Craftsman Automation sets up alloy wheel manufacturing unit in Rajasthan

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Craftsman Automation has set up its green field alloy wheel manufacturing unit in Rajasthan after the state government ensured that preferred land parcels and required approvals were granted quickly to the Coimbatore-based company to facilitate the implementation of agreements signed during the ‘Rising Rajasthan Global Investment Summit’.

 

The summit was held in Jaipur from December 9-11 and resulted in the signing of memoranda of understanding totaling around ₹35 trillion.

 

Craftsman Automation’s manufacturing unit has been shaped from scratch in Rajasthan’s Salarpur Bhiwadi industrial area.

An industrial department official said that the company had approached the Rajasthan State Industrial Development and Investment Corporation Limited (RIICO) for a land parcel in January last year.

 

The official noted that within a month, it was allotted and the beginning of site construction followed in February 2024.

  Anticipating logistical and approval challenges, the company was targeting April 2025 for the first batch of production. However, key approvals from various departments accelerated the pace of the project, the official said, adding that the company eventually shipped the first batch of its finished products in August 2024, about eight months in advance of its initial planned timeline.

 

“Land availability and development of subsequent amenities on the allotted land parcel is one major hurdle for the investors. RIICO proactively gets in touch with the investors and takes all possible measures to allot the preferred land parcels quickly. Our ultimate goal is to change the investor outlook towards Rajasthan,” said Ajitabh Sharma, Rajasthan’s Principal Secretary, Industries & Commerce and Chairman RIICO.

 

Gautham Ram, whole-time director, Craftsman Automation, said, “All key government departments especially RIICO and its Bhiwadi-II regional office played an instrumental role in sanctioning the required approvals expeditiously. With the beginning of this manufacturing facility, the cost of supplying the alloy wheels to our clients based in northern parts of the country has eased considerably.”

 

Starting the facility with a capital investment of ₹150 crore, the company currently employs about 200 people, which is expected to increase after the project's second phase gets operationalised in the next 6-8 months.