WABCO expands Indian footprint

WABCO Holdings Inc. recently announced the inauguration of two manufacturing facilities located in India and the extension of an existing software design center that are owned by WABCO-TVS (India) Ltd., an affiliate of WABCO and its joint venture partner, a member of the TVS Group.

Currently manufacturing crankshafts, crankcases and vacuum pumps, one of the new facilities is located in Mahindra World City (MWC), in the southern outskirts of Chennai, one of India's first special economic zones.

Recently, the foundation stone for the second phase extension of the Mahindra manufacturing facility was laid by Jacques Esculier, WABCO CEO, at a ceremony attended by H. Lakshmanan, executive director, Sundaram-Clayton Ltd. (a TVS Group company) and other senior executives of WABCO and WABCO-TVS (India) Ltd. This extension will double capacity at the Mahindra facility, which is dedicated to exporting products and serving WABCO customers worldwide.

Another new facility, located in Jamshedpur, supplies the production lines of Tata Motors by manufacturing brake chambers, spring brake actuators and other braking aggregate parts. The newest WABCO-TVS factories presently employ approximately 150 people.

Situated at Tidel Park in Chennai, India's largest information technology park, the WABCO Software Design Center has completed its expansion program, doubling its capacity and upgrading its technology platform. This expansion will support the center's expected innovation and growth of engineering capabilities.

Currently, approximately 85 engineers develop embedded software for automotive applications in electronic braking, stability, transmission and climate control.

Recently, the WABCO-TVS-owned, brake-manufacturing facility in Ambattur, Chennai received the prestigious Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) Excellence Award from the Japan Institute of Plant Maintenance. Combining operations and maintenance, the TPM approach creates a production environment that performs at world-beating levels of efficiency and quality.

For more information, visit www.wabco-auto.com.