Suzuki Motors to launch 'world car' from India by end-2008

MUMBAI: Suzuki Motors' next world car will come from its venture at Gurgaon, near Delhi, by the end of 2008, Shinzo Nakanishi, managing director of Maruti Suzuki India, has said.

"The new model will be launched by end-2008," he said. "To begin with, we have plans to export 100,000 units of the new model annually to Europe and the rest of the world," Nakanishi said in an interview.

The Manesar plant at Gurgaon was set up under a joint venture company, called Maruti Suzuki Automobiles India in which Maruti Udyog Ltd holds 70 per cent equity while Suzuki Motors of Japan holds the remaining.

The total investment in the new car plant was Rs 15.24 billion ($384 million). The capacity of the plant will initially be 100,000 cars per annum, with a potential to scale it up to 250,000 units.

"I believe that Maruti Suzuki is ready to play a much bigger role in Suzuki's global operations, and my task is to make that happen," said Nakanishi, who took over as managing director December 19 last from Jagdish Khattar.

"Today the company's manufacturing capability has reached a level where we want to make small cars exclusively in India for exports to the European markets."

In fact, Maruti Suzuki has created a new record in 2007-08 by selling 764,942 vehicles, the highest ever in its history, marking a 13.3 per cent growth over the previous fiscal.

The total sales figure of 764,942 includes export of 53,024 vehicles, again the highest since it started production in 1983, and marked a growth of 34.9 per cent in its exports.

A member of Suzuki Motor's board of directors worldwide, Nakanishi expressed confidence that the auto major would be able to "maintain its leadership in the Indian auto market".

Source: Economic Times