BMW officially opened its new assembly plant in Chennai, India, today (29 March). The new factory is the automaker’s fifth plant in Asia.

Go deeper with GlobalData

Premium Insights

The gold standard of business intelligence.

Find out more

Related Company Profiles

View all

The plant is a completely knocked down (CKD) kit-building plant with capacity of 1,700 units a year in single-shift operation, and employs 120.


At the opening ceremony, chairman Norbert Reithofer said BMW sold 136,000 cars in Asia in 2006 and hopes to sell 150,000 a year there by 2008.


He added that BMW is forecasting the Indian market will grow from 1.2m vehicles today to 2.2m vehicles in 2015 while sales of premium cars are expected to double in the same time.


BMW has opened a subsidiary office in Delphi and the Chennai plant at a cost of EUR20m. In the medium term it expects to employ around 200 people at the two locations.

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

Management board member Frank-Peter Arndt  said BMW chose Chennai for its plant due to well-developed infrastructure, availability of local suppliers and a well-trained and highly motivated workforce.


The plant occupies 89,000 square metres, including a production area of 13,000 square meters. Since February, it has built 3 series models for India.


Production started after construction time of just a year. BMW will add 5 series production later. Plant processes include pre-assembly, final assembly and finish.


According to Automobilwoche, around 1,000 3 and 5 Series cars will be assembled at the plant this year.


BMW sold 257 imported cars in India in 2006. Cars assembled in the country avoid a 60% tariff levied on completely built-up imports (CBUs).