Flender, a Germany-based manufacturer of drive systems and components, is expanding its manufacturing operations in Walajabad, India. The move is a strategic step to meet the growing global demand for wind turbine drive components.
The ground-breaking ceremony for the project was held recently and was attended by Christian Weck, Global Head of Parts Production, Vinod Shetty, CEO of Flender India, Pandu Chillakuru, CFO of Flender India, Boopathy R, Plant Head of Walajabad, and Jayaseelan Janakiraman, Plant Head of Chennai.
According to the company, the new facility is intended to strengthen Flender’s supply chain while adding local production capacity. The expansion is also expected to generate employment opportunities, attract ancillary industries, and contribute to workforce development in the region.
Flender plans to expand its investments in India to support future growth. The company’s investments in India have nearly quadrupled since 2020, underlining the market’s role in its global strategy.
The latest development follows the company’s acquisition of the former Eickhoff Wind Asia facility in early 2024. Eickhoff Wind Asia specialises in the production of wind gearboxes. The facility has a test bench capacity of up to 8 MW and is located in the greater Chennai area, close to Flender’s existing operations in Chennai and Kharagpur.
In 2022, Flender completed expansion works at its Chennai manufacturing site, adding two new production halls and a 7.5-megawatt test bench for wind turbine gearboxes. Investments at the company’s Kharagpur site included new buildings, machinery, and heat treatment facilities. Flender’s total production capacity in India at the time covered approximately 38,000 square metres.
These facilities are designed to streamline production processes across product segments. They have additional heavy-duty crane capacities to support the assembly and logistics of large onshore and offshore gear units. The sites are also equipped with high-rack storage, as well as washing and painting booths for parts and gear units.
Flender India reported that its business has more than doubled since 2021 and confirmed that additional investments are planned to sustain this growth.
Flender, founded in 1899 in Bocholt, Germany, manufactures mechanical and electrical drive systems and components used in a variety of industrial applications, including wind energy, cement, marine, and mining. The company operates globally with production sites and service centres across multiple regions.
Flender India operates three production facilities located in Kharagpur, Chennai, and Walajabad, which supply wind turbine gearboxes for both domestic and international markets. More than half of the products manufactured in India are exported. The company established its first manufacturing plant in India in 1961.
The company celebrated its 125th anniversary in November 2024, marked by a visit from CEO Andreas Evertz and Flender India CEO Vinod Shetty, accompanied by senior officials, to its facilities in Tamil Nadu. During the visit, they engaged with employees and reaffirmed the company’s commitment to its growing India operations. Today, around 10 percent of Flender Group’s global workforce of 9,000 is based in India.