EKA expands manufacturing footprint with six facilities across Pune and Pithampur

EKA Mobility, Pinnacle Industries and their group companies inaugurated six manufacturing facilities across Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh at the EKA Avirbhava event in Pune on October 30.

According to the group, the additions take its manufacturing network to 11 facilities across 120 acres, with capacity to produce more than 40,000 electric vehicles annually. It reports investment exceeding INR 3,500 crore in the manufacturing ecosystem and more than INR 600 crore in research and development.

“We have always believed that commercial EVs are about more than vehicles. It is a conscious environmental choice that is going to re-energise India's growth story with the support of the next-gen Indians,” said Sudhir Mehta, founder and chairman of EKA Mobility and group companies, pointing to a portfolio covering both goods and passenger transport.

Dignitaries at the inauguration included Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis; Union ministers Nitin Gadkari and H.D. Kumaraswamy; Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar; Union Minister of State Murlidhar Mohol; Maharashtra minister Chandrakant Patil; BJP national general secretary (organisation) B.L. Santhosh; and Force Motors chairman Abhay Firodia.

Five facilities are in Pune: EKA’s small commercial vehicle plant; its bus and truck plant; VDL Pinnacle Engineering, a joint venture with the Netherlands’ VDL Groep; Instor India’s facility for retail fixtures and automotive components; and Pinnacle’s seating and interiors plant. The sixth, Pinnacle Interiors in Pithampur, serves applications including buses, trains, tractors, ambulances and motorhomes.

Relating his discussion with Shri Devendra Fadnavis on expanding the manufacturing capacity of EKA, Mehta had said that the minister insisted that they "Go Bigger", and supported the decision to plan for higher capacity for the future of Indian electric mobility.

During this event, EKA also introduced their new 125-seater 18 metre electric bus. This coach is targeted towards the highways, ring roads and inter-city travel. Talking about the inspiration for this vehicle, Mehta quoted his conversation with Shri Nitin Gadkari who encouraged him to design this bus after noticing a similar one in his travel overseas. On his urging, Mehta has even incorporated the vehicle with support for a pantograph charging system.

A full story drawing on the event and interaction will follow on Bizmudra.