Suzuki Motor Corporation has announced that it has begun operations at its newly-built plant in Kharkhoda, in the Indian state of Haryana, as it targets a 50% share of the Indian domestic vehicle market. The Japanese automaker’s main local subsidiary, Maruti Suzuki India Limited, this week started production of the Brezza compact SUV at the new facility - which is located just outside the capital city New Delhi.
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The Kharkhoda plant, Maruti Suzuki’s first new vehicle manufacturing facility in eight years, has an initial production capacity of 250,000 vehicles per year – increasing the company’s annual production capacity in the country to 2.6 million vehicles.
The Japanese automaker has three other vehicle plants in India, in Gujurat, Manesar and Gurgaon, with a combined production capacity of 2.35 million vehicles. The company confirmed that its overall production volumes in India exceeded two million units for the first time last year, helped by a 121% rise in exports to 326,236 units.
Earlier this month Suzuki unveiled ambitious expansion plans for India, making it the company’s largest global production location and market. The company is targeting a local market share of 50%, with the overall domestic market forecast to expand to six million units by 2030. It also plans to strengthen its vehicle export operations in the country, targeting Europe in particular.
By 2030, Suzuki aims to have an overall production capacity of four million vehicles per year in India. The Kharkhoda facility will eventually have four production lines, each with the capacity to make 250,000 vehicles per year, which would make it one of Asia’s largest vehicle production facilities.
