US-based Inteva Products to expand Chakan plant capacity to meet demand

US-based automotive supplier Inteva Products LLC on Friday announced its plans to expand capacity at its Chakan plant in Pune to meet the rising demand in the domestic automotive industry.

This expansion, which is expected to come up at an investment of USD 3.3 million, will create 100 new jobs also, India Inteva Products said.

The company's sole facility manufactures automotive components such as side door latches, liftgate latches, window regulators and motors for window regulators for leading Indian automakers.

"As part of this expansion at the Chakan plant, we are adding five new assembly lines, which will take the total number of assembly lines to 17. This will help us increase our window regulator capacity to 6.3 million units by the end of next year," Sanjay Kataria, Vice President and Managing Director of Inteva India told PTI.

Kataria said besides this, the production capacity of motors for window regulators, which is 8.1-million units at present, will be enhanced to 9.6-million units per annum by the middle of the next calendar year, adding that, the capacity for the side door latches will be 4.6-million units by the third quarter of CY2024 as a result of this planned expansion.

The company currently churns out 3.4-million units of side door latches from the Chakan plant, he said.

"With this expansion, we're able to offer our customers even more localised, high-quality automotive components that meet their evolving needs. Our investment in advanced manufacturing capabilities here in Pune underscores our commitment to innovation," Kataria added.

Besides catering to OEMs such as Mahindra & Mahindra, TATA Motors, Stellantis, Volkswagen, Hyundai, MG Motors, and Force Motors, the Chakan facility is also a critical supplier to the global automotive supply chain, exporting window regulator motors to markets in South Africa and North America, Inteva said.

"This expansion reflects Inteva's ongoing commitment to the Indian market, which is critical to our global growth strategy. As demand for high-quality automotive components continues to rise, we are increasing our capacity to better serve our customers while creating valuable local employment opportunities," said Gerard Roose, President and CEO of Inteva Products.

With a focus on local talent, Inteva's commitment to job creation aligns with India's push for self-reliance in the automotive manufacturing sector. This move is also a testament to Inteva's long-term investment in the region, reflecting the company's strategy to support India's growing role as a global hub for automotive manufacturing, the company said.

In addition to the Chakan facility, Inteva also operates a technical centre in Bengaluru, employing around 320 people, including 181 engineers, which supports both global and Indian operations with advanced product development and engineering expertise.