The foundation-stone for the new Chennai facility was unveiled by Mr. Jeff Owens, President, Delphi Electronics & Safety, and Delphi Asia Pacific, and Mr. Ashok B. Ramaswamy, President & Managing Director, Delphi India. Senior Government officials, including Mr. M.F. Farooqui, Principal Secretary to the Industries Department in Tamil Nadu, and Mr. M. Velmurugan, Director – Guidance Bureau, Industries Department, were present on the occasion, as were senior officials from the State Industries Promotion Corporation of Tamil Nadu (SIPCOT) and the Tamil Nadu Investment Board.
Delphi will be investing close to Rs. 250 crores in the new plant which is proposed to be built in three phases and is expected to be operational by the end of 2009. This is an important investment for Delphi that expands its product portfolio and manufacturing footprint to more effectively meet the needs of the growing automotive market in India.
Speaking at the ceremony, Mr. Owens said: “The Indian auto sector is an exciting market and has registered significant growth in the last few years. In the future Delphi is expecting continued growth. As one example, the Indian small car segment volume is expected to triple in the next five years and continue strong growth after that. India is a key market for Delphi, and with new technologies becoming a reality every day, Delphi believes that providing a range of safety and electronics products will be the way forward in the Indian automobile industry”.
Mr. Ashok Ramaswamy observed: “Delphi believes in being close to its customers. Chennai is a hub for both the auto and electronics industries and several major automotive OEMs are based here. Delphi is already bringing the entire value stream to its customers in India, with local capabilities in sales, advanced development, product development including project management, hardware and software design, validation, manufacturing and supply chain management. Our new plant in Chennai extends the Electronics and Safety manufacturing footprint to India and increases the Delphi local product portfolio to meet market needs.”
