Stellantis Takes Full Ownership of India Plant

The Thiruvallur facility currently serves eight export markets across four continents, highlighting its existing international role beyond India’s domestic market.
Stellantis expects upcoming free-trade agreements involving India to improve the competitiveness of vehicles exported from the country, while the added control could help it introduce and localise new models more quickly for Indian and global markets.
Stellantis is working with the Tamil Nadu government on additional investment linked to the production ramp-up, with details expected to be announced separately.
The Stellantis–CK Birla manufacturing and mobility partnership dates to 2017, several years before vehicle assembly began at Thiruvallur in 2021.
Stellantis has acquired full ownership of its Indian joint venture, taking control of the Thiruvallur, Tamil Nadu manufacturing plant from CK Birla Group's Hindustan Motor Finance Corporation. Financial Express reports the automaker plans a dramatic production ramp-up from roughly 18,000 vehicles annually in 2026 to more than 50,000 by 2027—a 160% increase that will more than double the facility's workforce.
The buyout, funded through foreign direct investment, signals Stellantis' confidence in India as a global export hub. The company has already invested over €1 billion in the country and aims to shift the plant's export share from 30% today to about 60% of output by 2027, serving eight markets across four continents.
Full ownership eliminates the need for joint-venture decisions, allowing Stellantis to speed up manufacturing choices and product launches. Newsbytes notes the move will improve operational integration and give the company greater flexibility in the Indian market. Added control lets Stellantis introduce and localize new models faster for both domestic and export customers.
Thiruvallur will nearly triple its workforce from 610 employees to support the jump in output. Yahoo Finance confirms the facility currently builds Citroën models—the C3, ë-C3, C3 Aircross, and Basalt—with over 95% localization. The expansion will create hundreds of new direct jobs plus additional work for suppliers and logistics partners.
Autocar India reports Stellantis is coordinating with the Tamil Nadu government on additional investments tied to the production increase, with details to be announced separately. The government partnership underscores how much the state stands to gain from the manufacturing surge.
The shift toward exports reflects Stellantis' strategy to position India as a manufacturing hub for global markets. Currently 30% of Thiruvallur output goes abroad; by 2027 that figure will climb to 60%. Upcoming free-trade agreements involving India are expected to improve export competitiveness for vehicles built at the plant.
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