Maruti Suzuki signs 5-year pact with Kamarajar port for PV exports

Maruti Suzuki India Ltd on Thursday said it has signed a five-year pact with Kamarajar Port Ltd for export of its passenger vehicles to international markets.

Under the agreement starting December 2022, Kamarajar Port will be used for exports to Africa, Middle East, Latin America, ASEAN, Oceania and SAARC regions by the company, Maruti Suzuki India Ltd (MSIL) said in a statement.

The port will be used to export around 20,000 cars annually. A car-cum-general cargo berth has been developed and commissioned by Kamarajar Port Ltd for handling automobile units, it added.

"The start of exports from the Kamarajar Port will help us reach out to a wider base of customers. This initiative will also help to decongest the Mumbai Port, Mundra Port and Pipavav Port used by the company to export vehicles at present," MSIL Managing Director & CEO Hisashi Takeuchi said.

He further said the company's expanding export operations reflect its commitment to "offer reliable, high quality, technologically advanced cars to our global customers".

MSIL said it posted its highest ever exports at over 2.38 lakh units to more than 100 countries in 2021-22. The company will continue to export from the Mumbai Port, Mundra Port and Pipavav Port.

Kamarajar Port Ltd, CMD Sunil Paliwal said,"Maruti Suzuki has earned the distinction of being a major contributor to exports from India, and associating with the company will help us augment our operations as well."

Maruti Suzuki's Grand Vitara is manufactured at Toyota Kirloskar Motor's Bidadi plant in Karnataka under the partnership between Suzuki Motor Corporation and Toyota Motor Corporation, will be sent to the pre-delivery inspection center at the Kamarajar Port, and subsequently shipped, the statement said.

Kamarajar Port has a capacity to park 14,000 cars.