Faurecia expands in India and takes control of TFDC in PunePDKPI

Faurecia – a leading automotive equipment supplier – has taken over complete ownership of Taco Faurecia Design Center (TFDC), now a wholly-owned Faurecia company. Located in Pune, 160 kilometers south of Mumbai, TFDC specializes in product development, engineering and simulation for the global automotive industry. Its new status will enable the company to continue developing its capabilities and become a development center in its own right.

Originally established in 2004 as a 50/50 partnership with TACO (Tata Auto Comp System Ltd.), TFDC has since constantly broadened its scope. TFDC now works for 23 Faurecia R&D and D&D (Design & Development) centers in 10 countries, mainly for the Interior Systems Business Group, whereas Seating and the other Business Groups have been won over by the approach and the program competitiveness potential it represents at Group level. TFDC teams work for the world’s leading automakers from Europe, Americas and Asia.

Now, as a wholly-owned Faurecia company, TFDC will be able to increase its capabilities and become a proper development center capable of offering to the Group the full range of services involved in the development cycle for off-shore and local markets. TFDC plans to increase not only its engineering and program management capabilities but also those related to quality, finance, purchasing, Information Technology and manufacturing.

Moreover, to expand its business with India-based automakers Faurecia intends to further develop its industrial presence in India. Already present with a seat mechanism plant in Manesar, Faurecia is currently in the planning stages for another seating plant in the country. The Group’s planned acquisition1 of EMCON Technologies is expected to bring along two already established plants in the country, in Bangalore and Chennai. The Group’s main customers in India are currently Maruti Suzuki2 and Volkswagen.

Faurecia in Pune now employs over 300 highly skilled and qualified designers, engineers and technicians dedicated to vehicle programs to be launched around the world. Faurecia, present in China, India, Japan and South Korea, currently generates some 6% of its global revenues (based on 2008 revenues) in Asia and intends to soon bring this share to 10%.