Pune (TIP): German manufacturer Knorr-Bremse has set up a new plant in Pune to make complete braking systems for trucks. It has also established a technology centre for engineering design in the city. Set up with an investment of 14 million, the facility will address the needs of the domestic market as well as serve as the leading plant worldwide for automatic slack adjusters, said Klaus Deller, a board member at Knorr Bremse. Deller is responsible for the commercial vehicle business globally.

The greenfield plant can build braking systems for 80,000 trucks per year, and production is scalable, Deller said. Referring to the current slowdown in the Indian CV segment, he added: “We don’t care exactly when the demand will pick up, but we know it will pick up. And when it does, we will be there.” India, at present, accounts for 2 per cent of the company’s global revenue. The target is to double this in the next three years, Deller said. Knorr-Bremse’s Technical Centre India will have over 200 engineers working on global development projects for both truck and rail systems.

The building also houses a software centre for the company’s rail division. The German company’s entry into the Indian CV component market was via a joint venture with Tata Auto Components (TACO). The alliance was broken around five years ago with the former buying out TACO’s stake. Following this, it has set up its own expanded manufacturing facility. Later this week, Knorr-Bremse is set to open its greenfield plant for railway systems in Faridabad.