Outside, it was an October day under India’s scorching sun, but inside the plant it was an entirely different world. In the vast steel-framed factory cooled by chilled air, only yellow robotic arms moved busily in near silence. While 204 robots lined up along the production line carried out their tasks, the few visible local Indian workers simply repositioned raw materials or monitored whether the robots were operating without problems. This was the first impression of Hyundai Motor’s Pune plant in Talegaon, Maharashtra, India, visited on the 14th (local time).

On the same day, Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Chung Euisun, who announced that the company would invest USD 15.5 billion (about KRW 20.8 trillion) in India by 2032, visited the Pune plant, regarded as the “first investment” under this plan. The plant is a former GM facility, where operations were halted in 2020 and which Hyundai Motor purchased at the end of 2023. Since the fourth quarter of last year (October–December), it has been producing the compact sport utility vehicle (SUV) “All New Venue.” Following the Chennai Plants 1 and 2, this is Hyundai Motor’s third local production base in India and the first new one in 18 years.

Despite the plant site covering 1.2㎢ and employing over 4,700 workers in total, the interior was quiet. Automotive manufacturing processes are broadly classified into four categories: “press” for forming vehicle frames, “body” for welding body parts, “paint” for coating exteriors, and “assembly” for producing finished vehicles. Although the plant is located in India, the world’s most populous country with low labor costs, it was difficult to find people working in the press and body processes, contrary to common assumptions. This marks a change from the period before Hyundai’s acquisition, when GM operated the facility as a typical labor-intensive plant with just six machines across the entire site. Lee Doo-hyung, a Hyundai Motor manager in charge of the body process locally, explained, “In welding, it is already impossible for humans to perform as perfectly as robots,” adding, “Regardless of labor costs, automation was introduced because quality is better when robots are used.”

Aside from some Indian employees on site, there was little to indicate that this was a plant in India. Most robots and equipment are manufactured in Korea and then transplanted directly to the local site. Since Hyundai Motor adopted a standardized plant system, the configuration of its production facilities has become almost identical whether in Korea, the United States, Europe, or India.

As a new plant, artificial intelligence (AI) technologies were also applied in various areas. In the press process, where accidents can occur, AI cameras are installed. The AI monitors camera footage, and if the number of personnel entering the work area does not match the expected count, it halts the process to prevent safety accidents. AI is also used to detect micro-defects that appear on vehicle surfaces.

Hyundai Motor plans to invest further in equipment at its other plants in India. Asked by reporters about the allocation of the USD 15.5 billion India investment, Hyundai Motor President and CEO Jang Jae-hoon said, “Around 60% will be invested in upgrading and expanding production-related facilities, including aging facilities,” adding, “About 20% will go into entering new industries such as AI, venture investments, and startups, and we plan to make significant investments in research and development (R&D) as well.” At the Pune plant, Hyundai also plans to increase annual production capacity from the current 170,000 units to 320,000 units by 2030 and add new models including hybrids.

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