Force Motors

Force Motors Limited
Public
Industry Automobile
Founded 1958
Headquarters Pune , India
Key people

Dr. Abhay Firodia (Chairman) Mr. Prasan A. Firodia (Managing Director)

Mr. Sudhir Mehta (Director)
Products Traveller, Trax, Trump, Force Gurkha, Orchard and Balwan Tractors
Revenue ₹3033 Crore (2016)
₹346 Crore (2016)
₹179 Crore
Number of employees
 8500
Website www.forcemotors.com

Force Motors Limited is the part of the Dr. Abhay Firodia Group of companies, one of India’s industrial houses focusing exclusively in the automotive domain. The company introduced brands to India such as Tempo, Matador, Minidor and Traveller.

The company is completely vertically integrated, making its own engines, chassis, gear boxes, axles, bodies, etc. for the entire product range including Small Commercial Vehicles (SCV), Light Commercial Vehicles (LCV), Multi Utility Vehicles (MUV), Special Cross Country Vehicles and Agricultural Tractors.

History

Bajaj Tempo Minidor
Tempo Bajaj Matador (Hanomag / Mercedes-Benz License of Harburger Transporter)
Force Trax

The Group companies, led by Chairman Dr. Abhay Firodia, provide end-to-end automotive solutions, ranging from its core competence of manufacturing light transport vehicles to engines and axles for leading international OEMs to producing a large variety of critical aluminium parts (both high pressure die casting and gravity die casting) for almost all leading automotive players in the country.

The foundation of the Group was laid by Late Shri N. K. Firodia - freedom fighter and pioneering industrialist. He gave India two paradigms – the concept of ‘low cost public transport’ - the Auto rickshaw (a word he coined that now finds a place in the Oxford Dictionary). The Tempo Matador was the first diesel light commercial vehicle in India. The word Tempo (a registered trade mark of Daimler) is now generic for any small goods carrier in India.

A Force Traveller Ambulance, used by Narayana Health
A Force Traveller Ambulance, used by Narayana Health

The company started production of the HANSEAT 3-Wheelers in collaboration with Vidal & Sohn Tempo Werke Germany in 1958.

In 1987, Force Motors set up a new plant at Pithampur in Madhya Pradesh, for the production of Tempo Traveller. This plant was designed and built to the specification of Daimler-Benz.

In 1997, Daimler asked it to set up a dedicated facility for assembling and testing engines for Mercedes passenger cars to be made in India. Till date, Force Motors has supplied over 60,000 engines and 50,000 axles.

In the year 2003, Force Motors signed technology sourcing agreements with MAN for which payments were made upfront. On completion of the localization of the licensed technology and with the request from MAN, a joint venture was created forming MAN FORCE TRUCKS Pvt. Ltd to manufacture the full range of HCVs from 16t GVW to 49t GCW. It subsequently amicably exited the JV but still continues to supply the large 1300 Nm and 850 Nm gear boxes, under a technology license from ZF Germany, as also the complete cabin for the trucks made in India under the MAN brand.

In 2012, Force Motors launched a monocoque panel van that can seat 26 persons. It is entirely tooled and designed by the R&D team in Force Motors. It has disk brakes on all four wheels and also comes with advanced safety features like ABS and EBD. Powered by 130 hp Mercedes licensed common rail engine the Traveller 26 is almost one tonne lighter than competition offering a high power to weight ratio.

In 2015, the company was awarded a contract by BMW, the result of which is a new facility in Chennai which produces and test engines and transmissions exclusively for all BMW cars and SUVs made in India. This plant can produce up to 20,000 premium engines per year. The IT system of the production facility is integrated in “Real Time” with the global production network of BMW. This enables all essential production process values to be integrated in BMW’s global data.

A new plant was inaugurated at Chakan, Pune in June 2016. This facility assembles and tests engines for all Mercedes Cars and SUVs made in India. The new plant has a current annual capacity of 20,000 engines and 20,000 front and rear axles.

Force Motors has a nationwide dealer presence. The company also exports to various countries in Africa, Latin America, SAARC and ASEAN countries, Gulf and Germany.

Products

Force Motors manufactures a range of vehicles including Small Commercial Vehicles (SCV), Light Commercial Vehicles (LCV), Multi Utility Vehicles (MUV), Special Cross Country Vehicles and Agricultural Tractors.

Light Commercial vehicles

The Traveller is the flagship product of Force Motors.

Small Commercial Vehicles

Multi Utility Vehicles

Special Cross Country Vehicles

Agricultural vehicles

References

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