Amara Raja opens largest 2wheeler battery unit,invests Rs700cr

Amara Raja Batteries has commissioned the first phase of its Rs 700-crore two-wheeler battery manufacturing facility in Andhra's Chittoor district, making it the largest such facility in the country with 17 million units annual output.
The first phase of the plant will have a capacity of 5 million units and which will touch 17 million on completion of the entire project, taking the total capacity for two-wheeler batteries to 29 million units per annum, the company said in a statement today.
The Hyderabad-based Amara Raja is a joint venture between the Galla Family and Johnson Controls of the US.
"This plant is a step forward to boost capabilities to match global competitiveness. The advanced, high-speed assembly lines will help increase efficiency to drive higher productivity and shorter delivery times," Amara Raja group chairman Ramachandra N Galla said.

The facility, which will employ 1,300 workforce on its optimum capacity, has also set up a 2.7-mw roof top solar power plant which generates 4.5 million kWh of energy, the release said.
The high-speed assembly lines and advanced robotic system will help minimise human intervention at the facility, making the process highly reliable, it claimed.

"When Johnson Controls and Amara Raja came together in 1997, our goal was to deliver high-quality batteries. This advanced battery plant heralds another path-breaking journey by us to create new milestones," Johnson Controls chairman George R Oliver said.
Amara Raja supplies automotive batteries to Ashok Leyland, Ford India, Honda, Hyundai, Mahindra, Maruti Suzuki, and Tata Motors.

Besides,it also exports industrial and automotive batteries to the Indian Ocean Rim markets.