Tata Motors to start operations of CV assembly plant in Africa

Tata Motors today said it would start operations of an assembly plant for commercial vehicles in South Africa within next few days.

"We have set up an assembly plant in South Africa and this is a commercial vehicle plant. Its just matter of days to announce the details and start operations of the plant," a Tata Motors spokesperson told PTI.

He, however, declined to share details such as installed capacity at the plant and how much investment the company has made in construction of the unit.

In January this year, Tata Motors Managing Director (India Operations) PM Telang had said the company would assemble small and medium-sized trucks in the facility.

The company at present exports both commercial and passenger vehicles to South Africa.

Tata Motors currently has truck assembly units in Thailand and Bangladesh.

Earlier, Tata group's subsidiary Tata Africa had acquired a truck facility in South Africa from Japanese auto giant Nissan. Besides, it also had one bus body building unit there.

Tata Motors is at present in the process of setting up subsidiaries in key overseas markets, including Latin America.

The company's exports in June 2011 grew by 20.65% to 5,094 units from 4,222 units in the same month last year.