Motherson, in a joint venture with Marelli, inaugurated an automotive exterior lighting manufacturing plant in Sanand, Gujarat, to serve growing demand for premium lighting systems in the Indian market.
The facility, branded as MMLI (Motherson Marelli Lighting India), spans 8,200 square metres and is equipped with high-tonnage multi-colour moulding machines ranging from 2,000T to 2,700T. It is the first plant in India to manufacture edge-to-edge single-piece long lighting parts, and achieves additional firsts for the Indian industry by localising the slimmest headlamp module and enabling single-piece, end-to-end Daytime Running Lights (DRL) and Rear Combination Lamps (RCL). The plant also features rooftop solar power, with plans to source open-access green power.
"The inauguration of our cutting-edge automotive lighting plant underscores Motherson's unwavering commitment to innovation, excellence, and customer-centricity. This strategic investment strengthens our ability to deliver advanced, future-ready lighting solutions while meeting the evolving needs of our customers. We deeply appreciate the trust and support of our customers, which has been instrumental in achieving this significant milestone," said Laksh Vaaman Sehgal, Vice Chairman, Motherson.
Frank Huber, President of Marelli's Lighting business, said: "Our new facility in Sanand is a key milestone in bringing advanced lighting technologies to our customers in India. Together with our partner Motherson, we are uniting global innovation with strong local manufacturing capabilities to deliver cutting-edge solutions for the Indian market. Our joint venture continues to be a great success — built on Marelli's global technology leadership, Motherson's great infrastructure, execution excellence and deep customer relationships on the subcontinent, and the significant autonomy both partners have entrusted to the MMLI team since its establishment in 2008."
Samvardhana Motherson International Limited (SAMIL) is a global design, engineering, manufacturing, assembly and logistics company operating from over 425 facilities across 47 countries. It is currently India's largest auto ancillary and ranks among the top 15 automotive suppliers worldwide.