JBM Group, a USD 3.3 billion Indian conglomerate, has announced a strategic joint venture with Portugal-based Sodecia Automotive International SA to establish a hot stamping manufacturing facility in Pune. The foundation stone for the plant was laid by Acharya Devvrat, Governor of Maharashtra and Gujarat, at JBM Group’s Neel Metal Products Ltd. facility in Chakan.
The joint venture will involve an investment of Rs 150 crore, with the plant expected to become operational by the second quarter of fiscal year 2027. The facility will be located in the Chakan Industrial Area and will manufacture safety-critical, lightweight, high-strength automotive components for both internal combustion engine vehicles and electric vehicles.
S.K. Arya, Chairman of JBM Group, and Nishant Arya, Vice Chairman, attended the foundation stone ceremony alongside senior leadership from Sodecia. The collaboration combines JBM Group’s four decades of automotive manufacturing experience with Sodecia’s specialized hot stamping technology.
Hot stamping, also known as press hardening, is a manufacturing process that involves heating sheet metal blanks to high temperatures and rapidly cooling them in dies. This process produces components with exceptional tensile strength while reducing weight, making them increasingly important for passenger vehicles as manufacturers respond to environmental regulations and the demand for lighter electric vehicle platforms.
The partnership represents JBM Group’s continued investment in advanced manufacturing capabilities. The company has previously established a dedicated hot stamping die manufacturing facility in Greater Noida as part of its strategy to strengthen its hot stamping ecosystem.
For Sodecia, the joint venture marks a strategic expansion into the Indian market. Rui Monteiro, CEO of Sodecia, described the partnership as an opportunity to leverage JBM Group’s manufacturing foundation and relationships with original equipment manufacturers while bringing Sodecia’s global hot stamping expertise to India’s growing automotive sector.
JBM Group operates across automotive systems, electric vehicles, charging infrastructure, renewable energy, and manufacturing solutions, with a presence in 37 countries. The company is India’s largest metal forming business, with capabilities in chassis and suspension systems, exhaust systems, body-in-white components, and tooling.
Sodecia Automotive International SA, headquartered in Portugal, operates in 17 countries across more than 40 locations in Europe, North America, South America, and Asia. The company reports annual revenues exceeding €2.0 billion and maintains hot stamping facilities in Canada, Mexico, Germany, and Slovakia, supplying components to leading automotive manufacturers.