With a commanding 67% domestic market share, a strong global JV, and technology spanning ICE to hydrogen powertrains, Turbo Energy Private Ltd. is well-positioned to lead India’s transformation in powertrain innovation.
As India’s automotive industry steers through unprecedented transformation, Turbo Energy Private Limited (TEL) stands firmly in the driver’s seat. A joint venture between the TSF Group and BorgWarner Turbo Systems, TEL has carved out a leadership position in the turbocharger market with its end-to-end capabilities, deep-rooted engineering expertise, and bold strategic vision.
With a turnover of over Rs. 2,900 crore in FY24–25, the company catered to two-thirds of the Indian turbocharger market and exported 2.4 million components to its JV partner. Over three decades, TEL has delivered around 25 million turbochargers to the Indian market. “Our strong engineering and R&D capabilities, seamless collaboration with BorgWarner, and vertically integrated operations under the TSF Group have given us a decisive edge,” says Ananth Ramanujam, Executive Vice Chairman, Turbo Energy Private Ltd.
“We have turbochargers for diesel, gasoline, CNG, flex fuel, and hydrogen platforms. Whether it’s for passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles, off-highway or tractors, TEL is present across the board,” he adds.
Dominant Position, Diversified Portfolio
The company’s robust OE and aftermarket presence – backed by a network of over 180 authorised service centres – has helped TEL achieve and maintain a 67% market share in India. Critical components for turbochargers are also exported in large volumes. “We supplied 2.4 million precision parts globally last year, and our robust quality systems ensure near-zero defect levels,” says P. S. Dasarathy, Executive Director – Operations.
“Our customers choose us not only for our technical strength and scale, but also for reliability and trust. As one customer told us: ‘If a project is handled by TEL, we can forget both delivery and quality.’ That’s the kind of trust and reliability we’ve built over the decades,” he states.
Preparing for a Multi-Fuel, Multi-Tech Future
While electrification garners the most attention, TEL takes a balanced, opportunity-driven view of the future. “Earlier, the government pushed only electrification. Now the shift is toward electrification plus alternate fuels like ethanol, CNG, LNG, and hydrogen,” Ananth points out.
The company is engaged with OEMs to co-develop solutions in each of these categories. “We’re working on turbochargers for E10, E20, H2 ICE, and even high-end hybrid platforms. As the industry faces tighter emission norms like BS7, Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicles Test Procedure (WLTP), and Corporate Average Fuel Efficiency (CAFÉ) 3, our role becomes even more critical,” he notes.
Dr. D. A. Subramani, Executive Director – Engineering & R&D, highlights TEL’s advanced work in hydrogen mobility. “We’ve developed an oil-free air compressor for hydrogen fuel cells, using a high-speed 140,000 rpm motor with air foil bearings. This technology is already under validation,” he shares.
“We’re also optimising turbocharger architectures for hydrogen combustion engines. Our Bangalore tech centre and the advanced engineering team in Mannheim, Germany, are continuously developing solutions tailored for future mobility platforms,” he adds.
Manufacturing Prowess and Built-in Scalability
TEL’s manufacturing systems are designed to anticipate – rather than react to – market shifts. “This is the result of strategic capacity planning to meet dynamic market conditions and not reacting to global and market vagaries,” says Dasarathy.
The company has grown year-on-year for three consecutive years after COVID and continues to expand even as the broader industry flattens out. “In FY25–26, we expect better growth than the industry despite headwinds. That speaks volumes about our responsiveness and market positioning,” he adds.
TEL created its first world-class facility in the 1980s at a remote village called Pulivalam (around 120 kms from Chennai). Though access to the outside world was limited, the availability of manpower with potential to learn and grow enabled the company to establish such a facility. A full-fledged technical training facility was set up to support the local workforce and their extended families. It was on this strong foundation that TEL was able to manufacture world-class turbochargers for the Indian market and precision turbocharger parts for global markets through our JV partner.
The company trains local boys and girls who have completed 10th grade in their technical school, and after extensive training, they are engaged in precision manufacturing processes. After joining TEL, many of them pursue higher education with our support and have gone on to become managers capable of taking up overseas technical assignments.
Women employees comprise 25% of the workforce, and we have plans in place to improve the percentage of participation in the coming years. “Our attrition rate is just 2% – a rarity in manufacturing, which is because of our people-first culture,” Dasarathy adds.
The company also employs differently abled individuals. “We adapt the equipment and the working conditions to the individual’s capability, which in turn has helped them to perform on par or better than their peers. We don’t just speak inclusion – we build for it,” he affirms.
Sustainability and Community Impact: Built to Last
Sustainability @ TEL
- 71% of energy use from renewables, likely to increase further by 2026
- 70 million litres of water recycled annually; 70% of needs met through rainwater harvesting
- 100% of plastic packing reused, with pan-India logistics loop
- 12,000+ trees planted on previously barren land using the Miyawaki method
- Waste wood converted to furniture and donated to local schools
“We’ve been doing CSR long before it was a buzzword. For us, it’s just a way of life,” – Ananth Ramanujam.
A Forward-Thinking View on Fuel and Powertrain Strategy
India’s fuel mix is evolving – and TEL is watching closely. “The passenger vehicle market is currently 56% gasoline, 20% CNG, 19% diesel, and 5% EV and hybrid. In two years, we expect EV and hybrid to grow to 12–15%, CNG to 25–30%, diesel to reduce to 15–18%, and gasoline to 40–45%,” Ananth explains.
“Commercial vehicles will continue to be dominated by diesel, with CNG gaining some share. H2 ICE could emerge in specific industrial corridors where hydrogen is locally available,” he adds.
The tractor segment, currently dominated by naturally aspirated diesel engines, will see turbocharged engines grow from 5% to 30–35% due to upcoming emission norms.
“Our strategy is simple – be present across all powertrains. We have solutions for diesel, gasoline, CNG, ethanol, hybrids, H2 ICE, and even fuel cell applications,” Ananth asserts.
Looking Ahead: Confident, Competitive, and Global
“To stay ahead, we’ve already ramped up capacity, added new platforms, and built e-compressor capabilities for fuel cells. Our vision is to remain India’s undisputed leaders in the turbocharger business,” says Ananth.
This long-term orientation is deeply embedded in TEL’s financial strategy as well.
“In line with the group’s culture, we’ve maintained financial prudence at every step – never over-leveraged, always strategic in our investments. Our decisions are not driven by quarter-to-quarter pressure, which allows us to take a long-term view and build capacity ahead of demand,” says T. T. Hayagreevan, CFO, TEL.
Export potential is also expanding. “As global MNCs exit or downsize ICE programs, we’re being asked to supply fully assembled turbochargers for niche markets. The cost advantages we offer help our JV partner BorgWarner with their capital allocation as they juggle ICE and electrification simultaneously,” notes Ananth.
“Our aspiration is to become the global benchmark in turbochargers across all applications & fuel types – gas, diesel, CNG and hydrogen,” he concludes.