Tata AutoComp, Ichikoh to form JV for auto lighting in India

• Tata AutoComp, Ichikoh form 50:50 JV.
• JV to acquire Valeo Lighting India.
• Targets advanced lighting supply for OEMs.

Tata AutoComp Systems Ltd (TACO), a member of the Tata Group, is joining hands with Japan's Ichikoh Industries to establish a 50:50 joint venture that is set to acquire Valeo Lighting Systems from Valeo India Private Limited. The acquisition is subject to the signing of final agreements and regulatory approvals.

Ichikoh - owned to the extent of 61.2 % owned by Valeo - is almost 100 years old, is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange and is a lighting specialist. It had sales of ¥124 billion in FY 2024, and brought with it over 120 years of technical knowledge to the JV.

Tata AutoComp was founded in 1995 and supplies components across the globe in passenger cars, EVs, two wheeled and three wheeled vehicles, tractors and commercial vehicles. It has 68 manufacturing units and employs over 20,000 people globally.

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The joint effort aims to develop advanced lighting technologies for India’s rapidly expanding automotive sector. Arvind Goel, Tata AutoComp Chairman, emphasized that the collaboration of Ichikoh’s technological know-how and Tata’s leadership position in the domestic market offers differentiated products for OEMs.

Ichikoh CEO, Christophe Vilatte, noted the strategic compatibility: the combination of Ichikoh’s heritage of product in the marketplace coupled with Tata’s operational footprint gives the joint effort a strong position to address the demand from OEMs for current lighting systems in India.

The agreement highlights a big expansion for Tata AutoComp in the space of value-added components and serves as Ichikoh's first meaningful entry into the Indian market through a local tie up. The new JV will see TACO and Ichikoh take complete ownership of the VLS business and move forward with VLS capabilities into localized manufacturing and supply chain networks.