Apr 13 2010
SKF inaugurates two new factories in India. The opening of these facilities supports the growing demand in India and strengthens SKF's manufacturing presence in the fast developing markets in Asia. At the end of last year SKF also inaugurated a Global Testing Center in Bengaluru and a Solution Factory in Pune.
-SKF has been present in India for more than 85 years and it is a very important market for us, both in terms of business and for the development of products. The opening of these new factories, which means that we now have five factories in India, shows our strong commitment to supporting our growth in India and in Asia, says Tom Johnstone, President and CEO.
The Haridwar factory is inaugurated on 7 April and will primarily serve the two wheeler manufacturers in Uttarakhand, an emerging industrial hub, and further contribute to the growing vehicle aftermarket in India. The investment amounts to around SEK 250 million and the factory will employ around 200 people.
The Ahmedabad factory will open on 8 April and will manufacture medium to large size bearings of various types to serve customer segments such as railways, wind and heavy industries. It is strategically located in one of the most industrialized and fastest growing areas of India. The investment amounts to around SEK 450 million and the factory will employ around 300 people when full capacity is reached.
SKF has a strong commitment to developing environmentally friendly products and to reducing the CO2 emissions from its factories. SKF has extended this also to the development of its new facilities. The Haridwar factory is built according to the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC), Green Factory recommendations and the Ahmedabad facility according to the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standard, both aiming to minimize the environmental impact on buildings and operations of factories.