What Nelcast does

Nelcast Limited, founded in 1982 and headquartered in Chennai, India, is the largest jobbing foundry in India for ductile and grey iron castings, with a combined production capacity of 160,000 MT/Year across three manufacturing plants located in Gudur (Andhra Pradesh), Ponneri (Tamil Nadu), and Pedapariya (Andhra Pradesh). The company produces grey iron, ductile iron, Austempered Ductile Iron (ADI), and specialty grades (Hi-SiMo ductile iron for exhaust manifolds, highly pearlitic grey iron for brake discs) in weights ranging from 0.5 to 500 kg per piece, operating six High-Pressure Automated Moulding Lines and an in-house R&D facility accredited by DSIR. Its product portfolio spans commercial vehicle components (axle, suspension, brake parts), tractor and farm equipment castings, off-highway/defense heavy-duty castings, railway components (brake discs, bogies, ballastless track base plates), SUV/passenger car drivetrain components, and powertrain castings (engine blocks, cylinder heads, exhaust manifolds, gearbox housings).

Nelcast operates as a B2B contract manufacturer selling directly to OEMs and Tier-1 automotive suppliers through multi-year, quote-based pricing agreements negotiated project-by-project. The customer base spans leading Indian and global manufacturers including Tata Motors, Ashok Leyland, Volvo-Eicher Commercial Vehicles, Daimler, TAFE, John Deere, Escorts Kubota, Caterpillar, Dana, American Axle & Manufacturing, ZF, Wabtec, Vossloh, Meritor, and Comer Industries. Revenue mix is approximately 39.6% domestic Medium & Heavy Commercial Vehicles, 25.7% domestic tractors, and 29.4% exports to USA, Italy, Belgium, Sweden, France, Germany, and Thailand. FY26 consolidated net sales reached Rs 368.18 crore (11.66% YoY growth) with PAT of Rs 484 million (29.9% YoY growth), and the company is publicly listed on BSE (532864) and NSE (NELCAST).

The business model is integrated downstream from rough castings to fully machined sub-assemblies, supported by CNC machining capability and tie-ups with third-party machining vendors. The company is IATF 16949, ISO 9001, 14001, 45001, 50001, and 27001 certified, and is led by Managing Director P. Deepak with Chairman Vinod K Dasari and CFO/Company Secretary S. K. Sivakumar. Strategic positioning leverages proximity to Chennai's automotive hub, seaport access for export logistics, and proximity to silica sand and steel scrap raw material sources. Recent strategic emphasis is on capacity modernization (Ponneri plant 2025), specialty ADI and high-temperature grades, and deepening share with existing global OEM customers rather than new acquisitions or product diversification.

Name

Nelcast

Legal name

Nelcast Limited

Website

https://nelcast.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Nelcast Limited is India's largest jobbing foundry, manufacturing ductile and grey iron castings for commercial vehicles, tractors, railways, construction, and defense applications, supplying OEMs and Tier-1 suppliers in India and across seven export markets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Chennai

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Iron Castings Manufacturing: Manufacturing and sale of ductile iron and grey iron castings for automotive, tractor, railways, and industrial applications. Revenue derived from supplying rough castings and fully machined sub-assemblies to OEMs and Tier-1 customers.
2. Export Sales: Export of castings to global markets including USA, Italy, Belgium, Sweden, France, Germany, and Thailand. Export performance showed strength particularly in the United States market.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Nelcast manufactures ductile iron, grey iron, and Austempered Ductile Iron (ADI) castings weighing between 0.5 and 500 kg per piece for the automotive, tractor, commercial vehicle, off-highway/construction, railways, and powertrain industries. The company supplies castings either as rough castings or as fully machined sub-assemblies produced in-house or through partner machining vendors. The product range spans standard grades of ductile and grey iron as well as specialty grades such as Highly Pearlitic Grey Iron for brake disc applications and High Silicon-Molybdenum Ductile Iron for high-temperature exhaust manifolds.

