Major Japanese truckmakers will boost staffing at development bases in such Asian countries as Indonesia and Thailand.
Japan’s Nikkei business daily said Isuzu Motors, which regards Thailand as a core Asian location, has 20 development personnel in the country, all sent from Japan. It aims to elevate Indonesia to a similar status as Thailand with plans to dispatch about 20 employees from Japan to that country by 2015.
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Isuzu has a development staff of 3,300 in Japan, a market that has been shrinking. The firm sells more units in Thailand than in Japan but its Thai development staff is much smaller at about 200. By developing more products locally in Thailand and Indonesia, the automaker aims to better meet local needs.
Hino Motors plans to dispatch about 50 employees from Japan to its development base in Thailand and a similar number to Indonesia over the next few years. The firm has plants in both countries and seeks to beef up its local development capabilities.
UD Trucks – once Nissan Diesel – will ramp up its development staff sent from Japan to India to 20-30 over the next few years, up from 10 at present.
Demand for trucks is expected to grow in the countries.
More trucks will be needed as Thailand recovers from major flooding last year. In Indonesia, demand for trucks for use in mining is rising fast.
In India, low-priced vehicles made by local manufacturers are popular now. But demand for higher-end products is expected to grow down the road, the Nikkei said.
