Force Motors opens Rs 100 cr plant in Pune

CHAKAN: Force Motors today inaugurated its brand new facility here, entailing an investment of Rs 100 crore, to supply engines and axles to Mercedes-Benz India.
The plant, which is dedicated to the production of engines and axles for all Mercedes Cars and SUVs made in India, was formally inaugurated by Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar.

"The inauguration of this plant marks a significant step in our 45-year-long association with Mercedes Benz, " Force Motors Managing Director Prasan Firodia said.

This new plant will help Force Motors be more flexible in terms of the production capacity demands, he added.

Force Motors has been the preferred partner for producing engines for all Mercedes Benz cars and SUV's made in India since 1997.

The new plant, which is spread over 1,30,000 sq ft, has 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.

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 investment pledged by Force Motors over the next two years, across its value chain for multiple products, business verticals.

The facility has a current annual capacity of 20,000 engines and 20,000 front and rear axles.

This capacity can be further enhanced, should there be a requirement from Mercedes, Firodia said.

Till date Force Motors has supplied over 60,000 engines and over 50,000 axles to the German luxury carmaker.

Last year, the company had inaugurated a plant in Chennai that produces power trains for German car major BMW.

Pune-based Force Motors expects to triple its revenue to Rs 3,000 crore in next three years driven by its contract manufacturing business for leading automobile companies like Mercedes Benz and BMW.

Currently, the revenue generated (from OEMs business) is around Rs 1,000 crore.

Force Motors sells vehicles including small commercial vehicles, multi-utility vehicles, light commercial vehicles, sports utility vehicles and agricultural tractors.