Isuzu is gradually increasing component sourcing from India for its global operations as it develops local vendors in the country.
A Press Trust of India (PTI) report in the Economic Times of India (ETI) said the pickup and heavy truck specialist had already secured about 100 suppliers which are primarily meeting local requirements for pick-up truck production at Isuzu's plant in Andhra Pradesh.
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"We are already doing it," Isuzu Motors India (IMI) deputy MD Hitoshi Kono told PTI when asked about the company's plans to source components from India for global operations.
While it was too early to say how much componentry was aexported from India, he told PTI Isuzu was looking to source components across the board from the country for its global operations.
Isuzu's vendor development in India has been done with a long term strategy of meeting global component requirements.
"When we look at parts suppliers, we don't look at their ability to supply only for India. We look at their ability to supply for us in the long run even for our global requirements," IMI senior general manager communications Shankar Srinivas told PTI.
"To some extent we advise and guide their engineering to level up with our requirements."
Srinivas said Isuzu has operations in 100 countries and market leadership in 35.
It is a question of how much of those volumes can be tapped from India as there are suppliers elsewhere in the world, he added.
A vendor from India would have to first meet quality requirements.
"We are not in a hurry to push for volumes but we are ready to ensure that quality is up there," he told PTI.
Isuzu is already planning to export vehicles from India to around 15-20 countries as part of its plans to make the country a hub of its global manufacturing operations.
The company has already started exporting vehicles to Nepal.
