Maruti to start work on Gujarat project before July

Hansalpur is in for some action as work on the proposed Maruti Suzuki India (MSIL) plant is expected to start soon, as the company's board has given a go-ahead to the project.

The company will begin work during the May-July quarter and the initial investment is estimated to be around Rs 2,000-2,200 crore.

R C Bhargava, chairman, Maruti Suzuki India said that while an exact date has not been fixed, work on the plant will start soon. "It would definitely begin within the May-July quarter," he said.

The first unit at the Hansalpur site would come up with an investment of around Rs 2,000-2,200 crore. When asked about whether the company's board has taken any decision about the buying land from the villagers, Bhargava said, "This is an ongoing process. I am not aware of any update."

Around three-four key vendors who have joint ventures with Maruti like Jai Bharat Maruti, Caparo Maruti and Futaba are expected to have their facilities at the Hansalpur site.

Other vendors are likely to set up shop at separate auto parks coming up in the region.

Osamu Suzuki, chairman of Suzuki Motor Corp, the Japanese parent of MSIL, visited the proposed plant site at Hansalpur on Saturday morning. During his brief visit, he also had a brief chat with local villagers.

"He said that work on the plant would begin very soon, and that the company aims to start manufacturing from here by 2015-16," informed Jayantibhai Parmar, deputy sarpanch of Hansalpur village. Suzuki took a trip around the site, where currently work on constructing the boundary wall is on.

Suzuki had met Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi earlier on Friday night and briefed him about the company's decision to start work soon on the project.