Monterrey-based Katcon Global and Indian automotive components manufacturer Tata AutoComp Systems have announced a joint venture to manufacture advanced composites for the automotive industry in Mexico.
Katcon Global — founded in Monterrey in 1993 — is a leader in exhaust systems, thermal insulation and advanced materials components with 11 manufacturing plants and five technology centers in eight countries.
Katcon supplies leading OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) across North America, Europe and Asia through its manufacturing and R&D facilities.
Tata AutoComp — established in 1995 in Pune, India, under the aegis of the Tata Group, which owns the Jaguar Land Rover brand — specializes in the design, development, manufacturing and supply of auto-component products and services, including components for next-generation electric vehicles (EVs). The company has 61 factories worldwide, including in India, North America, Latin America, Europe and China.
According to a press release, the joint venture “will specialize in lightweight applications for passenger and commercial vehicles, agricultural tractors, off-road vehicles, and specialized non-automotive segments.”
The new venture builds on a 13-year partnership in India between Tata and Katcon focused on exhaust systems and emission after-treatment solutions.
Katcon CEO Carlos Turner said the new partnership “reflects our shared commitment to innovation and excellence,” which reinforces his company’s strategy of “enabling the future of mobility through advanced materials.”
With Katcon’s advanced composite technologies and Tata’s industry expertise, Turner said the venture will deliver “innovative, lightweight solutions that address the evolving needs of the North American automotive market.”
Tata AutoComp Vice Chairman Arvind Goel called the arrangement “a significant milestone,” describing it as “a reverse model compared to our previous alliances” since this represents Tata’s first international partnership that contributes proprietary technology. In the past, Tata licensed or adopted partner technologies.
Goel pointed out that Tata’s Composite Division — recently recognized with the Deming Award for excellence in Total Quality Management — will lead on the technology front with its patented formulations and in-house capabilities for composite compounds and sheet manufacturing.
The new Mexico-based venture will rely on Katcom’s regulatory knowledge and its local operations. It is expected to strengthen both companies’ manufacturing presence in North America and support OEMs in meeting weight-reduction and regulatory targets.
With reports from El Financiero, Milenio and Cluster Industrial
