“India is becoming one of the world’s most dynamic automotive markets and a strategic pillar of FORVIA’s growth trajectory. Beyond this new Seating investment, we continue to expand our industrial footprint, strengthen localization, invest in advanced technologies and develop world-class engineering and AI capabilities across the country.” Martin Fischer, CEO, FORVIA
“This new plant reinforces our positioning in India, a market expected to represent around €4 billion by 2030 for automotive seating. It reflects our commitment to expanding complete seat system capabilities in India, with locally developed and manufactured solutions, and bringing advanced seating technologies to high-growth markets.” Sébastien Limousin, Executive Vice President, FORVIA Seating Business Group
FORVIA has been awarded a significant seating program that will lead to the establishment of a new manufacturing plant dedicated to complete seat assembly. This site will become FORVIA’s 10th facility in India and its first dedicated to complete seat manufacturing, further strengthening the Group’s industrial and engineering footprint in one of the world’s fastest-growing automotive markets.
FORVIA strengthens its strategic footprint in India, a key growth market at the heart of the Group’s IGNITE strategy, with a new contract and the establishment of its 10th manufacturing plant in the country.
The new facility will expand FORVIA’s industrial capabilities and local-for-local approach, becoming the Group’s first plant in India dedicated complete seat assembly.
India is increasingly emerging as a major innovation and engineering hub for FORVIA, combining a growing industrial footprint with more than 2,400 engineers.
India is a strategic priority within FORVIA’s IGNITE plan, combining strong market growth, increasing demand for advanced technologies, and a rapidly expanding engineering ecosystem. This expansion reflects FORVIA’s ambition to accelerate profitable growth while strengthening its position as a leading mobility technology partner for OEMs.
Martin Fischer, CEO of FORVIA, highlighted: “India is becoming one of the world’s most dynamic automotive markets and a strategic pillar of FORVIA’s growth trajectory. Beyond this new Seating investment, we continue to expand our industrial footprint, strengthen localization, invest in advanced technologies and develop world-class engineering and AI capabilities across the country.”
Expanding seating capabilities in a growing market
The newly awarded program covers the complete seating system, including seat structures, mechanisms, foam, covers, and final assembly for both first- and second-row seats.
Start of production is scheduled for 2027. The new plant will provide end-to-end production of complete seating systems, reflecting FORVIA’s vertically integrated capabilities and its ability to deliver competitive, locally engineered solutions in India.
The program will also introduce FORVIA’s proprietary Cover Carving Technology, an innovative polyurethane-based solution that optimizes seat geometry to maximize rear cabin space. The technology improves second-row comfort while maintaining vehicle packaging constraints and enhances perceived quality through a cleaner, more refined seat surface finish.
“This new plant reinforces our positioning in India, a market expected to represent around €4 billion by 2030 for automotive seating. It reflects our commitment to expanding complete seat system capabilities in India, with locally developed and manufactured solutions, and bringing advanced seating technologies to high-growth markets,” said Sébastien Limousin, Executive Vice President, FORVIA Seating Business Group.
Accelerating industrial growth and localization
As part of its IGNITE strategic plan, unveiled in February 2026, FORVIA continues to accelerate its expansion in high-growth regions and strengthen its leadership positions in attractive market segments. India stands at the heart of this ambition, offering significant opportunities driven by rising vehicle production, increasing demand for advanced technologies, and a growing engineering ecosystem.
With the new facility, the FORVIA Group will operate 10 manufacturing facilities across India, located in:
Mehsana: 1 site
Pune: 2 sites
Ammavaruppali: 1 site
Bengaluru: 1 site
Chennai: 2 sites
Derabassi: 1 site
Gurugram/Dankhot: 1 site
Manesar: 1 site
FORVIA’s growth in India is supported by strong commercial momentum across several business groups. Since the beginning of 2026, the FORVIA Group has secured multiple program awards with leading local and global OEMs spanning Seating, Electronics and Clean Mobility activities. These new nominations reinforce FORVIA’s position across passenger vehicles and two-wheelers, while demonstrating the strength of its local engineering and manufacturing capabilities.
FORVIA also benefits from a robust local ecosystem and longstanding strategic partnerships. The joint venture between FORVIA Clean Mobility and Anand Group continues to play a key role in supporting the Group’s localization strategy and industrial development in India, combining global technology expertise with strong local market knowledge.
India: a growing innovation and engineering hub
India has become one of FORVIA’s leading engineering and innovation centres, bringing together more than 2,400 engineers and technical experts supporting activities across Seating, Interiors, Clean Mobility, Electronics and Lighting. To date, FORVIA India has filed 61 patent applications and been granted 30 patents, highlighting the country’s growing contribution to the Group’s innovation ecosystem.
Engineering teams in India are developing next-generation technologies including Zonal Controller solutions, smartphone-based vehicle access systems, advanced electrification technologies and rider assistance systems for two- and three-wheelers based on radar platforms.
Reflecting FORVIA’s commitment to technology leadership, FORVIA HELLA India has also been established as a Global AI Center of Competence, developing artificial intelligence solutions for engineering, manufacturing and automotive applications. Ongoing initiatives include AI-enabled Child Presence Detection, Adaptive Lighting, Radar Intelligence and Predictive Anomaly Detection technologies.
