20th May 2008 - WABCO Expands Global Capabilities in India - Opens Two New Manufacturing Facilities - Extends Software Center

WABCO Holdings Inc. has announced the inauguration of two manufacturing facilities located in India and the extension of an existing software design center that are owned by WABCO-TVS (India) Ltd., an affiliate of WABCO and its joint venture partner, a member of the TVS Group.

Currently manufacturing crankshafts, crankcases and vacuum pumps, one of the new facilities is located in Mahindra World City (MWC), in the southern outskirts of Chennai, one of India’s first special economic zones. Recently, the foundation stone for the second phase extension of the Mahindra manufacturing facility was laid by Jacques Esculier, WABCO Chief Executive Officer, at a ceremony attended by H. Lakshmanan, Executive Director, Sundaram-Clayton Ltd. (a TVS Group company) and other senior executives of WABCO and WABCO-TVS (India) Ltd. This extension will double capacity at the Mahindra facility, which is dedicated to exporting products and serving WABCO customers worldwide.

Another new facility, located in Jamshedpur, supplies the production lines of Tata Motors by manufacturing brake chambers, spring brake actuators and other braking aggregate parts. The newest WABCO-TVS factories presently employ approximately 150 people.

Situated at Tidel Park in Chennai, India’s largest information technology park, the WABCO Software Design Center has completed its expansion program, doubling its capacity and upgrading its technology platform. This expansion will support the center’s expected innovation and growth of engineering capabilities. Currently, approximately 85 engineers develop embedded software for automotive applications in electronic braking, stability, transmission and climate control.

Recently, the WABCO-TVS-owned, brake-manufacturing facility in Ambattur, Chennai received the prestigious Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) Excellence Award from the Japan Institute of Plant Maintenance. Combining operations and maintenance, the TPM approach creates a production environment that performs at world-beating levels of efficiency and quality.

“Innovation and manufacturing excellence will continue to contribute strongly to our business growth in India and across Asia,” said Jacques Esculier, WABCO Chief Executive Officer. “By expanding engineering and production capabilities in India, we can continually improve the supply chain and better serve customers locally as well as globally. We expect our newest factories in India to join the same world-class TPM excellence league as our brakes factory in Ambattur.”

About WABCO

WABCO Vehicle Control Systems is one of the world's leading providers of electronic braking, stability, suspension and transmission automation systems for heavy duty commercial vehicles. Customers include the world’s leading commercial truck, trailer, and bus manufacturers. Founded in the U.S. in 1869 as Westinghouse Air Brake Company, WABCO was acquired by American Standard in 1968 and spun off in 2007. Headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, WABCO employs more than 7,700 people in 31 countries worldwide. In 2007, WABCO’s total sales were $2.4 billion. WABCO is a publicly traded company and is listed on the New York Stock Exchange with the stock symbol WBC.

About the TVS Group

The TVS Group, one of India’s most respected business conglomerates, is a leading supplier to the automotive sector. Founded in 1911 as a transport company, it aligned business opportunities with steady growth, expansion and diversification. Today the Group comprises over 30 operating companies with strong presence in manufacturing Motorcycles, Scooters, Automotive Components, Automotive Dealerships, Logistics, Finance, Insurance and Electronics. These diverse business entities have taken the Group’s presence across the globe and employ more than 40,000 people.

Source: WABCO Press Release