Areva T&D's Chennai unit goes on stream

Areva T&D India, the transmission and distribution division of French major Areva, on Tuesday inaugurated its manufacturing unit at Paddapai near Chennai. The company has invested around Rs 250 crore in the facility.

The Paddapai plant will host three factories — a gas insulated substation (GIS) production facility, a circuit breaker factory and a disconnector factory (both up to 1200 KV). It is expected to employ around 500 people.

The current market size for GIS in India is around Rs 960 crore, of which Areva India’s share is around 40 per cent, said Rathin Basu, managing director, Areva T&D India .

The company will also inaugurate another unit at Hosur on Wednesday. The Hosur site will manufacture condenser bushings and instrument transformers (up to 1200 KV).

In all, the company has infused around Rs 950 crore for its greenfield manufacturing facilities in Gujarat and Tamil Nadu to double sales by 2012 from the current Rs 4,000 crore, said Philippe Guillemot, chairman and chief executive of Areva T&D. It is targeting to increase exports to 25 per cent by 2012, from the present 14 per cent.