General Motors India has built its first Chevrolet Beat for export to Mexico. Vehicle shipments to this second major export market will start this quarter from GM India’s Talegaon, Maharashtra factory. Sales of the minicar in Mexico are scheduled to begin in December.
“In keeping with our commitment to the Make in India programme, we are proud to produce exciting Chevrolet vehicles for the Mexican market,” said Arvind Saxena, president and managing director of GM India. “Exports will be an important and ever-growing part of our business. This is part of GM’s strategy to make India a global export hub.”
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The Chevrolet Beat is sold in about 70 countries, primarily as the Spark. GM has sold over 1m Sparks and Beats worldwide.
“We are looking to identify additional export markets,” said Saxena. “This will help drive capacity utilisation [at Talegaon].”
During her recent visit to India, GM CEO Mary Barra announced US$1bn in new investment in the market, including exports. Talegaon, which currently has a production capacity of 130,000 vehicles annually, will increase its base capacity to 220,000 vehicles by 2025. It will also become a global export hub for GM, with up to 30% of its annual production planned for markets outside India.
