ZF India, a sister concern of ZF Group of Germany inaugurated their new multi-product plant in Pune.The new plant called for an investment of Rs 150 crore and is spread over an area of 85,000 sq m. The event also marked the centennial anniversary for the German firm. ZF India currently is focusing on heavy localisation and plans to up its production to the installed capacity. The plant will initially be operational for one of the three shifts and will gradually increase production to full capacity. The company produces transmission systems for commercial vehicles and clutch units for OEM’s such as Mahindra and Ford. The plant will incorporate commercial vehicle and passenger vehicle technology under one roof- a move aimed at improved efficiency. The plant will also host training sessions for technicians from the dealerships as well as from the authorised ZF centres across the country.
Commenting on the occasion, Wilhelm Rehm, Member of the Board of Management of ZF Friedrichshafen AG, said, “This new plant is an important investment in the centennial year of ZF Group. Now we will focus on the ‘Make-in-India’ theme and source quality products for its global portfolio.”
When asked if the facility will house a research and development department, Wilhelm Rehm said,” We currently have eight R&D centres across the globe and the company will currently focus on localisation.”
Commenting on the product development front, Piyush Munot, India Managing Director, said,” Our strategy will focus on not only bringing advanced technology to India, but in the future to develop products in India for India.”
The event saw the top brass at ZF unveil the plaque, officially announcing the inauguration of the plant. The event was attended by industry leaders from domestic as well as international markets.
Story: Aniruddha Mulgund
