Cummins India has started work on a new production facility at Phaltan in Satara, near Pune. The ground breaking ceremony of the Cummins Megasite at Phaltan took place recently in the presence of Tim Solso, Chairman & CEO of Cummins Inc.; Anant Talaulicar, Chairman & MD, Cummins India; Ramraje Naik-Nimbalkar, Minister of Water Resources (Krishna Valley IC) and Rajiv Jalota, CEO of Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation. The Cummins Megasite will be built on 150 acres of land, 90 acres of which has been acquired. The rest would be acquired shortly. 

Speaking at the ground breaking ceremony, Tim Solso said, “The Cummins Megasite is an expression of our intent to expand our presence and leverage India as a sourcing base”. Anant Talaulicar added, “Cummins India has established leadership positions in engines and related technologies such as power generation, filtration, turbochargers, exhaust systems, lubrication systems, distribution as well as engineering and IT Services. We have been executing an aggressive growth plan in India involving all our 10 affiliated companies. Being co-located in this campus will offer significant synergies to the Cummins companies. This site was chosen based on criteria such as appropriate skills, proximity to suppliers and customers and the economic situation in the state. Cummins is looking forward to engaging with the local community on skill and infrastructure development which are very consistent with Cummins' core values and will help build the foundation for a long term rewarding relationship”. The first manufacturing facility will be in place by 2009 and is expected to manufacture heavy duty engines.

Lumax Industries will invest Rs 200 crores over the next 15 months to modernise its existing plants and setting up three greenfield manufacturing facilities. The company, which is a joint venture between Lumax Industries and Stanley Electric Co. of Japan, is expected to invest in setting up three new facilities - one each in Singur, Pantnagar and Haridwar. 

"Both the partners have decided to have an equal stake in the JV and we will jointly invest Rs 200 crore over the next 15 months," Lumax Industries chairman and managing director, D K Jain, is claimed to have told the media that besides the three new plants, the company would also invest in strengthening its R&D operations. Post the expansion, the company would take its overall manufacturing capacity to 8.5 million light sets per annum from the current six million.