represents a critical component of India's energy infrastructure, supplying 7.80 MMTPA to the Bina refinery at a time of increasing national energy demand. The successful execution without any operational downtime ensured continuous flow and uninterrupted refinery operations throughout the modernization process.

According to Mr. Rajshekhar S, Head (Pipelines), Vadinar Bina Pipeline, BPCL, the partnership with ABB resulted in seamless completion without shutdowns while greatly enhancing the reliability of the entire pipeline infrastructure. G Balaji, SVP at ABB India's Energy Industries division, emphasized the project's significance for the nation's energy supply and ABB's commitment to delivering future-ready, resilient technology for India's critical energy infrastructure.

ABB's Expanding Partnership with BPCL

This modernization project represents part of ABB's broader collaboration with BPCL across multiple critical infrastructure initiatives. ABB has provided automation solutions across approximately 66.00 percent of BPCL's pipeline infrastructure, demonstrating the company's significant role in supporting India's energy sector modernization efforts.

The successful completion of this project reinforces ABB's position as a key technology partner for India's energy infrastructure development, combining engineering expertise with digitalization capabilities to deliver enhanced operational performance and sustainability outcomes.