Venkatachari Jagannathan reports on the frenetic growth plants of the auto components maker.

Chennai: Even at 70, JS Chopra, president, Delphi TVS Diesel Systems Limited is all pumped up. For, his team and he are in the midst of implementing new strategies for the diesel fuel injection systems company at an investment of Rs500 crore.

Once these strategies are set in motion, they will propel the company's Rs400 crore turnover to Rs1,100 crore in four years.

Delphi TVS, a 52:48 joint venture between the US-based Delphi Corporation and Chennai's TV Sundaram Iyengar & Sons, manufactures rotary diesel fuel injection systems (pumps, filters and injectors) for diesel cars.

The new strategies can be broadly classified under - business de-risking, looking at global opportunities, and beefing up technical capabilities.

When one breaks the strategies into plans, what emerges is interesting. Delphi TVS is all set to enter newer market segments like heavy commercial vehicles, small engines, and the common rail diesel injection (CRDI) systems.

Breaking the shackles
Chopra does not agree that the continued focus on diesel car segment has restricted the company's growth. "When we started there was only the Ambassador car with a diesel engine. Now there are several models. The initial strategy has really paid off well."