About 70% of the Chennai forging cluster’s products go into auto applications, with the remaining 30% going into non-auto areas
S Ravishankar, vice-president of the Association of Indian Forging Industry (AIFI) and MD of Super Auto Forge, said the Chennai-Bengaluru cluster compares strongly with other major Indian forging centres in terms of product sophistication and value addition. Cold and warm forging are concentrated mostly in the Chennai-Bengaluru cluster,” he said. “A lot of high-end precision forgings are made in the state.
Krishnan said companies would need expertise in special alloys such as nickel-based alloys, titanium and high-alloy steels, supported by advanced laboratories and metallurgical capabilities. “Aerospace and defence, in particular, involve low-volume, high-mix production and long qualification cycles, requiring patient capital and specialised engineering teams,” he adds. Ravishankar said automation was becoming a necessity irrespective of company size, helped by the growing availability of local robotic and automation integrators.
The policy ecosystem also offers a platform for the industry’s transition. The state’s defence industrial corridor has five nodes — Chennai, Coimbatore, Hosur, Salem and Trichy — intended to build an aerospace and defence manufacturing ecosystem. They would also need sector-specific certifications, traceability systems, non-destructive testing, specialised heat treatment and multi-axis machining. Automation will be critical, particularly for smaller companies facing labour shortages and rising quality requirements.
Krishna said non-auto businesses, including wind energy, aerospace, industrial equipment and railways, currently account for about 35% of the company’s revenue. This share is expected to rise to 50% over time. Its precision-parts business is projected to grow at a CAGR of 20% over the next three years, she adds.
At SFL, the shift beyond automobiles is already evident.