Honda starts making cars in 2nd India plant
ASSEMBLY LINE Rajasthan factory to be used for manufacturing new generation Amaze, Mobilio and Jazz
NEW DELHI: Japanese car maker Honda Cars India Ltd on Monday started production of the Amaze at its second car factory in India at Tapukara in Rajasthan.
The factory, which was put on hold in 2008 due to the economic slowdown, doubles the company’s overall capacity in India to nearly 240,000 units per annum. Honda currently has a factory in Greater Noida that produces 120,000 units per annum.
Spread over 450 acres and developed with an investment of `3,520 crore, the Tapukara factory would pave the way for the Japanese firm to launch its new range of cars like its sevenseater MPV Mobilio later this year and bring back its premium hatchback Jazz early next year.
“With the inauguration of this second plant, we have doubled our production capacity in India. This plant is significant as it will help us meet the target of selling 300,000 units in the country by 2016-17,” said Hironori Kanayama, president and CEO, HCIL.
“Our targeted export turnover for 2013-14 is about `350 crore. This will grow significantly as HCIL expands its exports,” said Yoshiyuki Matsumoto, managing officer, Honda. “Our target is to achieve annual sales of 12,00,000 vehicles for the Asia Oceania region by March 2017. India should contribute around 25% of that target.” Honda Motor Co named the first foreigner and first female to its allJapanese, all-male roster of board members and operating officers on Monday, helping it catch up with rival Japanese car makers in diversifying its executive ranks.
The company named Issao Mizoguchi, a Brazilian of Japanese descent and senior vice-president at Honda South America, as one of its 23 operating officers. It also appointed Hideko Kunii, a Shibaura Institute of Technology professor, to its 13-member board of directors.
TOKYO/REUTERS