By IANS,
Chennai : Japanese auto major Nissan Motor Co will make next generation March model at its Orgadam plant near here, built in partnership with French car maker Renault, a top official said Saturday.
The joint venture company Renault Nissan Automotive India Ltd (RNAI) is investing around Rs.40 billion ($833 million) in the plant, which has a total capacity of 400,000 units.
“We will roll out the small car from our Chennai plant while the plant in Thailand is the mother unit for that model,” RNAI managing director Shouhei Kimura told reporters.
He said construction work was progressing at the plant site.
“The foundation for stamping unit and paint shop has been laid. Excavation work for constructing other units are on,” Kimura added.
According to him, around 50 vendors will set up their operations near the car plant, including some overseas companies like Unipress Sheet Metal Press.
Nissan Motor India Ltd has tied up with Hover Automotive India Ltd to take care of the car distribution in the country. The company plans to have 55 dealers by 2012.
Expected to start commercial production by 2010, Nissan plans to ship out 110,000 cars, primarily to Europe from 2011 through the Ennore port.
“We plan to increase exports to 180,000 units from India over a period of time,” said Nissan Motor corporate vice-president Toshifumi Hirai.
A memorandum of understanding (MOU) to this effect was signed between Nissan Motors and Ennore Port Ltd. The exports would include the next generation small cars.