Eaton India plans second facility near Pune

Chennai: Eaton India, subsidiary of the $13-billion US-based Eaton Corporation, is planning to set up its second manufacturing facility in Ranjangaon, near Pune.

This is to meet the demand for transmission components from Eaton’s facilities across the globe and also to enable it to support emerging demand for such units from domestic commercial vehicle manufacturers.

The Managing Director of Eaton Technologies Pvt Ltd, Mr Shyam P. Kambeyanda, said the company currently makes six-speed and nine-speed transmissions for Tata Motors for its ‘world truck’. Serial production has just commenced and the plant is in the stage of ramping up volumes, he said. Transmissions will also be supplied to Mahindra & Mahindra for its joint venture with International Truck and Engine Corporation, he added.

Globally Eaton manufactures heavy-duty, synchromesh medium-duty transmissions for trucks and light-duty transmissions for agricultural applications. It has manufacturing facilities in the US, Brazil, China, Poland, Mexico and India and makes more than 100 manual and automated transmissions.

Eaton’s policy is to make components or sub-assemblies of transmission in a country based on its inherent capabilities and source other aggregates from its facilities across the globe to assemble transmission and cater to the requirements of the local customers. This helps harness local potential while offering cutting edge technologies to customers.

At present Eaton makes gears and shafts at its Ranjangaon facility and assembles transmissions for medium and heavy duty commercial vehicles. It also exports gears and shafts to Eaton’s facilities all over the world.

The capacity of the existing plant is 15,000 transmission units at present. Mr Kambeyanda did not want to disclose the capacity of the second plant.