Product overview

Nelcast is India's Largest Jobbing Foundry for Ductile & Grey Iron Castings, offering a comprehensive portfolio of iron casting products and services. The company's core offerings include Commercial Vehicle Components, Tractor/Farm Components, Off Highway/Army Components, Railways Components, SUV/Car Components, and Powertrain Components. These products are manufactured using Grey Iron, Ductile Iron, Austempered Ductile Iron (ADI), and specialty grades, with weight ranges from 0.5 to 500 kg per piece. Nelcast provides components as either rough castings or fully machined sub-assemblies. The product portfolio serves diverse industrial sectors including automotive (commercial vehicles, tractors, SUVs/cars), railways, construction/mining, and defense.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Grey Iron Castings Standard grades of grey iron castings with weight range from 0.5 to 500 kg per piece, supplied to OEMs and Tier-1 customers across automotive, commercial vehicle, tractor, off-highway, railways, and powertrain applications.
• Ductile Iron Castings Standard grades of ductile iron castings including solution-strengthened ferritic grades and low-temperature impact ductile iron grades for railway braking and windmill applications; weight range from 0.5 to 500 kg per piece.
• Austempered Ductile Iron (ADI) Castings ADI castings produced using Nelcast's in-house heat treatment facility, offering superior strength, wear resistance, and strength-to-weight ratio compared to standard iron grades; used in demanding commercial vehicle, tractor, and powertrain applications.
• Highly Pearlitic Grey Iron for Brake Disc Applications Specialty pearlitic grey iron grade engineered specifically for brake disc and rotor applications in commercial vehicles and railways, providing the wear resistance and thermal properties required for safety-critical braking systems.
• High Silicon-Molybdenum Ductile Iron for High Temperature Exhaust Manifolds Specialty Hi-SiMo ductile iron grade designed for high-temperature exhaust manifold and powertrain applications where resistance to thermal cycling and oxidation is required.
• Machined Sub-assemblies Fully machined iron casting sub-assemblies supplied through Nelcast's in-house CNC machining facility and tie-ups with machining vendors, providing customers with finished components ready for assembly rather than rough castings.
• Commercial Vehicle Iron Castings Precision-engineered ductile and grey iron castings for Medium and Heavy Commercial Vehicles including bearing caps, differential carriers, wheel hubs, brake disc rotors, axle components, suspension parts, and brake systems for OEMs such as Tata Motors, Ashok Leyland, Volvo-Eicher, and Daimler.
• Tractor and Farm Equipment Castings Iron castings for agricultural tractors and farm equipment including front engine supports, mounting frames, hydraulic lift covers, differential housings, axle housings, transmission/clutch housings, and PTO components for TAFE, John Deere, Escorts Kubota, and Same Deutz-Fahr.
• Off-Highway and Defense Castings Heavy-duty iron castings for construction equipment, mining vehicles, and defense applications including transmission cases, converter housings, planetary carriers, steering knuckles, and axle housings, supplied to OEMs such as Caterpillar and other off-highway manufacturers.
• Railways Castings Precision iron castings for railway applications including base plates for ballastless track systems, brake discs, bogie components, coupling parts, and ductile iron castings with strong impact properties at low temperatures for braking systems and windmill applications; supplied to Wabtec, Vossloh, and other railway OEMs.
• SUV and Passenger Car Castings Iron castings for SUVs and passenger vehicles including differential carriers, differential cases, case bodies, and drive heads for drivetrain suppliers such as Dana, American Axle & Manufacturing, and Automotive Axles.
• Powertrain Castings Engine and transmission iron castings including exhaust manifolds, flywheel housings, gearbox housings, and transmission housings for powertrain and drivetrain customers such as ZF and Meritor.

