Marelli, in partnership with Motherson, today inaugurated a state-of-the-art automotive lighting manufacturing facility in Sanand, Gujarat. This marks the second plant for the Marelli Motherson Lighting India (MMLI) joint venture in the region and represents a significant expansion of their operations in India.
The new Sanand facility is dedicated to producing high-performance exterior lighting systems for India’s rapidly growing passenger vehicle market. It introduces several first-of-its-kind technologies to the country, including single-piece, full-width lamps spanning nearly two meters for both front and rear applications, as well as India’s slimmest headlamp modules at just 17 millimeters in height. The plant supports configurations with adaptive driving beam (ADB), high-beam boost, or ambient lighting, offering automotive manufacturers enhanced styling options, improved safety, and superior performance.
“The Sanand facility is a key milestone in bringing advanced lighting technologies to our Indian customers,” said Frank Huber, President of Marelli’s Lighting Business. “By combining Marelli’s global technology leadership with Motherson’s manufacturing expertise and deep local customer relationships, we are delivering future-ready solutions that meet the evolving demands of India’s automotive market.”
Laksh Vaaman Sehgal, Vice Chairman of Motherson, added: “This strategic investment highlights our commitment to innovation, excellence, and customer focus. The new plant strengthens our capacity to deliver advanced lighting systems and reinforces Motherson’s role in shaping India’s automotive technology landscape.”
The facility has been designed to handle long, single-piece lighting elements with heavy tooling, high-tonnage injection molding machines, and specialized overhead cranes—features introduced for the first time in an Indian lighting plant. Sustainability is a core focus, with rooftop solar installations and plans for additional green energy sourcing. As part of its CSR initiatives, MMLI has planted 1,700 trees to support the local environment and community.
MMLI, a 50:50 joint venture between Marelli and Motherson, is one of India’s largest automotive lighting suppliers, operating eight plants in Pune, Sanand, Bawal, and Noida, along with a global design center, testing lab, PCB facility, lighting tooling room, and a warehouse in Bengaluru. The company employs over 4,500 people and continues to drive innovation in the fast-growing passenger vehicle segment.
With this new plant, Marelli’s presence in India now spans 16 production sites and three R&D centers. The expansion reinforces the company’s mission to deliver cutting-edge, sustainable automotive technologies while supporting growth in one of the world’s most dynamic automotive markets. Marelli remains committed to advancing mobility solutions that are safer, greener, and better connected, leveraging its global footprint of more than 150 sites and approximately 40,000 employees worldwide.
