Tata Bearings Reports Record Production

Tata Bearings Division (India, a division of Tata Iron & Steel, a division of Tata Group, India) reported record production in just-ended fiscal year 2005, as did the conglomerate's other profit centers. Bearings Division produced just over 25 million bearings fiscal 2005, ended March 31, 2005. Tata's other Steel divisions performed as well or better, producing a record 4.11 million tonnes of steel, clean coal 3.27 million tonnes, iron ore 10.47 million tonnes, ferro-chrome 0.63 million tonnes, tubes division 0.22 million tonnes. Steel division's record production came despite its largest blast furnace being on cold shutdown from December 2004 through early April 2005 for a capacity increase to 1.8 million tonnes per year. Located in Kharagpur, Tata Bearings was acquired as a very small operation from Metal Box India in 1983. From initial capacity of less than 5 million, the plant today has capacity to produce just over 25 million bearings each year. Nachi Fujikoshi has provided technical assistance and expertise since 2000, while most of the production machinery is from Izumi. Tata Bearings was the first Indian bearing manufacturer to be ISO9002 and QS9000 certified. The product line includes deep groove ball bearings, double-row self-aligning bearings, magneto bearings, clutch release bearings and tapered roller bearings. Until 1999, Tata and The Timken Company (USA) had been in a joint venture manufacturing arrangement to produce tapered roller bearings in India. When Timken exercised its option to take over that business, Tata was contractually obligated not to produce tapered roller bearings until 2002, except for its own use and for a Bosch fuel pump contract. When the noncompete expired, Tata acquired the tapered roller bearing production facilities of Antifriction Bearings Company Ltd. (India). With 20 main warehouses and 170 distributors across India, not including OEM sales points, Tata Bearings has a strong and growing presence in the country. Tata Bearings' performance is all the more remarkable since it continues to have an on-again, off-again position within the Tata Steel organization. In the late 1990's, Tata Steel seriously explored shutting down the bearing division, then instead expanded it and acquired the ABC plant equipment. But by 2003, it was again slated for divestiture and is reportedly still on the block as a non-core manufacturing component of Tata Steel.