Federal-Mogul Corporation to set up new manufacturing plant in India

Federal-Mogul Corporation has announced that they are developing a new brake friction manufacturing facility in Chennai, India. The company through one of its subsidiaries acquired a 10-acre site where they will setup a new 38,000 square meter manufacturing plant to produce a broad portfolio of products such as environmentally friendly brake friction materials for OE and after market products for the automobile industry, construction industry, railway sector and the industrial sector. 

The new plant will initially produce non-asbestos organic disc brake pads for light vehicles, half block linings for commercial vehicles and brake blocks for railway and industrial customers. Federal-Mogul has invested approximately US $ 15 million in the development of the Chennai plant and will employ about 300 people once it is fully operational. 

Federal-Mogul President and CEO José Maria Alapont, said, “India is one of Federal-Mogul’s strategic bases of operations for serving the fast-growing Indian automotive market in Southeast Asia and other global markets.  Our newest manufacturing facility in Chennai will enable us to better serve brake friction technology requirements for existing and new customers in several markets in the region and globally. When we bring on-line the Chennai manufacturing facility later this year, Federal-Mogul will have the ability to manufacture our global market-leading brake friction products in every major geographic automotive market around the world, complemented by our strong base of regional technology and engineering centers supporting our brake friction customers.”

Federal-Mogul Corporation has been operating in India since 1950 through Joint Ventures, since then the company has established several wholly owned subsidiaries and majority Joint Ventures in the country. The company currently employes about 6,600 employees in seven different manufacturing plants across India. Their operations are worth about $ 250 million in India. Their Indian headquarters is based in New Delhi and one of its 18 globally-networked technical centers is located in Bangalore. 

“The combined Indian automotive, commercial and railway markets are expected to grow on average by 14 percent per year over the next five years. The aftermarket is also rapidly growing as the influx of new vehicles has expanded the total Indian car parc, resulting in new requirements for high quality OEM-style repair and maintenance parts.  Demand in India for technology is becoming increasingly sophisticated as the world’s vehicle makers are all competing for a share of this expanding market.  India is a strategic market for Federal-Mogul and we have invested in the capacity and infrastructure to maintain and grow our leadership position in India and globally,” said, Jean de Montlaur, president and managing director, Federal-Mogul Group of Companies – India.