Marelli, Motherson Open Advanced Lighting Plant in India

In the automotive lighting and passenger vehicle manufacturing sectors, Marelli and Motherson have inaugurated a new production facility in Sanand, Gujarat, dedicated to high-performance exterior lighting systems. The plant expands the footprint of their joint venture, Marelli Motherson Lighting India (MMLI), and introduces several lighting technologies not previously manufactured in India.

Production of Full-Width and Ultra-Slim Lighting Systems
The Sanand facility is designed to manufacture single-piece, end-to-end lighting elements spanning nearly two meters across the front or rear of a vehicle. These full-width lamps create uniform light signatures and support evolving vehicle styling trends.

The plant also localizes headlamp modules with a height of 17 millimeters, described as the slimmest currently produced in India. Depending on OEM requirements, configurations may include adaptive driving beam (ADB), high-beam boost and ambient lighting features.

By combining reduced module height with integrated functionality, the systems aim to support aerodynamic vehicle design while maintaining illumination performance and road safety compliance.

Infrastructure for High-Tonnage Manufacturing
The facility is the first automotive lighting plant in India engineered to manufacture such long, single-piece lighting components. To enable this, high-tonnage injection molding machines have been installed, and the building structure has been reinforced to accommodate heavy tooling.

Specialized overhead cranes have been introduced to handle large molds and assemblies, marking the first implementation of this type of infrastructure in an Indian lighting production plant.

Addressing Growing Domestic Demand
India’s passenger vehicle market continues to expand, increasing demand for advanced exterior lighting systems. The new Sanand plant – MMLI’s second in the region – is intended to support high-volume production while integrating global lighting technologies with localized manufacturing.

MMLI operates as a 50:50 joint venture between Marelli and Motherson and employs more than 4,500 people across eight plants in Pune, Sanand, Bawal and Noida. The company also maintains a global design center, testing laboratory and PCB production facility in Pune, a tooling center in Noida and a warehouse in Bengaluru.

Sustainability and Energy Strategy
The Sanand facility incorporates rooftop solar installations and is expanding its renewable energy sourcing through open-access green power procurement. As part of its environmental initiatives, MMLI has planted 1,700 trees in the surrounding region to contribute to CO₂ absorption.

Strengthening Marelli’s Indian Footprint
With the opening of the new lighting plant, Marelli’s presence in India now includes 16 production sites and three R&D centers. Through its joint venture structure and localized production capabilities, the company aims to support the continued evolution of vehicle lighting technology in one of the fastest-growing automotive markets globally.

www.marelli.com