Maruti’s 1-mn units plant hits slow lane

Revving Up

♦ Upcoming Rs18k-cr plant at Kharkhoda in Haryana

♦ It’s 3rd plant in Haryana

♦ 10 lakh units production by FY26

♦ Will invest Rs35k cr in its 2nd facility with 1mn units capacity in Gujarat

New Delhi: Maruti Suzuki India is facing a small delay in finalising the site to set up a new plant with an annual capacity of 10 lakh units although the upcoming plant at Kharkhoda in Haryana is on track to start production by 2025-26, company Chairman RC Bhargava said on Tuesday.

Addressing at the AGM, Bhargava also reiterated Maruti Suzuki’s belief that low cost and small cars are necessary in India’s economic and social conditions and a temporary setback in demand is not going to change its strategy, while hoping that small car demand will revive in the next two years.

“Our programme for expanding production is proceeding as scheduled, cars produced in the Kharkhoda plant will add to our sales in FY25-26. A small delay has taken place in finalising the site for a new one million unit expansion. We are making our best efforts to come to a quick decision in this matter,” Bhargava said.

In January this year at the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit, Suzuki Motor Corporation President Toshihiro Suzuki had announced that the company’s Indian arm MSI will invest Rs35,000 crore to set up its second facility in Gujarat.