Irish-American Tier-1 giant Aptiv, which is a leading global technology player in the areas of vehicle safety, digital cockpits, and connectivity, has added additional capacity at one of its seven Indian manufacturing facilities – located in Oragadam, near Chennai.
The company has invested more than USD 45 million (approximately Rs 375 crore) in engineering and facilities, as well, for the expansion of production of its intelligent manufacturing plant in Chennai to provide automotive manufacturers with software-defined cockpit solutions. To support this project, Aptiv says it will also double the number of employees working at the Chennai plant.
With a growing demand for more active- and advanced-safety systems in modern vehicles, Aptiv’s Chennai plant’s increased size of nearly 220,000 square feet, will allow it to produce cutting-edge cockpit control systems and will scale up to include advanced safety and user experience features such as radars, cameras, and next-generation electronic control units (ECUs) for India as well as global markets. The company says its solutions are purpose-built to address the current and future needs of Indian auto manufacturers, driving innovation in one of the world’s fastest-growing markets.
According to Matthew Cole, Senior Vice President and President of Advanced Safety and User Experience (AS&UX), Aptiv, “We continue to expand our business in India and are excited to build the next generation of software-defined, fully-integrated cockpit controllers for our customers. As experts in advanced safety and intelligent, mission-critical systems, we continue to anticipate our customers’ needs and deliver modern, flexible solutions that enable them to reduce complexity, increase performance, lower cost, and continue to enhance their vehicle platforms over time.
“Aptiv has been investing in India for nearly 30 years and our Chennai plant expansion represents another critical milestone in our ongoing commitment to grow in the region,” added Cole.
“From our plant in Chennai, we are already supplying high-quality components, such us integrated body control modules (iBCM) to the key automakers in the country,” said Arun Devaraj, Vice President and Managing Director, AS&UX APAC (Non-China), Aptiv.
“Our new and smart production facility, allows us to support an even wider range of clients, further solidifying our position as one of the key automotive partners in India. The latest generation of high-performance and intelligent cockpits is a clear example of how, partnering with key automakers, we can design, develop, and produce industry-first solutions made in India for India,” he added.
In India, Aptiv offers a full suite of connected solutions to accelerate the transformation towards software-defined vehicles. The portfolio of end-to-end products includes driver monitoring systems, infotainment systems and vehicle electrification technologies such as high-voltage wiring harnesses, cables, connectors, and charging systems. In February 2023, Aptiv commissioned a new technical centre in Bengaluru to leverage the software skillsets to develop advanced solutions in connectivity, safety, and digital cockpits.
With over 13,000 employees in India, Aptiv operates three technical centers and offers a strategically located manufacturing footprint comprising seven plants. Tata Motors, Mahindra & Mahindra, and Maruti Suzuki are some of Aptiv’s key customers in India in the passenger vehicle segment.