60 French auto suppliers explore setting up auto components vendor-park near Sanand


Gandhinagar, 9 January 2012

As many as 60 auto-component manufacturers and suppliers today met their Gujarat-based counterparts to discuss business opportunities in Mahatma Mandir, Gandhinagar. In efforts to boost the automobile and auto-components sector, the Industrial Extension Bureau (iNDEXTb) along with the Automotive Components Manufacturing Association (ACMA), the French Vehicle Equipment Industries (FIEV) and the French auto-major Peugeot – who recently announced their entry into Gujarat for a manufacturing facility near Sanand -organised a seminar and business meetings.

Addressing the French businessmen at the seminar, Mr Maheshwar Sahu, IAS, Principal Secretary, Industries and Mines Department, Government of Gujarat said, “The Gujarat government is focused on bi-lateral trade enhancement. The government is streamlining its efforts towards developing not only the major sectors but also its associated sector. In case of the automobile sector, with global auto companies like Peugeot and Ford having invested in their manufacturing facilities in Gujarat, we are targeting tier-1 and 2 auto-component manufacturers to set up their base in the surrounding regions of their Sanand plant to supply to them and eventually even export from Gujarat. Apart from developing Sanand as an auto cluster, we are also strengthening the traditional auto clusters like Rajkot and Halol by setting up skilled operations centres throughout Gujarat. With all this development taking place, there is immense opportunity in Gujarat and we are glad to have interest from French companies”

Facilitating the French businessmen’s visit to Gujarat, Mr Bernard Babo, Chairperson FIEV India committee said, “Gujarat is a very attractive destination for auto-component manufactures because of its strong physical infrastructure and the commitment of the government. While the B2B meetings between French and Gujarat-based auto-component manufacturers will happen today, the set-up of the plants in the vendor park shall take about 1-2 years. We are looking initially at Sanand in Gujarat as the manufacturing base and then might explore other regions as well”

The development in Gujarat’s auto sector is at a high pace and the government has planned about 300 skilled operations centre for the sector of which 86 have already commenced operations. Development wise, Sanand will see many auto-component manufactures in the surrounding areas of the companies having plants there.