Stoneridge Inc upbeat about India, working on many global programs

Pune, October 9, 2013: Stoneridge Inc, the Ohio, USA-based global supplier of custom engineered electrical and electronic components, is upbeat about the demand arising from the Indian and Chinese auto markets.

Talking to Autocar Professional on the sidelines of the Diesel Emissions Conference in Pune, Rod Gerstenberger, director, Asia Pacific, business development, Stoneridge, Inc (control devices division), said that “we are upbeat about the demand coming from the Indian market in the area of emission control technologies in the near future and we have adopted a wait-and-watch approach for the same. We are fully geared up to furnish advanced sensors required, for instance, in SCR (selective catalytic reduction) technology in the Indian market whenever the demand arises.” A direct competitor for players such as Honeywell, Hella, Bosch and others in India, it is to be noted that Stoneridge (a listed company on the New York Stock Exchange) is present locally through its joint venture with auto component major, Minda Group.

Minda Stoneridge Instruments Ltd (MSIL) has a production plant located in Pune from where it manufactures and supplies speed, temperature and fuel level sensors. The facility also houses a full design centre which employs mechanical, electronics (hardware/software) and design verification engineers. Under the JV agreement, Stoneridge, which is 49 percent stakeholder in MSIL, provides for the technological support in all types of electronic components such as switches, sensors, actuators and others.

Gerstenberger also highlighted a couple of ongoing programs under development for the global market which includes low cost exhaust gas temperature (EGT) sensor (slated for a January 2014 launch), T3 turbocharger high temperature sensor (slated for a 2015 launch), thermocouple high temperature sensor for turbocharger applications (target production 2015) and a host of other advanced electrical modules.

The US$ 940 million company has 14 manufacturing facilities, 30 sales and engineering support offices and three joint ventures across the world. Nissan, Audi, Volkswagen, Daimler, Toyota, Ford, General Motors, BMW, Hyundai, Bosch, Tata Motors, Mahindra & Mahindra, Honda, Fiat, Caterpillar, Volvo, Chrysler, PSA Peugeot, MAN and Tenneco are some of the prominent names which are global customers to the company.

AMIT PANDAY