Knorr-Bremse Group plans to invest INR 19.07 billion in a new greenfield rail manufacturing facility near Chennai, expanding its production, engineering, and technology footprint in India. The proposed facility will be located along the Sriperumbudur industrial corridor in Tamil Nadu and is intended to support India’s expanding rail programmes as well as export-oriented manufacturing.
Knorr-Bremse Group will execute the project through its Indian subsidiary, Knorr-Bremse India, at SIPCOT Industrial Park, Sriperumbudur Phase IV. The proposed site spans around 46 acres and forms part of the group’s broader localisation and capacity expansion strategy for rail systems.
The upcoming facility will manufacture door systems for metro, regional, and high-speed trains, along with friction materials used in railway braking systems. These products are deployed across passenger rolling stock platforms to support safety, operational reliability, and lifecycle performance. The output is expected to serve metro rail projects, suburban and regional rail networks, and future high-speed rail applications in India, alongside export demand.
In addition to manufacturing operations, the project includes a dedicated technology and research and development centre. The R&D activities will focus on rail and commercial vehicle braking systems, advanced friction technologies, and digital products for Indian and global markets. The integration of manufacturing and R&D is intended to strengthen localisation, accelerate product development, and support lifecycle management across rail platforms.
Once operational, the Sriperumbudur facility is expected to reach a monthly production capacity of around 700 door drive units and approximately 1,000 door leaf units. The products will support a wide range of rolling stock, including low-floor metro trains, electric multiple units, and very high-speed rail applications.
Knorr-Bremse’s new modular campus in Chennai to support additional production, engineering, and back-office activities, is expected to create around 3,500 jobs in the long term.. Additional indirect employment is expected to be created across supplier networks, logistics providers, and ancillary industries linked to rail manufacturing.
The investment builds on Knorr-Bremse’s expanding industrial and supplier ecosystem in India. The group operates manufacturing and engineering locations in Chennai, Palwal, and Pune, positioning India as a key innovation and production hub within its global operations. Knorr-Bremse’s annual purchasing volume in India runs into the triple-digit million-euro range, reflecting the scale of its supplier engagement. Rail and commercial vehicle sales in India amounted to around EUR 300 million in 2024.
The group has recently established a global artificial intelligence centre in Chennai as part of its digital strategy, focused on improving process efficiency, system performance, and implementation speed across global operations.
Knorr-Bremse Group is headquartered in Munich and supplies braking systems and safety-critical subsystems for rail vehicles and commercial vehicles worldwide. In India, the company supports domestic rail programmes and exports through a growing manufacturing, engineering, and supplier network.
