Force Motors’ Chennai plant, set up with a ₹200 crore investment in just seven months, rolled out its 100,000th BMW engine in June 2025. This facility—BMW’s only engine-and-transmission complex outside Germany- hits ~20,000 units annual capacity, scalable to 50,000, and meets BMW’s rigorous quality standards. The plant’s diesel engine focus may soon be a legacy chapter rather than the main story, however.
What Was The Special Engine?
The 100,000th engine was for a BMW X5, namely the B57 straight-six turbo-diesel engine powering a BMW X5 30d. It produces 282 BHP & 650 Nm of torque. The B57 belongs to a family of modular engines, including the B37 and B47 diesel engines, and the B38, B48 and B58 petrol engines. The engines utilise a common displacement of 500 cc per cylinder.
BMW Localisation & Cost Strategy
By sourcing engines locally, BMW India cut import duties (from 120% to < 30%) and boosted localisation to ~50%. This is why pricing on models including the 3-, 5-, and X-series remains controlled. Force Motors isn’t new to premium engines; it already assembles Mercedes units, but this BMW milestone confirms deep trust in its machining capabilities. The plant integrates IT systems with BMW’s global network for real-time quality and process monitoring.
India’s Engine Hub
Planted in Mahindra World City near Chennai, the “Detroit of Asia”, the engine plant taps into a dense automotive ecosystem. Chennai alone produces ~30% of India’s automobiles and components. Force Motors’ success there illustrates how regional clusters can foster global-grade manufacturing. Such capability helps India move from a low-cost OEM to a strategic partner for global automakers. Still, it hinges on demand for internal-combustion engines, which may fade. “The successful roll-out of 1 lakh engines is not just a manufacturing accomplishment, it is a testament to vision, collaboration and execution at scale,” the company said in a statement on Wednesday.
BMW AG, Vice President Marcus Wollens said, “We are thrilled to celebrate the roll-out of the 100,000th BMW engine at Force Motors Chennai plant, which is the result of a decade of outstanding partnership and dedication. Our engines stand for excellent engineering, innovative technology and high performance. This partnership reinforces BMW Group’s commitment to delivering world-class products in India. The 100,000th engine milestone stands as a testament to our shared vision and exemplifies the robust Indo-German synergy that continues to thrive,” he added.
Force Motors Ltd Managing Director Prasan Firodia said, “We are honoured to be a trusted and strategic partner to BMW Group in India, and this milestone stands testimony to the commitment, precision and quality that this collaboration resonates with.”
Future Outlook
Celebrating 100,000 units is a milestone, but BMW’s electrification push raises doubts about the future of the plant. While this plant primarily creates diesel engines, Europe and North America are phasing out internal combustion engines, especially diesels. Force Motors has tried to compensate for this with now manufacturing Mercedes engine modules and a Rolls-Royce partnership, yet the real pivot will be EV powertrains. The Chennai site may need adapting to battery/EV components if its relevance is to extend beyond a few years.
