Haryana allots 700 acres for Maruti’s new plant
By IANSFriday, August 21, 2009
ROHTAK - Passenger car manufacturer Maruti Suzuki Friday said it has been allotted 700 acres by the Haryana government for its proposed research and development (R&D) facility here.
Maruti will invest Rs.1,000 crore in two phases over six years, it added.
While the development of the allotted land and construction of the test tracks will be completed during the first phase by 2012, the R&D facilities will be progressively completed by 2015.
The land allotment agreement was signed by Maruti Suzuki managing director and chief executive Shinzo Nakanishi and Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corp managing director Rajeev Arora.
The upcoming facility, the sole such centre being set up by Suzuki Motor Corp outside Japan, will introduce “world-class R&D facilities in India”, the company said.
Marutis vendors will bring in further investment, it added.
“Six years ago, Osamu Suzuki, chairman, Suzuki Motor, Japan, had promised the people of India that he will make Maruti Suzuki the R&D hub for Asia, outside Japan. Today, we have taken a step further in realising this promise,” said Nakanishi in a statement.
“This facility in Rohtak would be a big step forward in building the R&D capability of Maruti Suzuki, and enable us to offer superior products to our customers in the future as well.”
The facility, which will conform to international norms, will house a R&D centre for passenger cars including a state-of-the-art test track with a proving ground, wind tunnel and crash facility.
The Rohtak complex is also the latest in a series of big-ticket investments by Maruti Suzuki, which has turned Haryana as a global manufacturing hub.
Incidentally, Suzuki has decided to make India its global manufacturing base for its A-Star model.
The company also has a manufacturing facility in Manesar, a three lakh-unit annual capacity diesel engine plant, and a new-generation auto engine plant.
Maruti Suzuki is also on course to design a car on its own and launch a made-in-India car by 2012.
