Sharad Pawar lays foundation stone of Bharat Forge centre

Baramati, May 1 (UNI) Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar today laid the foundation stone for Bharat Forge Ltd's Rs 350 crore Centre for Advanced Manufacturing facility here, marking its foray in the non-automotive sector to target various equipment industries, including Aerospace, Railways, mining, power, marin and construction.

Pawar said the immediate need of the hour was to increase power availability and the state government was actively working in this direction.

''The centre will pursue manufacture of highly engineered critical safety components for the power sector and other industries'', he said.

Addressing a news conference after the foundation laying ceremony, Bharat Forge chairman and managing director Baba Kalyani said the plant has a capacity of 30,000 metric tonnes per annum and will manufacture 1,00,000 machined crankshaft in the first phase.

Its production will begin by April next year and around 80 per cent of the product has been kept for exports, he said.

In the first phase, the turnover would touch Rs 400 crore. Around 1,200 technical personnel will be employed, for which a course content in eight colleges including Prathisthan at Baramati have already been introduced to employ young talent, Mr Kalyani informed.

The company was poised to become a number one global entity in forgings, he added.

Bharat Forge's customer base included Dailmar Chyrsler, Toyota, BMW, General Motors, Ford, Volvo, Honda, Renaults.

UNI