Force Motors has inaugurated a new engine and axle assembly plant exclusively for Mercedes-Benz India in Chakan, Pune. The Firodia controlled company has invested around Rs 100 crore in this new greenfield facility. The new plant has an annual capacity of 20,000 engines and 20,000 front and rear axles. This capacity can be further enhanced if a demand so arises from Mercedes-Benz India. Mercedes-Benz India has apparently invested more that Rs 100 crore in this plant. The exact figure was not however disclosed.
“It is beyond what we have invested. They have also put in some money. This plant has been built with a capacity looking at the long run,” said Prasan Firodia, Managing Director of Force Motors Ltd
“We used to assemble engines and axles for Mercedes Benz cars from Urse near Pune. That facility is closed. This has been built with new processes and larger capacities. Capacity installed is one thing, but it has been built for another level. We have an installed capacity of 20,000 units per annum. At Urse it was just about 5000 to 6000 per annum. In the last three years the luxury car market has picked up on volumes. Based on that, a request came in for a larger set up. We have now built it from a ten-year perspective more or less. We have an engine assembly plant for BMW in Chennai with similar capacity,” stated Firodia while addressing newspersons after the plant inauguration.
The Chakan plant was inaugurated by Chief Minster DevendraFadnavis, in the presence of Prakash Javadekar, Union Minister of State for Environment, Forests and Climate Change, Frank Deiss, Global Head Powertrain Mercedes Benz, and Girish Bapat, Guardian Minster for Pune district.
The Force Motors Chakan plant is spread over 130,000sqft with eight lines that produce and test up to 14 engine variants. This includes the 4 cylinder gasoline and diesel engines, 6 cylinder V-type gasoline and diesel engines, powering the complete range of cars and SUVs made by Mercedes Benz India. It employs around 200 people and works in two shifts.
Made with an investment of Rs. 100 crore this plant is a part of the Rs. 700 crore investments pledged by Force Motors over the next two years, across its value chain for multiple products / business verticals.
Firodia noted that the aggregates business consisting of engine and axle assemblies for both Mercedes-Benz India and BMW India contributes roughly around 35pc to the total revenues of the company. The rest comes from the company’s traditional commercial vehicle business.
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