Established in 1976 as a joint venture with a world famous friction materials manaufacturer, Sundaram Brake Linings (SBL) a TVS Group company is now a fully Indian owned company manufacturing automotive, non-automotive and industrial friction materials. SBL products are extensivley used in commercial vehicles, passenger cars, tractors (agricultural) and motor cycles.

Nine decades ago (1912), TVS - T.V. Sundaram Iyengar started one of the earliest rural bus services in India. Today, the TVS group has 30 companies with a combined turnover of US$ 2.5 billion with 25,000 employees. All the companies are professionally run under the TVS Board's guidelines. The core strength of TVS is manufacture of auto components for the automobile / tractor Industry. TVS has diverse activities such as commercial vehicle & passenger car distribution / servicing, cargo transportation & logistics, spare parts distribution through more than 140 fully-owned outlets spread throughout India. TVS also manufactures motor cycles, sewing needles and computer peripherals.

SBL has four manufacturing plants with two plants dedicated exclusively to manufacturing asbestos-free brake linings and pads. The combined production capacity of all four manufacturing plants exceeds 1.2 million brake blocks per month. SBL also manufactures asbestos-free woven clutch facings, disc pads, flexible rolls, and insitu bonded shoes

All manufacturing plants are strategically located near major Indian ports to improve the turnaround time in servicing global customers. SBL exports to more than 69 countries catering to the after market needs of international applications like Mercedes Benz, Volvo, Scania, Renault etc. SBL is also the preferred supplier to some of the well known axle manufacturers as original equipment

SBL products have been tested to meet European ECE-R90, American FMVSS 121, Australian ADR 35/38, South African SABS 1506 requirements besides the Indian IS 11852.

SBL has the singular distinction of being the first friction material manufacturer in the world to win the coveted Deming Application Prize for practising Total Quality Management (TQM). Besides SBL, the other group companies that have received the Deming Application Prize are Sundaram Clayton, TVS Motor Company, Brakes India (Foundry Division) and Lucas – TVS.

Product range of the company includes:

Sundaram Brake Linings Limited is mainly engaged in manufacture of friction materials.

• Brake linings
• Break Pads
• Disk Brake pads,
• Clutches
• Parts.

Achievements/ recognition:

• 1998-99 ACMA Productivity Award.
• 1990-91 & 89-90: Productivity Award from Chief Inspector of Factories, Governmentof Tamil Nadu
• SBL is a ISO / TS 16949 and ISO-14001 certified company.
• 1988-89: Productivity Award from the National Productivity Council
• 1988-89: Certificate of Merit for outstanding Export Performance from Ministry of Commerce, Government of India
• 1993-94: National Award from DSIR,New Delhi
• 1991-92:Technology Award fromACMA, India
• 1989-90: National Award for Technology Department from DGTD, New Delhi
• First friction material company in the world to win the Deming Application Prize.