India plants prepare to step up production; Rush is on to meet local demand; exports also eyed.(News)(Fiat S.p.A., Tata Motors Ltd. and General Motors Corp. to open operations)

Automotive News, February, 2008 by Snyder, Jesse

Byline: Jesse Snyder

Gurpratap Boparai's mind races as he strides past workers installing tooling at Fiat's big new production complex here.

As Boparai, head of powertrain production, passes rows of plastic-wrapped machining centers from Germany's Heller Automotive, he is already envisioning how manufacturing processes will work this autumn. Boparai's eyes move in turn from each machine to a different spot on the floor as he talks with a visitor.

"The entire building will be slightly pressurized to help keep it clean,'' he says. "That's state-of-the-art for powertrain plants, but especially important here. It's very dusty in India.''

Boparai's task is to ensure that the 300,000-unit-a-year-capacity engine and transmission buildings...

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