HOSUR: The $17-billion US-based Tenneco group is sharpening its India play, leaning heavily on research and development even as it scales up its automotive component business built over 45 years, with revenues now at around Rs 5,000 crore.
Arvind Chandra, CEO, Tenneco Clean Air India, said the company is recalibrating its strategy to align with a market in transition, one that continues to oscillate between internal combustion engine (ICE), hybrid and electric vehicle technologies.
“Tenneco is an R&D technology company, a B2B-focused organisation, where culture is the key,” Chandra said during an interaction with visiting journalists at its Hosur facility on Thursday.
The Hosur plant, a key hub for advanced ride technology (ART), produces nearly 7 million shock absorbers annually and exports to over 20 countries. Established in 1983, the facility expanded in 2012 with the addition of a dynachrome plater unit, and today spans over 31,306 sq m.
India serves as a critical node in Tenneco’s global operations, with 12 manufacturing plants and two global R&D centres located across major automotive hubs. The company’s product portfolio spans engine components such as spark plugs, bearings and sealings, alongside chassis systems.
Its innovation edge is evident in the DaVinci DCx suspension system, developed on its ART platform, which has been adopted by Mahindra for its flagship SUV platform, underlining Tenneco’s deep integration with leading OEMs.
Backed by Apollo Global Management, Tenneco counts brands such as Champion spark plugs and Monroe suspension systems among its key offerings. It supplies to all top seven passenger vehicle OEMs in India (primarily ART products and engine bearings) and to the top five commercial vehicle makers, largely with clean air solutions. Passenger vehicles account for 63.5 per cent of its revenues. "We are the leaders with a 52 per cent market share in shock absorbers, struts and engine bearings,” Chandra said. Off-highway products contribute 6.8 per cent of the business.
Financially, the company has maintained steady momentum. In Q3 FY26, revenue from operations rose 14.2 per cent year-on-year to Rs 1,285 crore.
For FY25, value-added revenue from clean air and powertrain solutions jumped 52.6 per cent to Rs 23 billion, while ART grew 47.4 per cent to Rs 21 billion.
Chandra noted that tightening emission norms have reshaped the competitive landscape. “During the BSIV phase, there were 17 competitors. With BSVI, that number came down to one,” he said, highlighting Tenneco’s technological edge.
Even as electric vehicle adoption gathers pace globally, Chandra believes ICE and hybrid platforms will continue to co-exist, driven by the need for emission-controlled solutions. “It’s a pendulum swing,” he said.
The ongoing SUV boom in India has further boosted demand for Tenneco’s products, strengthening both its order book and R&D pipeline. Exports, currently contributing about 5 per cent, are expected to cross 20 per cent on the back of a strong lifetime order book.
With most plants already operating at 80 to 95 per cent capacity utilisation, expansion plans are on the horizon. Tenneco is targeting a double-digit compounded annual growth rate over the next three years, signalling confidence in India as a long-term growth engine.