Renault Nissan's Chennai plant achieves 4.5 million powertrain production milestone

CHENNAI

Renault Nissan Automotive India Pvt Ltd (RNAIPL) has reached a manufacturing milestone at its Chennai facility, producing over 4.5 million powertrain units since operations began in 2010. The achievement comprises 2.83 million engines and 1.67 million gearboxes manufactured at the Oragadam plant.

The facility, which serves as the Alliance's dedicated manufacturing hub, has produced more than 2.75 million vehicles for both domestic and export markets during the same period. The plant's manufacturing capabilities include complete engine production processes, from aluminium ingot melting to final assembly.

RNAIPL's manufacturing facility houses specialised units for engine component production, including a casting shop for cylinder heads and blocks, a precision machining shop, and an assembly unit. The plant's capabilities extend to producing engines ranging from 800cc to 1500cc capacity.

The facility's gearbox manufacturing division maintains complete production infrastructure, encompassing gear machining, shaft machining, clutch house machining, and gear heat treatment processes. Since its inception, the plant has manufactured seven distinct engine types and three gearbox varieties.

In its operational history, RNAIPL achieved its first million-engine milestone in 2016, six years after commencing production. The facility has also manufactured over 160,000 units of EV reducer components for export markets, demonstrating its versatility in powertrain production.

Keerthi Prakash, Managing Director of RNAIPL, commented on the achievement: "The production of 4.5 million powertrain units is a very important milestone for RNAIPL. In addition to powering the cars produced at our Chennai plant, we have also exported powertrain units and components to other countries around the world." He added that the facility is preparing for future expansion, noting that "as part of the USD 600 million investment announced by the Renault Nissan alliance, we are readying our infrastructure to produce the engines and gearboxes for our new models."

Among the facility's notable products is the HR10 TURBO engine, which incorporates mirror bore cylinder coating technology—a feature found in high-performance vehicles like the Nissan GT-R. This technology reduces internal engine resistance, decreases weight, and improves heat management and combustion efficiency, resulting in enhanced acceleration and fuel economy.

Quality control remains a central focus at RNAIPL's powertrain division. The facility employs advanced robotic vision camera technology for quality assurance during production. A strict sequential process flow system ensures each unit meets quality standards before advancing to subsequent manufacturing stages.