Magna to open two new facilities in India

Auto parts maker Magna International Inc. is opening two new facilities in India.

According to the Aurora, Ont.-based company, both facilities will be in the Sanand region of the state of Gujarat, India and are scheduled to begin production in 2015.

One plant will make seat systems for a leading automaker and employ about 200 people. The second will manufacture body and chassis systems for multiple customers and employ some 400 people.

With the two new Sanand facilities, Magna will have 11 manufacturing locations and four engineering centres in India.

“Magna’s growth in markets such as India reflects our customers’ need for world-class, innovative suppliers,” Jim Tobin, Magna’s chief marketing officer and president of Magna Asia, said in a release. “With almost a million square feet of capacity now installed in India, we believe we are extremely well-positioned to support the increasing vehicle production forecast for the Indian automotive industry.”

Magna has more than 130,000 employees at 317 manufacturing operations globally, and 83 product development, engineering and sales centres in 29 countries.