Japanese automaker Suzuki Motor Corp. announced on Thursday new investments of about $ 0.6 billion or almost 3.9 billion rupees in Gujarat to add a third automobile production plant at Hansalpur’s facility.
This will take the total investment of the Japanese firm in the facility to about ₹ 13,400 crores. An investment of ₹ 9,600 crores was made earlier to establish two plants in addition to an engine and transmission production unit.
The company, along with its partners Toshiba and Denso, will also invest $ 180 million (about ¥ 1,150 crore) in a separate unit to manufacture lithium-ion batteries.
The Hansalpur-based plant is the first car plant owned exclusively by Suzuki Motor Corp. in India.
The third plant will have a production capacity of 2.5 units lakh annually, just like the first two plants. Once all three plants are operational, the SMC Gujarat plant will have a total capacity of 7.5 lakh units, the company said.
At present, the first plant in Hansalpur, which began operating in February this year, produces Baleno, while the second plant along with the engine and transmission units is expected to come on stream in 2019.
The company said it expects to generate employment for 10,000 people, including suppliers, with the new investment, adding that it will also build a hospital and a school near the Hansalpur facility.
Hybrid vehicles
The lithium-ion battery plant is expected to be operational by 2020.
The batteries will be used for “hybrid vehicles manufactured in India and [the company] would export these genuinely manufactured vehicles in India to the international market,” he said. Last year, Suzuki Motor Corp. joined hands with Toshiba Corporation and Denso to install a plant in India to produce lithium-ion batteries.
