It closes a new contract worth nearly 1 million with a Tier 1 automotive company and opens a new plant
Airtificial is growing in India. On the one hand, it adds a new client to its portfolio there, a French Tier 1 company that is one of the largest in the world in the automotive sector, with which it has just closed a contract worth nearly one million euros for the design and manufacture of two intelligent production lines for electric and hybrid vehicles, which will be delivered turnkey and whose final destination is a plant of the local car manufacturer Mahindra. On the other hand, the Company is moving to a new, larger plant in India, which allows it to triple its production capacity, product approval and customer service, as a basis for expansion and growth of the business in Asia. The company is thus fulfilling its growth strategy, presented at the last General Shareholders’ Meeting, through two key levers: internationalization and diversification of the client portfolio, expanding into global markets with enormous sales potential.
The contract signed with Tier 1, worth nearly one million euros, covers the design, manufacture and turnkey delivery of two series assembly lines for inverters for electric and hybrid vehicles of the Indian brand Mahindra, one of the largest manufacturers and leader in the SUV segment in the country. Within the framework of the new contract, Airtificial designs and manufactures series assembly lines for inverters, a key part in electric and hybrid cars. Inverters allow the direct current generated by an electric or hybrid vehicle to be transformed into alternating current, which is what feeds and drives the engine. These lines will be delivered at destination to the electronics division of Tier 1 and will integrate a total of twelve semi-automatic stations, six stations per line. This artificial intelligence technology allows the manufacturer to optimize processes and produce more parts faster. In addition, the lines are equipped with stations for vacuum testing, automated screwing, automatic feeding and have a radio frequency traceability system for the entire vehicle assembly process.
With this new agreement, Airtificial has already tripled last year’s total contract so far this year. In addition, it adds another large client there, with which it opens a new business relationship and is establishing itself as a Tier 2 reference for Tier1 and OEM. In 2023, Airtificial signed an agreement for the design, manufacture and turnkey delivery of robotic linear systems for the manufacture of rear shock absorbers for the suspension of various vehicle models for Suzuki and Honda. Airtificial is thus strengthening its position as a benchmark company in the automotive sector for the design and manufacture of smart linear systems in mass production lines for cars.
With this new contract, the Group opens its doors to new projects with greater technological integration, and strengthens its position in one of the largest industrial hubs worldwide, India, which currently and for several years has had the potential for exponential growth in multiple business areas, including the manufacturing and assembly of components for the automotive industry. At the same time, it has managed to double the production capacity developed to date in the Asian country, reaching the milestone of establishing itself in a market that is governed by high levels of demand.
New facilities and a larger professional team to continue at the forefront of the industry
Airtificial will open its new facilities of nearly a thousand square meters in September and will incorporate new professionals at its base located in the Indian city of Pune, where the Group’s technological and industrial plant is currently located. The company has thus increased its number of employees to 35 in just two years and tripled its usable surface area dedicated to assembly and construction work to over 650 square metres, which will allow the company to continue growing on the continent by developing its industrial process optimisation technology. The new plant will also mean tripling the space dedicated to engineering, design and customer service work to around 200 square metres, with the aim of increasing local engineering talent, which has great worldwide prestige.
The new facilities, fully equipped with high-performance auxiliary services, will facilitate the supply of electronic components and high-performance motors designed with Airtificial’s own technology, and will be prepared to respond to the current needs of the markets in which the company operates.
Among these markets, and according to official data, India has an automotive component manufacturing industry that is one of the most important in the world, with a production of around 10 billion euros and employing at least one and a half million people throughout the country. In addition, this sector grows at an annual average of 9.5% and produces, on average, around 30 million vehicles. Likewise, government forecasts point to India as one of the main world producers in vehicle exports, since the growth of these will go from the current 22% to 30-40% in the next five years.
The CEO of Airtificial, Guillermo Fernández de Peñaranda, states that “the Group is growing, and doing so in a superlative way on a global scale. This important agreement in India, together with the significant expansion of our facilities in the country, expands and strengthens our capabilities in one of the continents with the greatest industrial projection in the world, such as Asia, and together with the recent awards in NAFTA, we strengthen our international position as a preferred partner of choice in terms of automation and optimization of processes through high technology. At Airtificial we continue working at full capacity to offer our clients the best industrial solutions on the market.”
