CHAKAN (PUNE): Gestamp Corporation, a leading global player in automobile components, steel service centers and renewable energy sectors, recently inaugurated their state of the art manufacturing facility, Gestamp Automotive India, in Chakan, Pune. The plant, their first wholly owned facility in India will manufacture metal components and structural systems for the automotive market in India. With a presence in over 18 countries with 57 production and 13 R&D centers, the new facility is a testament to Gestamp Corporation’s strategy to expand its worldwide presence in the major automotive manufacturing centers. The new facility was inaugurated by Francisco Jose Riberas Mera, CEO, Gestamp Automocion.
With an investment of 82.5 Million Euros (Rs 471.8 crore approx.), the project which is spread across 110000 sq. metres and a built up area of 44000 sq. metres is Gestamp’s eighth plant in India and its sixth in Maharashtra. The plant has been designed as a fully integrated facility to encompass the entire automobile production process from product conception to body components, to paint, to general assembly and the aggregates all coming up simultaneously. The new plant will be aligned with Gestamp’s global manufacturing processes and quality standards and will work on innovative concepts, products and systems to meet the demands for future vehicles with better comfort, reduced exhaust gas emissions and enhanced safety systems, a capability in which Gestamp has built up a global leadership position.
To start with, the new plant will function as a captive vendor plant for Volkswagen India and will manufacture the full range of Body in White and metal components for Polo and the Fabia vehicles, locally assembled at Volkswagen. Plans are also underway to serve the needs of Gestamp's other global customers, including Mercedes-Benz, Fiat, Suzuki, General Motors, Ford, by providing local supply to their India and Asia Pac facilities. The new plant would be completely independent of the other seven manufacturing facilities in India.
Speaking on the occasion, Francisco Jose Riberas Mera noted “our new plant represents a key milestone in Gestamp's long-term vision of investing in growth markets and aligning our manufacturing footprint with the needs of our global customer base. It is important to be close to the companies we supply to fulfill just-in-time requirements. And we intend to build upon our track record for innovation by developing leading-edge manufacturing processes required in the coming decade."
“With the awareness of safety and emission norms increasing in India, we anticipate a growing consumer demand for sophisticated vehicle technologies. As a result, automotive OEMs in India are now regarding structural system solutions as critical differentiators in their vehicles in an increasingly competitive environment. Our new facility in Chakan is well positioned to cater to this demand” he added.
The new plant currently employs 180 people; out of them 25 per cent are locals. Another 100 jobs will be created along with the continued investments planned, from now through 2014. Given that the visibility of future revenue is high, Gestamp Automotive India expects to notch a turnover of 75 Million Euros (Rs 429.1 crore) by 2014.
With this development, Gestamp now operates 7 joint ventures in association with A.S.A.L and Sungwoo with presence in Chennai, Halol, Pantnagar & Pune and 1 wholly-owned enterprise – Gestamp Automotive India in India.
About Gestamp Automocion
Gestamp Automocion is a Spanish group dedicated to the design, development and manufacture of metal components and structural systems for the automotive industry. It is a part of Corporación Gestamp, a leading provider of solutions in the steel and automotive components. Headquartered in Spain, the company today has presence in 18 countries, with 57 production centers, 13 R&D centers and over 13500 employees across the globe. The company registered a turnover of 2400 Million Euros in 2008. Its clients include top automobile giants including Volkswagen, Fiat, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, BMW, Ford, General Motors, Audi, Suzuki, Daewoo, Nissan, Chrysler, Toyota, and Jaguar.
Gestamp Corporation
Corporación Gestamp is a Spanish multinational company from the European Union, leader in the steel and automotive components. The company is strongly introduced in the European Union, Mercosur and NAFTA. Its main divisions are Gonvarri, leader in the field of steel service centres, Gestamp Automoción, a group dedicated to component assembly processes and systems for the automotive industry, and the most recent ones Gestamp Solar, Gestamp Eólica and Gestamp Biotermica focused on the development of renewable energies. The close relationship with its main clients, both in the automotive industry and in the steel industry as a whole, allows it to develop solutions tailored to their specific needs, to optimize the joint design of new parts and components, and also to determine the type of steel required for each case. The company registered a turnover of over € 4 bn in 2007. Corporación Gestamp has a strong international commitment partly due to a global vision of its activity but also due to its logistic needs as suppliers of the automotive sector. This has driven the company to create, up to now, 69 industrials plants distributed across Europe, América and Asia, and we are present in a total of 21 countries around the world (by 2007).