Continental invests in capacity increase for Electronic Brake Systems for India
Continuing on its growth path in India, technology company Continental today inaugurated two new lines for ABS and ESC assembly at its plant in Gurgaon. This capacity increase is to address the market requirements stemming from Government of India legislations for ABS entry in April 2019 for passenger cars and 2-Wheelers. This takes the company another step closer to its “Vision Zero” – a future with zero accidents.
Continental has been steadily investing in India to localize ABS/ESC. In 2016 Continental set up a line for ABS assembly, in addition to ESC systems, in Gurgaon, followed in 2018 by a new line in its Bangalore plant, for production and assembly of Electronic Control Units (ECU) for 2-Wheeler and passenger car ABS and ESC.
“We at Continental continue to drive safety technology toward our vision of zero accidents and therefore support making safety available to everyone. The good news about the India market is the increase in consumer awareness about vehicle safety, the seriousness with which the Government is approaching this topic, and the commitment of manufacturers. As a technology company, we will fully support this positive movement, and will continue to make investments where necessary,” explained Prashanth Doreswamy, Head of Continental India.
According to Krishan Kohli, Head of Continental’s Vehicle Dynamics business unit in India, “Continental’s safety systems are among the most advanced worldwide, catering to all categories of vehicles. The pace of adoption of safety technologies has increased in India, and we will continue to localize our products to meet our customer requirements. A few months back we completed 1 million units of Electronic Brake Systems (EBS) production from the Gurgaon Plant.”
“In addition to manufacturing, we have a growing R&D footprint in India, based out of Technical Center India (TCI) in Bangalore and the R&D labs in Gurgaon,” added Kohli.
With steady investments, commitment to technological innovation and localization of the value chain, the company has been growing at a quick pace in India. On the occasion of its tenth anniversary celebration recently, the technology company had announced investments in the country on a high three-digit crore rupees level within the next two years in India, and a plan to increase headcount to 10,000 in the same period.
Continental develops pioneering technologies and services for sustainable and connected mobility of people and their goods. Founded in 1871, the technology company offers safe, efficient, intelligent and affordable solutions for vehicles, machines, traffic and transportation. In 2017, Continental generated sales of €44 billion and currently employs more than 244,000 people in 61 countries and markets.
The company has been present in India for close to 50 years, through technology partnerships (Continental Tires since 1974) and joint ventures for its various businesses. Today the tier 1 automotive supplier, tire manufacturer and industrial partner operates across India – with over 8000 employees across 15 locations, including eight plants that cater to the Indian market, and a Technical Center that supports Continental's global R&D activities.
