Bharat Forge to set up two plants for making EV and hybrid vehicle parts

Bharat Forge, the Pune-based multinational with a presence across automotive, power, oil and gas, construction and mining, rail, marine and aerospace, has confirmed plans for manufacture and export of parts for electric and hybrid vehicles.

In May 2017, Autocar Professional had reported that Bharat Forge, the largest exporter of automotive components from India, was planning new product lines for electric vehicles (EVs) by 2020.

The company, which is also the world's largest forging company with manufacturing facilities spread across India, Germany, Sweden, France and North America, currently manufactures critical engine components including forged and machined crankshafts, connecting rods and pistons for passenger and commercial vehicles.

In the changing dynamics of the global automotive industry, the transformation from fossil fuel-engined vehicles to pure electrics and electrified vehicles continues to draw concern from engine component suppliers. While industry experts argue that electric and fuel-cell vehicles (FCVs) will dominate sustainable mobility in the future, this transition demands engine and engine-parts suppliers to make a timely foray into new (EV) technologies and make fresh investments to capitalise on the new-age opportunities. Bharat Forge, the largest exporter of automotive components from India, is one such early example.

Yesterday, at the inauguration of the 'Magnetic Maharashtra Convergence 2018' conference and trade fair in Mumbai, Baba Kalyani, chairman, Bharat Forge, said, “The prime minister's vision of Make in India, especially in the area of defence and high-tech manufacturing has seen us set up two plants for high-tech defence products. We are setting up two more plants right now in the Khed area of Pune for manufacture and export of parts for electric and hybrid vehicles globally. I am happy that the vision of Digital India is going to make India and its manufacturing much more competitive than the rest of the world and also providing huge opportunities."