Bangalore, September 26, 2005 (Business Line)

The US connector major Amphenol has announced the opening of its second manufacturing facility in the country.

The Bangalore unit will manufacture cable harness and high-end connectors for defence, space and technology industries. The company already has nine prime customers in Bangalore, including ISRO.

The third facility would be set up in Chennai for mobile phone handsets. The parent Amphenol Corporation has invested nearly Rs 25 crore in machinery in the new facilities, according to a company release.

Amphenol Corporation's Senior Vice-President and Group General Manager, Luc Walter, who opened the unit, said the Indian facilities would concentrate on four products- aerospace, industrial, mobile phone and automotive sectors. While the Pune facility was making engineering components, the Bangalore facility would make connectors, Walter said.

Amphenol has a Rs 24-crore order to supply for the 124 Main Battle Tank (Arjun) over the next two years. It will also be looking for the indigenous Kaveri aero engine that is under development.

According to Robert John, CEO of Amphenol India, the parent was creating Amphenol India as a major hub for its high-end defence and aerospace markets.

This would also be a platform to export connectors worldwide through sister divisions. Nearly 80 per cent of the engine connector needs of Europe would be serviced from India, he said.