“A ground breaking is typically about putting down roots. But given our widespread presence in India, today’s ceremony is really about extending our local roots. This new technical center will enable Dana to serve the expanding needs of one of the world’s strongest growth markets”, said Dana Chief Technology and Quality Officer George Constand.
Dana is a world leader in the supply of driveline products (axles and driveshafts), power technologies (sealing and thermal-management products), and genuine service parts for light and heavy manufacturers. The company’s customer base includes virtually every major vehicle manufacturer in the global automotive, commercial vehicle, and off-highway markets. Based in Maumee, Ohio, the company employs approximately 22,500 people in 26 countries and reported 2009 sales of $5.2 billion.
Dana’s Managing Director of India, Mr. B.D. Singh, said that “With as many as 550 engineers on site when fully operational, the new technical center will more than double Dana’s engineering presence in India. Along with serving the local market, it will also provide an essential complement to our existing engineering resources at technical centers strategically located across four continents.”
Dana’s presence in India dates back to the 1960s and today, through its facilities and affiliates, includes the manufacture of axles and propeller shafts for the automotive, commercial vehicle, and off-highway vehicle markets, and sealing products for Indian automotive customers. Dana’s wholly-owned operations include Dana India Pvt. Ltd., a manufacturer of axles for the agricultural market; and Dana India Technical Centre Pvt. Ltd. Dana also maintains several joint-venture relationships, including Spicer India Ltd., a joint venture with Anand Group for the manufacture of propeller shafts and light axles; Axles India Ltd., a joint venture with the TVS Group and Sundaram Finance for the manufacture of commercial vehicle axles; and Victor Reinz India Pvt. Ltd., a joint venture with the Jayant Group for the manufacture of Victor Reinz sealing products.
Pune center
The Pune technical center will bolster Dana’s engineering capabilities in India and enhance customer responsiveness by :
• Providing full, in-region engineering, testing, and analysis capability for local markets.
• Supporting “24/7” engineering capability for Dana global products, which will accelerate development time and lower total development costs.
• Promoting enhanced interaction and knowledge sharing among engineering teams.
The new center will be part of Dana India Technical Centre Pvt. Ltd., a wholly-owned Dana subsidiary, and will encompass 125,000 sq. feet (11,600 sq. meters) on a 4.75-acre (1.9-hectare) lot located adjacent to Dana’s existing off-highway axle facility. The center will house engineering design activities and a state-of-the-art test laboratory equipped to support Dana’s light vehicle driveline, commercial vehicle, off-highway, and power technologies product group requirements. The center will include performance, structural, environmental, oil flow and lubrication, and metallurgical testing, as well as noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) testing capabilities.
Expanding presence in India
The technical center groundbreaking is the second this year for Dana in India. In February, Spicer India, a Dana majority-owned venture with Anand Automotive Systems, broke ground for a 50,000-square-foot (4,645-square-meter) hypoid gear manufacturing facility in Chakan. The new gear facility is expected to begin production in the first half of 2011. The addition of these two new facilities will bring the number of Dana operations in India to 12. Dana and its affiliates employ approximately 2,000 people in India. The company anticipates 2010 sales of more than $200 million in the country.