OPERATING BASE STRATEGY India can be the next operating base for US manufacturing Cost, capability, resilience, and market access in one operating decision. Executive discussion · 2026 MARKET CONTEXT EXHIBIT 01 Manufacturing momentum is becoming a strategic advantage 5.4% Manufacturing growth year over year in July 2025 Current context, not a promise of outcomes. Momentum shows up in policy, talent, infrastructure, and operating confidence. Policy direction Ease of doing business, future-ready workforce, technology, and quality. Location pipeline Industrial corridors and smart industrial cities are expanding the options. Strategic implication The question shifts from “why India?” to “where and how should we operate?” 02 OPPORTUNITY SCREEN EXHIBIT 02 Where the opportunity is strongest Prioritize categories where India can combine engineering depth, supplier development, export economics, and domestic demand. Electronics and advanced components Precision, scale, and supplier ecosystem development. Automotive, EV, and industrial equipment Large industrial bases with room to localize the value chain. Pharma, engineering, aerospace, and precision Quality-sensitive categories where process discipline matters. DUAL-MARKET LOGIC Export production plus domestic demand The strongest model can serve US supply chains while building a position in India’s own market. 03 ENTRY PATHWAY EXHIBIT 03 Set up manufacturing operations in India for a US company Set up manufacturing operations in India for a US company through a staged operating build, not a sequence of disconnected filings. 01 Choose Select the operating model and state around the business case. 02 Establish Incorporate, register, and secure the approvals required to operate. 03 Build Develop the site, workforce, equipment, and supply base together. 04 Stabilize Embed quality, compliance, reporting, and daily operating discipline. A practical entry sequence keeps strategic choices visible while execution begins. SO WHAT Make the operating model and state choice before the project becomes an approvals exercise. 04 LOCATION STRATEGY EXHIBIT 04 Location choice is a business-model decision The right hub is the one that supports the operating model. Compare industrial hubs against the full system, not land cost alone. Cluster lens Best-fit strengths Questions to test South India Electronics, automotive, aerospace, engineering Supplier depth, technical talent, customer proximity West India Automotive, chemicals, pharma, export logistics Ports, utilities, compliance, export route North and central Engineering, automotive, industrial supply chains Labor availability, network access, expansion capacity Across every cluster: supplier depth, ports and airports, utilities, labor, incentives, and proximity to customers. 05 OPERATING DESIGN EXHIBIT 05 Build the factory as an integrated operating system The factory is a connected control system, not four separate workstreams. Integration points: physical flow, material flow, information flow, and risk controls. 06 RAMP DESIGN EXHIBIT 06 Workforce design determines ramp speed Build capability on the line before volume arrives. WORKFORCE PYRAMID 1 Leadership 2 Supervisors 3 Technicians 4 Operators 5 Support functions Recruit for technical depth; train to the company’s quality system; and manage safety, quality, delivery, cost, and productivity daily. 07 RISK ARCHITECTURE EXHIBIT 07 Most India entry risks are manageable when designed early Move the major risks into the operating design before they become launch surprises. Risk Early design response What it protects Regulatory complexity One integrated compliance calendar Clear ownership, sequencing, and escalation Supplier variability Qualification, dual sourcing, incoming quality gates Continuity and predictable material quality Talent gaps Local hiring plus structured training academies Technical depth and repeatable work standards Ramp uncertainty Stage-gated pilots with decision criteria Controlled learning before full-scale commitment DESIGN EARLY Risk becomes manageable when it has an owner, a gate, and a visible operating response. 08 PARTNER MODEL EXHIBIT 08 The right India partner compresses the learning curve A partner should connect strategy to execution, then flex as the operating model becomes clearer. Design Strategic market and operating-model design. Establish Entity setup, approvals, tax, legal, and compliance coordination. Execute Location, facility, workforce, and vendor ecosystem execution. Scale Advisory, managed operations, or scalable GCC support as needs evolve. The value is accumulated local learning without losing the US company’s operating standards. 09 SCALE ARCHITECTURE EXHIBIT 09 Scale from a first plant to a connected manufacturing network Standardize the operating playbook before expanding sites 1. Automate repetitive work and digitize quality and maintenance 2. Use analytics and AI for forecasting, throughput, and root-cause resolution 3. Expand only when safety, quality, delivery, and unit economics are repeatable 4. Expand only when safety, quality, delivery, and unit economics are repeatable. Set up manufacturing operations in India for a US company with a first plant that is designed to become a network, not a one-off asset. 10