Quantifiable outcome

• 29.9% increase in profit after tax to Rs 484 million for FY26
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers16 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• TAFEcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing strategic relationship with TAFE for supply of tractor castings including transmission housings, differential cases, and PTO components. TAFE awarded Nelcast the Best Supplier Award for Joint Product Development in 2025.
• Tata MotorscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPreferred supplier to Tata Motors for commercial vehicle components including axle components, suspension parts, and brake systems. Tata Motors awarded Nelcast the Best Supplier Award for Cost Competitiveness in 2024.
• Ashok LeylandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic supplier to Ashok Leyland for commercial vehicle castings as part of diversified customer base.
• Volvo-Eicher Commercial VehiclescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership with Volvo-Eicher for commercial vehicle components. Awarded Best Supplier Award for Quality & Delivery Excellence in 2025 and Multiple awards for quality, delivery, and NPD across 2011-2025.
• DaimlercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal commercial vehicle manufacturer partnership for supply of precision-engineered castings.
• DanacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic supplier to Dana for drivetrain and e-propulsion systems, providing differential carriers and cases for SUV and car applications.
• American Axles & ManufacturingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing supply relationship for axle and driveline components for global automotive markets.
• Automotive AxlescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic supplier with multiple awards including Excellence in New Facility Creation (2023-24), Excellence in New Product Development (2022-23), and Platinum Award for Quality (2021-22).
• Comer IndustriescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupply of power transmission components for off-highway applications including construction and agricultural equipment.
• MeritorcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic supplier for commercial vehicle drivetrain systems.
• WabteccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupplier of railway components for Wabtec's global operations.
• ZFcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic supply relationship for driveline and chassis technology components.
• Same Deutz-Fahr IndiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for supply of tractor components to agricultural equipment manufacturer.
• Krishnapatnam & Chennai SeaportsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic proximity to Krishnapatnam and Chennai seaports enabling efficient global shipping to customers in USA, Italy, Belgium, Sweden, France, Germany, and Thailand.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Hinduja Foundries Limited: Indian iron foundry producing grey and ductile iron castings primarily for automotive OEMs. Directly comparable to Nelcast as a domestic Indian competitor in the same iron casting category with overlapping customer base in commercial vehicles and tractors.
• Brakes India Limited: Leading Indian automotive brake and iron casting supplier, part of the TVS group. Comparable to Nelcast as a Chennai-headquartered iron foundry serving automotive OEMs including commercial vehicle and tractor customers with similar grey and ductile iron casting capabilities.
• Electrosteel Castings Limited: Indian iron foundry producing ductile iron pipes and castings. Directly comparable to Nelcast as a domestic Indian iron casting manufacturer serving infrastructure and industrial customers with similar metallurgy capabilities.
• AIA Engineering Limited: Indian manufacturer of high chrome grinding media and wear-resistant castings. Comparable to Nelcast as an Indian casting specialist serving mining, cement, and industrial markets with similar metallurgy expertise and export-driven business model.

Broad incumbents

• Sundaram Fasteners Limited: Indian automotive fastener and component manufacturer (TVS group). Comparable to Nelcast as a larger Indian automotive component supplier serving commercial vehicle and tractor OEMs with broader product portfolio than pure iron castings.
• Ramkrishna Forgings Limited: Indian forging and casting company supplying commercial vehicle, tractor, and railway customers. Comparable to Nelcast as an Indian metal-forming component supplier with overlapping customer base in commercial vehicles, railways, and industrial segments.
• Mahindra CIE Automotive Limited: Indian-listed auto component manufacturer (part of CIE Automotive and Mahindra group) producing forgings, castings, and machined components. Comparable to Nelcast as a larger Indian automotive component supplier with iron casting capabilities for similar end-markets.
• Bharat Forge Limited: India's largest forging company and a major global auto component supplier. Comparable to Nelcast as a larger Indian metal-forming component manufacturer serving commercial vehicle, tractor, and industrial OEMs with some casting-adjacent offerings.
• Endurance Technologies Limited: Large Indian auto component manufacturer covering aluminium die-casting, suspension, braking, and drivetrain. Comparable to Nelcast as a broader Indian automotive component supplier serving two-wheeler, passenger vehicle, and commercial vehicle OEMs with casting-adjacent capabilities.

Regional players

• Kirloskar Ferrous Industries Limited: Indian manufacturer of iron castings and pig iron based in Karnataka. Comparable to Nelcast as a domestic Indian iron foundry competing in similar grey and ductile iron casting markets, though with a different geographic base and somewhat different product mix.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nelcast

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Nelcast