Gabriel India to double sunroof capacity by FY25 end

Gabriel India Ltd. aims to double its sunroof production capacity to 400,000 units by the end of this fiscal year, to meet demand from Hyundai and Kia Motors and other potential customers.

The flagship company of Anand Group has secured additional business from Hyundai, and expects significant volume from Kia, prompting the expansion announced by Manoj Kolhatkar, Managing Director of Gabriel India, during an investor call recently.

The capacity increase comes just months after Gabriel India began sunroof production in December 2023. The company sold 23,000 units in Q4 FY24 and currently operates at 60% capacity, with the potential to produce 200,000 units annually. Hyundai's Creta model is driving demand, and Kia Motors' production is expected to start in January 2025, pushing capacity to its limit.

The company is also in discussion with other major automakers, including Tata Motors, Mahindra & Mahindra, Volkswagen, and Maruti Suzuki. While they received requests for quotes, current capacity constraints prevented them from taking on new programmes immediately. 

"This is just the beginning for us. We will definitely be there for the next RFQ (Request for Quotation)," continued  Kolhatkar, before asserting that they remain hopeful of winning business beyond Hyundai, Kia sometime later in the fiscal year.

The company's 170,000 square foot facility near Chennai can accommodate two production lines. The first line is operational, and lead times for imported machinery for the second line necessitate a year-long wait for completion.

Sunroof localisation is currently low but is expected to improve over the next two years, Kolhatkar added. Gabriel India competes with the likes of Webasto and Golde in the sunroof space.