Force Motors rolls out 200,000th Mercedes-Benz engine in India

Force Motors has achieved a landmark manufacturing milestone in India, rolling out the 200,000th Mercedes-Benz engine from its state-of-the-art Chakan facility near Pune. The achievement underscores the company’s deep technical collaboration with the German luxury carmaker and reinforces India’s growing role as a global hub for precision-built, high-performance powertrains. This latest milestone also highlights investments in advanced tooling and quality.

The commemorative engine, a six-cylinder M256 unit destined for a Mercedes-Benz GLS 450, symbolizes more than volume. It reflects nearly three decades of Force Motors building engines and axles for every Mercedes-Benz car and SUV produced locally. The rollout was marked by senior leaders from Force Motors, Mercedes-Benz Group AG, and Mercedes-Benz India, who reiterated their commitment to manufacturing excellence.

Over Two Decades of Indo-German Collaboration

Force Motors’ association with Mercedes-Benz on powertrain manufacturing began in 1997 and has steadily expanded into a comprehensive partnership covering engines and axles for the entire locally produced portfolio. What started with licensed production of Mercedes engines has evolved into a high-trust, high-precision relationship that now underpins every Mercedes-Benz car and SUV made in India.

Company leadership describes the 200,000th engine not just as a number but as the story of a partnership built on trust, precision, and shared purpose. The milestone reflects Force Motors’ ability to repeatedly meet Mercedes-Benz’s global benchmarks on quality, repeatability, and process discipline from its Indian facilities.

Chakan Facility at the Heart of Mercedes-Benz India

The dedicated Chakan plant near Pune is the centerpiece of this collaboration, producing and testing four‑cylinder and six‑cylinder gasoline and diesel engines, along with front and rear axles, for Mercedes-Benz India. Spread over around 130,000 square feet, the facility was designed from day one to align with the German brand’s global manufacturing standards.

The plant currently has the capability to produce up to 20,000 engines and a similar number of axles annually, with provisions to scale further as demand grows. Its flexible lines can handle multiple engine variants, enabling Force Motors to support an evolving Mercedes-Benz India line-up without compromising on takt time or quality.

Beyond Mercedes-Benz: BMW and Rolls-Royce partnerships

Force Motors’ powertrain credentials extend well beyond its work with Mercedes-Benz. In Chennai, a separate dedicated facility assembles and tests engines for the full range of BMW cars and SUVs manufactured in India, making it BMW’s first independent engine and transmission plant outside Germany. That facility has already crossed the 100,000-engine mark, with milestone units powering models such as the BMW X5.

The company has also partnered Rolls-Royce Power Systems through the Force MTU Power Systems joint venture, set up to manufacture MTU Series 1600 ten- and twelve-cylinder engines in India for global power generation and rail applications. This JV positions India as the sole manufacturing hub for these engines, further elevating Force Motors’ profile in the global high-performance diesel segment.

Strengthening Force Motors’ Manufacturing and R&D Footprint

Founded in 1958, Force Motors has grown into a fully integrated automobile company involved in the design, development, and manufacture of vehicles, aggregates, and components and is recognized as India’s largest van maker. The company operates five modern manufacturing plants across the country and employs over 10,000 people under the leadership of Chairman Dr. Abhay Firodia.

Its advanced R&D centre in Pune, supported by a team of more than 1,000 engineers and designers, enables Force Motors to tailor products and aggregates to market-specific requirements across over 25 export destinations in the Middle East, Asia, Latin America, and Africa.

Also Read: Force Motors appoints Ravi Agrawal as Head of Marketing to boost brand strategy

CarBike 360 Says

This milestone is more than a production number; it reflects a partnership shaped by trust, engineering discipline, and consistent delivery. As India strengthens its place in global automotive manufacturing, Force Motors and Mercedes-Benz continue to show how local expertise can meet world-class standards.