Hyundai's Pune plant expands to 204 welding robots in former GM factory

Hyundai Motor India has inaugurated its modernised manufacturing plant in Talegaon, near Pune, where the former General Motors body shop now operates 204 industrial robots compared with six before the acquisition, according to Seoul Economic Daily’s reporting from the factory opening. Robotic arms handle body welding, replacing a largely manual welding operation at the earlier facility, while human workers remain involved in material loading and other production stages. Hyundai’s 14 October company announcement confirms the formal opening of the Industry 4.0 plant and its current 170,000-vehicle annual installed capacity, with expansion planned to 320,000 by 2030.

Hyundai acquired the site in 2023 after GM ceased manufacturing there, retaining the existing building structure while replacing production and inspection systems. Robot and tooling layouts had to accommodate an older plant originally designed around manual work rather than extensive automated cells. Alongside welding, the updated facility uses 3D quality inspection, AI-supported manufacturing analytics and predictive maintenance. Production of the new Hyundai Venue began in October 2025, before the plant’s formal inauguration this month.

Hyundai has announced investment of up to INR110 billion at Pune and plans to manufacture both combustion-engine and hybrid models at the facility.