Knorr-Bremse Launches Chennai Future Campus

Chennai- Knorr-Bremse AG., a German manufacturer of braking systems for rail and commercial vehicles, has accelerating its growth plans in India with a major new investment in Chennai. In mid-February, the company held the groundbreaking ceremony for a modular “future campus” that will bring together production, engineering, and AI activities at a single location. With an investment of up to €200 million, the project strengthens Knorr-Bremse’s local value creation, technology capabilities, and long-term commitment to one of its most important growth markets. From the end of 2027, the Chennai site will complement Knorr-Bremse’s existing facilities in Pune and Palwal and is expected to accommodate up to 3,500 employees over time.

Mr. Marc Llistosella, CEO of Knorr-Bremse AG. “India is a key region for us with great potential as a location for innovation, a production hub, and a transport market. He added that the new campus will help connect global capabilities more closely, improve efficiency, and speed up project execution supporting profitable growth for both the Rail and Truck divisions in India and international markets.

Spread across around 188,000 sq. m., the multi-phase development will begin with production plants for metro, regional, and high-speed rail entrance systems, along with manufacturing of braking system components for commercial vehicles. These operations are planned to start by the end of 2027. In subsequent phases, additional office complexes will be developed through 2030 and beyond to consolidate global business and administrative processes, including expanded Global Business Services in functions such as HR and Finance, aimed at improving long-term process efficiency and speed.

The Chennai expansion also builds on the city’s growing role as a technology hub, supported by a strong engineering talent base and infrastructure. Knorr-Bremse opened an Artificial Intelligence center in Chennai in summer 2025 as part of its global digital strategy, and the new campus located near this AI hub will be designed for flexible, modular expansion. The scale of the project aligns with Knorr-Bremse’s long-term strategy of investing around four to five percent of annual revenue.

Products manufactured at the Chennai facility will serve both the Indian market and global export demand. The company is positioning itself for expected growth across freight and passenger rail transport, and the expanding commercial vehicle segment including trucks, delivery vehicles, and buses. Knorr-Bremse is already supplying braking and entrance systems for metro rail projects in cities such as Delhi and Chennai, and will also contribute key systems braking, entrance, air conditioning, and sanitation for India’s first high-speed trains. Knorr-Bremse’s combined sales in India have grown strongly, exceeding €300 million per year.

Sustainability is a key focus of the new development. The campus is being planned to meet high environmental and energy-efficiency standards, including LEED Platinum certification. It is also aligned with EU taxonomy criteria for environmentally sustainable economic activities. In the first construction phase alone, running through the end of 2027, the project includes plans for photovoltaic systems with an installed capacity of around 2,500 kWp.

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