SKF India Strengthens Local Manufacturing with New Facilities

SKF India (Industrial) Ltd., a leading provider of premium bearing solutions and rotating equipment services, has successfully completed a significant phase of its localization strategy, reinforcing its position as a key enabler of industrial growth across India and Southeast Asia.

Through strategic investments made over the past few years in India and Southeast Asia region, SKF has commissioned advanced manufacturing channels for:

• Medium deep-groove ball bearings (DGBBs) above 150 mm OD in Ahmedabad, India
• Medium spherical roller bearings (SRBs) ranging from 180–320 mm OD in Nilai, Malaysia
• UC-range ball bearing units in Pune, India

These facilities now serve as regional hubs, reducing import dependency, improving responsiveness, and embedding SKF deeper into the industrial ecosystems. Importantly, these products are manufactured using the same global technology, processes, and quality standards as SKF’s European operations thereby ensuring customers receive world-class performance and reliability, now made closer to where it’s needed most.

Mukund Vasudevan, President – India & Southeast Asia (ISEA) and Managing Director, SKF India (Industrial), commented:

“With new bearing manufacturing channels now operational in Ahmedabad, Pune, and Nilai, we’ve moved from intent to impact. Localization is no longer a plan, it’s a reality. These capabilities allow us to align production with customer needs, bring advanced technologies closer to industrial hubs, and unlock efficiencies that drive long-term value.”

The localized production of these critical bearing types, previously imported, now enables faster go-to-market, shorter lead times, and stronger supply chain resilience for high-demand sectors such as railways, renewables, infrastructure, metals, cement, food & beverage, mining, and automation.

To build on this momentum, SKF India (Industrial) has also announced a new investment of ₹800–950 crore by 2030, including a state-of-the-art facility in Pune by 2028, aimed at further accelerating its role in the Make in India initiative. This next phase will focus on expanding capacity, deepening technology integration, and advancing sustainability across the value chain.

The strategic importance of this region was reaffirmed during the recent visit of Rickard Gustafson, President and CEO of SKF Group, to India. Touring key facilities and engaging with employees, Rickard witnessed firsthand the scale, innovation, and quality driving SKF’s transformation. His visit underscored India’s pivotal role in shaping the next chapter of SKF’s global growth journey.

SKF’s transformation into a lean-clean-digital manufacturing company is well underway. From AI-enabled inspection systems and intelligent lubrication platforms to predictive maintenance tools and remanufacturing driven by circular economy principles, SKF India is integrating technology with customer outcomes to deliver smarter, more sustainable solutions.

Each of the new manufacturing channels is designed not only to expand capacity but also to embed efficiency, precision, and sustainability into every unit produced ensuring that SKF continues to lead the way in industrial innovation, reliability, and competitiveness.