Gestamp Corporation, a leading global player in automobile components, steel service centres and renewable energy sector, recently inaugurated its new manufacturing facility at Chakan, Pune.
With an investment of Euro 82.5 million, the project is spread across 1,10,000 sq m. It is Gestamp’s eighth plant in India and its sixth in Maharashtra.
In the initial stage, 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 and Ford, by providing local supply to their India and Asia-Pacific facilities. The new plant would be completely independent of Gestamp’s other seven manufacturing facilities in India.
The plant has been designed as a fully integrated facility to encompass the entire automobile production process from product conception to body components, paint, general assembly and the aggregates - all coming up simultaneously.
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. Gestamp Automotive India expects to notch a turnover of Euro 75 million by 2014.
With this development, Gestamp now operates seven joint ventures in association with A.S.A.L and Sungwoo with presence in Chennai, Halol, Pantnagar & Pune and one wholly-owned enterprise – Gestamp Automotive India in India. |