ItalyÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s UFI Filters opens automotive filters plant at NCR

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ItalyÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s UFI Filters opens automotive filters plant at NCR

ItalyÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s UFI Filters opens automotive filters plant at NCR

Industry News
Oct 19,19

Initial production will be to the tune of 6 million filters per year, including cabin filters and air filters for cars and heavy vehicles, as well as dedicated hydraulic filtration spares.

ItalyÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s UFI Filters opens automotive filters plant at NCR

New Delhi, October 19, 2019

UFI Filters, a global leader in filtration technology and thermal management, yesterday launched its first aftermarket plant in India at Bahadurgarh in the National Capital Region (NCR). The new industrial site Sofima India Pvt Ltd - UFI Group’s 18th industrial site worldwide - will be dedicated to manufacturing filters for the aftermarket sector, serving both local spare parts market and export demands.

Given the Group’s widespread experience at its many plants around the world that are dedicated to automotive original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and International Automotive Task Force (IATF)-certified, the new industrial site at Bahadurgarh has been designed to comply with the most stringent international standards. Equipped with the most up-to-date technologies, the plant will meet European standards for processes and quality and will be ISO 9001-certified. UFI Filters supplies the full range of air, oil, fuel, cabin, hydraulic and coolant filters as well as thermal management systems to the automotive sector as well.

Speaking at the inauguration of Sofima India Pvt Ltd, Hridesh Sharma, CEO, UFI Filters India, said, “This new industrial site opening is part of our strategy to offer high-quality spare parts to the Indian market. The new India operation will make it possible to provide products that are dedicated to the growing demands of the aftermarket sector and will allow the Group to grow its business in line with our vision. We have a committed investment of Euro 10 million and will employ around 300 workers at full capacity. Initial production will be to the tune of 6 million filters per year, including cabin filters and air filters for cars and heavy vehicles, as well as dedicated hydraulic filtration spares.”

Spread over a 5000 square meter area over three floors, the new industrial site will focus on dedicated after-market products, to fulfill the growing demand for high-quality products in India and abroad.

Giorgio Girondi, Chairman of the UFI Filters Group, said, “We are truly proud of this new industrial site, which brings the number of our industrial sites around the world to a total of 18. Expansion in South-East Asia, especially India is strategic for us, as there is a huge potential given the high volume of vehicles available in the country, which we intend to address. All our products meet International Standards viz. SAE, ISO and OEM standards. ‘Think globally, act locally’ is the Group’s central principle for supporting our OEM clients and the Aftermarket. Thanks to the quality of UFI Filters products, major German brands including the Volkswagen Group and Porsche choose filtering systems ’Made in India’ by UFI to complement their brand-new vehicles.”

The Italy-based UFI Filters was founded in 1971 and serves a wide range of sectors ranging from automotive, aerospace and marine to specialised industrial and customised hydraulic applications. Renowned for its innovation, UFI’s products and know-how are found in all kinds of vehicles from F1 cars including Ferrari and seven other top F1 teams, to the European ExoMars spacecraft.

“We are keen to encourage local talent, and as such our recruitment would be in that direction. If required, we will also send new recruits from this plant to overseas plants for training, so as to maintain the high-quality levels that UFI Filters is known for. We aim to groom local talent to be future leaders of UFI Filters. We expect to engage around 300 personnel, once the plant is fully commissioned,” added Hridesh Sharma.

In the OE market, UFI is a leading filtration provider. Each family of filters within the company’s two aftermarket brands, UFI and Sofima, covers 96% of the European car parc. One of the first Italian companies to identify growth opportunities in the Far East, today UFI has 18 industrial sites and employs over 4,000 people in 16 countries.