GoldSeal-SaarGummi India is investing more than ₹54 crore to expand its automotive sealing operations in India, as the Indo-German joint venture moves beyond traditional rubber products into thermoplastic and higher-end sealing systems.
The company has inaugurated a new facility in Chennai, built with an investment of over ₹22 crore. Spread across more than 70,000 square feet, the plant marks GoldSeal-SaarGummi's entry into thermoplastics and is equipped with TPV extrusion and moulding technology sourced from SaarGummi's global supplier network.
The facility will initially manufacture glass run channels using four different materials through four-component extrusion. It will also make sunroof seals using PE splicing technology, which the company said would make it one of the few sealing suppliers offering the technology in India. The manufacturing processes have been adapted using know-how from SaarGummi operations in Spain, Germany and China, among other markets.
GoldSeal-SaarGummi Product Portfolio and Customers in India
The investment comes as GoldSeal-SaarGummi broadens its product portfolio beyond EPDM rubber-based sealing products. Established in 1997, the company currently supplies weatherstrips and other sealing products for passenger vehicles, three-wheelers and commercial vehicles. Its customers include Skoda Volkswagen, Hyundai, Mahindra, MG Motor, Bajaj, John Deere and TVS.
GoldSeal-SaarGummi Daman Plant Expansion: ₹32 Crore Investment
The Chennai investment is part of a wider expansion programme across the company's Indian manufacturing operations.
GoldSeal-SaarGummi is investing more than ₹32 crore to expand its Daman plant, its oldest and largest facility. The expansion, scheduled to be completed by the end of 2027, will focus on new capabilities for European vehicle manufacturers, led by Skoda and Volkswagen.
The Daman plant is being prepared to manufacture hidden-frame glass run channels for newer body and door designs, aimed at improving the finish and appearance of vehicles.
The company is also studying the localisation of other premium sealing products currently used in overseas markets, including flush seals and frameless seals found more commonly on coupes and convertibles.
Together, the disclosed Chennai and Daman investments take GoldSeal-SaarGummi's planned capex to more than ₹54 crore, excluding additional investments underway at its Sanand facility, for which the company has not disclosed a capex figure.
GoldSeal-SaarGummi Sanand Plant and New Hyundai Programmes
The company's Sanand facility in Ahmedabad is also being upgraded as part of the expansion.
The plant, which currently supplies parts to Mahindra, MG and Ashok Leyland, is expected to add TPV moulding and finishing capability within the next six months. The new products are being developed for Hyundai and will mark GoldSeal-SaarGummi's first supplies to Hyundai's Pune facility.
The expansion across Chennai, Daman and Sanand indicates a wider shift in the company's India strategy towards more complex and premium sealing systems, while widening the range of products it can supply to automakers from a local manufacturing base.
About GoldSeal-SaarGummi India: Joint Venture and Mumbai Design Centre
GoldSeal-SaarGummi is a joint venture between India's Gold Seal group and Germany's SaarGummi and is now in its 29th year of operations in India.
Supporting the manufacturing operations is a design centre in Mumbai, with a team of more than 14 engineers working with SaarGummi's other global engineering centres. The Indian engineering team focuses on adapting global designs, manufacturing processes, and materials for local operating conditions.