By KANAME OHIRA/ Staff Writer
January 17, 2024 at 07:30 JST
A logo of Suzuki Motor Corp. (Asahi Shimbun file photo)
Suzuki Motor Corp. plans to significantly expand its operations in India to nearly double its automotive manufacturing capacity, seeking to roll 4 million units off the assembly lines annually.
The company announced on Jan. 10 that it will open a new automotive manufacturing plant in the northwestern state of Gujarat in India.
"In expanding in India, we are aiming to provide a variety of mobility options," Suzuki Motor President Toshihiro Suzuki said at an event attended by government officials from India and Gujarat.
The plant is scheduled to start operations in fiscal 2028 and is expected to eventually increase its production capacity to 1 million units per year.
The total investment, excluding land acquisition costs, is estimated to be 350 billion rupees (616 billion yen, or $4.21 billion).
Currently, Suzuki operates three automotive manufacturing plants in India with a total production capacity of 2.25 million units per year.
In addition to the new plant, the company plans to invest 32 billion rupees in its existing plant in the same state to increase its production capacity by 250,000 units, aiming to reach a total capacity of 1 million units in fiscal 2026.
Furthermore, Suzuki is constructing a new plant in the state of Haryana, which is expected to start operations in 2025. The company plans to have a total production capacity of 4 million units across five plants by fiscal 2030.
Suzuki is the largest car manufacturer in India and sees the country as a key market for expansion. The company also is positioning India as an export base for emerging markets including Africa.
The automaker plans to introduce electric vehicles (EVs) in 2025 and is also making progress toward the production of synthetic fuel vehicles.
Suzuki Motor's 91-year-old chairman waves goodbye after decades-long career
February 25, 2021
Suzuki Motor worker hailed as ‘master’ for his hammer work
January 12, 2021
Toyota more than doubles investment and job creation at North Carolina battery plant
November 1, 2023
Fierce race to secure batteries as automakers shift gears to EVs
November 30, 2021
Suzuki, SkyDrive aim to produce ‘flying car’ by spring next year
June 21, 2023
Suzuki, Daihatsu join Toyota electric vehicle venture
July 22, 2021
Stories about memories of cherry blossoms solicited from readers
Cooking experts, chefs and others involved in the field of food introduce their special recipes intertwined with their paths in life.
A series based on diplomatic documents declassified by Japan’s Foreign Ministry
A series on the death of a Japanese woman that sparked a debate about criminal justice policy in the United States
A series about Japanese-Americans and their memories of World War II
Here is a collection of first-hand accounts by “hibakusha” atomic bomb survivors.
