Pune: Force Motors Limited has rolled out the 200,000th Mercedes-Benz engine from its engine manufacturing facility in Chakan, Pune, marking a major production milestone in one of India’s long-running automotive manufacturing partnerships.
The 200,000th unit, a six-cylinder M256 engine, has been fitted into a Mercedes-Benz GLS 450. The milestone highlights Force Motors’ role in manufacturing engines and axles for all Mercedes-Benz cars and SUVs produced in India.
The engine-manufacturing association between Force Motors and Mercedes-Benz dates back to 1997 and has since expanded into a broader manufacturing partnership. For India’s automotive industry, where precision engineering is increasingly becoming as important as scale, the milestone is more than just a large number on a production chart — though 200,000 engines is certainly not a number that disappears quietly into a spreadsheet.
The occasion was marked in the presence of Mr. Prasan Firodia, Managing Director, Force Motors Limited, along with a senior Mercedes-Benz delegation that included three Members of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG.
Among those present were Dr. Joerg Burzer, Member of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG, Chief Technology Officer, Development & Procurement; Mr. Michael Schiebe, Member of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG, Production, Quality & Supply Chain Management; and Mr. Mathias Geisen, Member of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG, Sales & Customer Experience.
They were joined by Mr. Santosh Iyer, Managing Director & CEO, Mercedes-Benz India; Mr. Vyankatesh Kulkarni, Executive Director & Head of Operations, Mercedes-Benz India; and Mr. Prashant Inamdar, Executive Director – Operations, Force Motors Limited, along with other dignitaries and guests from both organisations.
Speaking on the significance of the milestone and Force Motors’ longstanding association with Mercedes-Benz, Mr. Prasan Firodia, Managing Director, Force Motors Limited said, “As Mercedes-Benz continues to expand its presence in India, Force Motors remains committed to supporting its growth through best-in-class manufacturing, operational excellence and by contributing to the production of world-class automotive components in India. The 200,000th engine is more than a production milestone; it is the living story of a half-century-long partnership built on trust, precision and shared purpose. The Force Motors Chakan facility was purpose-built to meet Mercedes-Benz’s exacting global standards, and every engine that has rolled out of it, reflects Force Motors’ unwavering commitment to engineering excellence and manufacturing precision. To have honoured that commitment 200,000 times is a moment of profound pride for us”.
The milestone also reflects the deeper industrial collaboration between Indian manufacturing capability and German automotive engineering. Force Motors described the partnership as one built on trust, technological excellence, shared values and a common commitment to advancing manufacturing capabilities in India.
The Chakan facility has been positioned as a key part of this collaboration, manufacturing components to meet Mercedes-Benz’s global standards. The achievement comes at a time when global automotive supply chains are placing greater emphasis on quality, reliability, precision and proximity.
For Force Motors, the 200,000th engine milestone strengthens its standing as a high-precision automotive manufacturer in India. For Mercedes-Benz, it reinforces the importance of local manufacturing depth as the luxury carmaker continues to build and sell vehicles in the country.
The Force Motors–Mercedes-Benz relationship also fits into the broader “Make in India” narrative, showing how global automotive technology and Indian manufacturing can work together at scale. As India seeks a larger role in premium vehicle production and advanced component manufacturing, milestones such as this underline the country’s growing relevance beyond assembly lines and into the more demanding world of precision engineering.
