MUMBAI, India -- GKN Driveline has announced plans to expand its presence in India, by building a new factory for the manufacture of sideshafts, including a state-of-the-art test center, near Chennai. GKN Driveline will invest nearly $27.9 million in the new plant that will go into production at the beginning of next year. The plant will have a capacity of 600,000 vehicle sets.

The new facility will expand GKN Driveline's capability in Southern India and position the company to meet the rapid growth of the Indian car market. GKN Driveline currently employs 450 people in three factories in India: Faridabad and Dharuhera, near Delhi in the north, and Gummidipoondi, near Chennai, in the south.

GKN Driveline provides driveshafts for a wide range of vehicle models. The company’s first facility in India was established in 1986 at Faridabad in Haryana.

For more information about GKN Driveline, go to: http://www.gkndriveline.com.