India Continues to be a Key Growth Market for GKN Driveline

NEW DELHI, Jan. 4, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- GKN Driveline, a leading and long-term supplier of automotive driveline components and systems in India continues to grow at a rapid pace.

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In the last 12 months GKN Driveline has broken ground on a new facility in Pune and opened a precision forge at Oragadam near Chennai.  The continued expansion enables GKN Driveline to remain close and accessible to its customers in India.  With the completion of these new facilities GKN Driveline employment in India will total 1,200, an increase of 20 percent.

Currently GKN Driveline employs 1,000 people at three CVJ Systems factories in India: Faridabad and Dharuhera, near Delhi in the north; and Oragadam, near Chennai, in the south.

The new 26,000-square-foot facility at Pune will manufacture products from GKN Driveline's CVJ Systems and Trans Axles Solutions product portfolio.  The $2.44 million (18 m pounds Sterling) factory will employ more than 200 people and is strategically located within 20 miles of a number of major GKN Driveline customers, including Fiat, Volkswagen, General Motors, TATA and Renault.  When fully operational in September 2012, the plant will have an annual production capacity of 1.2 million CVJ Systems.  The new plant is also planned to manufacture differentials from GKN Driveline's Trans Axle Solutions product range.

In November 2011, GKN Driveline opened a new $1 million (6.6m pounds) precision forge at Oragadam near Chennai in Tamil Nadu. The 16,000-square-foot facility supplies precision forgings to GKN Driveline's Oragadam CVJ Systems manufacturing plant, which annually produces 1.2 million CVJ Systems for automotive manufacturers in South India.  The new forging facility currently employs 60 people.

"GKN Driveline has posted an annual growth rate of more than 15 percent over the past five years in India," said Ravindra Ojha, managing director of GKN Driveline in India. "India clearly is a critically important market for the company."

"We expect India to remain a high-growth automotive market for many years to come and will continue to invest here to meet our customers need for CVJ Systems, Trans Axle Solutions and All-Wheel-Drive Systems, as well as products for hybrid and electric-drive vehicles."

Editor's notes:

GKN Driveline's product segments include:

CVJ Systems

• GKN Driveline's constant velocity joint systems provide space, weight and fuel savings with greater all round efficiency.
• GKN Driveline supplies the most extensive range of CVJ systems – used in the smallest ultra-low cost car through to the most sophisticated premium vehicle. 

AWD Systems

• GKN Driveline has full all-wheel drive systems capability.
• GKN Driveline's all-wheel drive couplings improve vehicle handling, stability and traction by intelligently distributing power and disconnecting technology can supplement low drag and inertia for ultimate efficiency.

Trans Axle Solutions

• GKN Driveline produces highly durable open differentials and has the most extensive range of limited slip differentials (LSD), from the smallest super LSD to the largest electronically controlled axle locker.
• For the ultimate capability, GKN Driveline's torque vectoring solutions provide the answer.

eDrive Systems

• GKN Driveline's pioneering electric drive technology is used in 250,000 vehicles today.
• GKN Driveline's eDrives are designed for the new generation of fuel efficient, low emission electric and hybrid vehicles.

About GKN Driveline in India

GKN Driveline's roots in the Indian automotive market go back to the 1980s, forging strong partnerships based on supply reliability, product integrity and quality consistency. Today, GKN Driveline shares its unique application capability with customers to develop dedicated driveline solutions that meet the challenge of improved environmental performance, greater efficiency, lighter weight and enhanced reliability.

About GKN Driveline

GKN Driveline is the world's leading supplier of automotive driveline components and systems. As a global company serving the world's leading vehicle manufacturers, GKN Driveline develops, builds and supplies an extensive range of automotive driveline components – for use in the smallest ultra low-cost car to the most sophisticated premium vehicle demanding the most complex driving dynamics.

GKN Driveline is a leading global producer of CVJ Systems, AWD Systems, TransAxle Solutions and eDrive System.

www.gkndriveline.com

About GKN Group

GKN plc is a global engineering business serving mainly the automotive, aerospace and land systems markets.  It has operations in more than 30 countries, around 40,000 employees in subsidiaries and joint ventures and had sales of $738 million (5.4 billion pounds) in the year to 31 December 2010. GKN plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange (LSE: GKN).

www.gkn.com

SOURCE GKN Driveline