Samvardhana Motherson International Ltd. (SMIL) and Magneti Marelli Spa have signed a joint venture agreement in the field of shock absorbers for the automotive sector.
SMIL will enter the JV through acquisition of a stake representing 50 per cent of the share capital of Magneti Marelli Shock Absorbers India Private Ltd., the Magneti Marelli-owned company devoted to shock absorber business in India. The JV will leverage Magneti Marelli’s existing shock absorber manufacturing facility at Chakan near Pune, with state-of-the-art product and automation technology.
The JV will also benefit from the global industrial and commercial footprint of Magneti Marelli’s shock absorber business worldwide, as well as from its portfolio of added value shock absorber technological solutions like the Full Displacement Valve, Frequency Dependent Dual Stage and the Digressive Curve Valving aimed at reaching a high-level performance in terms of comfort and NVH (Noise, Vibration and Harshness).
In addition, the JV will have synergies with the existing sintered metal components business of SMG which the Samvardhana Motherson Group acquired in 2012. The JV will have access to the expertise and capabilities of SMG in the areas of metal working, engineering & design, IT solutions, etc.
This is the 20th acquisition for the SMIL Group as a whole. The largest acquisitions done so far by SMIL are of mirror business from Visiocorp, now renamed Samvardhana Motherson Reflectec, in 2009, and Peguform, now named Samvardhana Motherson Peguform in 2011, both done in collaboration with its flagship company Motherson Sumi Systems Ltd. (MSSL).
Commenting on the occasion, Mr. V.C. Sehgal, Chairman Samvardhana Motherson Group, said: “It is a very significant development for the group as it further strengthens our relationship with Magneti Marelli, our partner since 2008. In line with our philosophy of increasing content per vehicle, this JV adds a new product line – shock absorbers – to our portfolio. There are strong synergies in terms of input sintered components, customer base, markets, manufacturing geographies and management. We have an existing successful JV with Magneti Marelli and we see a good potential for the new JV.”
Mr. Eugenio Razelli, CEO of Magneti Marelli Spa, stated: “This new JV is the most appropriate way of maximizing Magneti Marelli’s investment in the shock absorbers sector in India. The partnership will accelerate the process to become a leader in the shock absorbers market in India and also a supply source for clients on a global scale. We have a long and excellent relationship with the Samvardhana Motherson Group, resulting from the other JV in the Lighting and Powertrain fields that makes them the ideal partner to join, in this business challenge”.