JOST India Auto Component inaugurated its new production plant in Jamshedpur, a city west of Kolkata, recently. Here, around 100 employees will be producing fifthwheel couplings for the Indian market.
As previously done with other important markets such as China, the United States, or South Africa, JOST decided in 2007 to invest in its own production plants in India. After fewer than 14 months of construction time, production of fifthwheel couplings has now begun.
The JOST plant in India was constructed on a 60,000-square-meter greenfield site. The modern production plant in Jamshedpur is in close proximity to the largest Indian truck manufacturer, Tata Motors. JOST India Auto Component had already signed an agreement with Tata for long-term supply of fifthwheel couplings.
Production in the new JOST factory is the first direct 100% foreign investment in Jamshedpur. After a brief start-up period, employees will be able to manufacture up to 50,000 fifthwheel couplings annually in the plant. The factory also has an modern plant for e-coating (KTL). This process, which is used to protect JOST products against corrosion, is free of solvents.