Business APAC
May 15, 2025
GE Vernova is making a significant move in India, channeling a hefty INR 1.4 billion (that’s about USD 16 million) into beefing up its local manufacturing. The goal? To get more advanced gear for India’s crucial power grid made right here, supporting its grid modernization efforts and helping keep the lights on reliably as the country revamps its energy systems. This strategic push aims to significantly scale up the manufacturing of critical technologies vital for the nation’s ongoing grid modernization and its evolving power needs.
Boosting Domestic Manufacturing for Energy Security
The financial muscle for this expansion comes via GE Vernova T&D India Limited, the company’s arm listed on the Indian stock exchanges. It’s a two-part plan: an existing factory in Chennai (Pallavaram) will get a new production line, and a completely new engineering and testing workshop will spring up in Noida.
At the heart of this initiative are highly specialized technologies known as High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) and Flexible Alternating Current Transmission Systems (FACTS). In simple terms, these are like the smart traffic controllers and express lanes for the nation’s electricity.
They’re vital for a steady power supply, cutting down how much electricity gets lost in transit, and – importantly – making it much smoother to plug in renewable energy sources like solar farms and wind turbines. As India pushes for more green energy, often generated in far-flung places, this tech is key to effective grid modernization and getting that clean power where it’s needed most.
Advanced Tech for a Greener, More Stable Grid
Sandeep Zanzaria, who heads GE Vernova T&D India as MD and CEO, put it plainly: “Energy demand is on the up, and we’re seeing a lot more green energy feeding into the grid. That means our basic infrastructure, the grid itself, has to be tougher, smarter, and way more adaptable than ever, a core challenge for India’s ongoing grid modernization.” He added, “This money helps us build the tech that lets utilities push more power down the lines, lose less of it, send it further, and do it all more sustainably.”
Digging into the details, the Chennai plant’s new line will be busy making things like Line Commutated Converter (LCC) HVDC valves and Voltage Source Converter (VSC) STATCOM valves – critical bits for these modern grid systems. Noida, on the other hand, is set to become a hub for the brainy side of things: engineering design, heavy-duty system testing, and making sure all the control systems are spot-on for real-world action.
They’re not wasting time, either. The Noida lab should be open for business by the end of 2025. The new production line in Chennai is penciled in to start humming by early 2027.
Strategic Investment, Local Impact
This isn’t just a one-off spend. It’s part of GE Vernova’s bigger “Asia for Asia” game plan, which is all about making more things in the region, for the region. This helps local markets and makes the global supply chain a bit more shockproof. It also fits into a larger global investment pot of about USD 4 billion, GE Vernova has committed through 2028. And, of course, it’s a big plus for India’s own “Make in India” drive, getting these essential technologies for grid modernization built on home soil.
Johan Bindele, a Vice President at GE Vernova, looking after Grid Systems Integration, really emphasized India’s place in their plans. “India is huge for us – not just as a market, but as a place where we make things,” he said.
He mentioned that orders for their electrification equipment have more than tripled in the last year alone, a clear sign of the demand for transformers, switchgear, and these high-tech HVDC and FACTS systems. “What we’re doing with this expansion,” Bindele noted, “is boosting our local strength, so we’re not as reliant on complicated global supply lines. It means we can get smarter solutions to our customers in India, and across the world, much faster.”
With five factories already running in India and a history that goes back over a hundred years in the country’s power story, this fresh investment from GE Vernova isn’t just about building new facilities. It’s a pretty clear statement about their commitment to being a big part of India’s journey toward a cleaner, more dependable energy future, significantly contributing to national grid modernization.
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