The Hindu Business Line : Delphi-TVS to pump in Rs 500 crore to make diesel engine components

DELPHI-TVS plans to invest Rs 500 crore in the next five years for producing various components for high-speed direct injection diesel engines. The company will enter the manufacture of `common rail fuel injection' systems and the electronic control system.

The Delphi-TVS group joint venture is the largest supplier of rotary fuel injection systems in the country. Supply of common rail systems to engines made in India is expected to begin this year, Mr T.K. Balaji, Managing Director, Delphi-TVS, said at a press conference here on Thursday.

The company foresees huge potential for diesel engine vehicles — both passenger cars and commercial vehicles. Today, India produces around 7,50,000 petrol engine cars and 1,80,000 cars with diesel engines.

Delphi-TVS expects that by 2010, India will be producing a million petrol-powered cars and 6,00,000 diesel-powered cars a year. The company is gearing itself to capture that business. Common rail fuel injection is becoming a key diesel engine technology worldwide. Basically, in diesel engines, air is compressed inside the cylinder by piston action and diesel is sprayed into the compressed air at high pressure. The fuel then automatically ignites. For better combustion (and consequently lesser emissions) it is necessary that diesel is injected at high pressure.

In the common rail technology, the fuel is carried in a common rail over the cylinders and a high power pump keeps it in pressurised condition. An electronic control system controls the pattern of fuel injection into the cylinders.

Delphi-TVS intends to get into the manufacture of all the components — common rail, pump and control system. As part of the investment programme, the company is beginning work on establishing a `technical centre' at its facility at Mannur, about 30 km from Chennai. The centre "will complement the current engineering facilities and focus on developing new products and applications to meet future emission norms."

It will be home to a range of equipment — such as a chassis dynamometer, cold room common rail engine test bed, and common rail test beds, emission test facility and calibration equipment. The company is expected to spend Rs 50 crore on the facility. Mr Ratan Tata, Chairman of the Tata group, will lay foundation stone for the technical centre on Friday. Mr Guy Hachey, President, Delphi Energy and Chassis, US, and Mr Suresh Krishna, Chairman, Sundram Fasteners, will participate in the function.

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