Mahindra's blanking line by March '07

Mahindra Intertrade Ltd (MIL), a Mahindra & Mahindra Group company, has started works on its state-of-the-art blanking line plant in Nashik.

The plant, which is being set up at an investment of Rs 50 crore, will be spread over 10 acres of land. It is expected to start commercial operations by March 2007.

The 'bhumi pujan' of the facility was performed recently by Raghunath Murti, managing director, MIL.

The plant will make use of German technology to produce steel coils and sheets for M&M's automotive and components divisions, sources said. The project is in line with M&M's global expansion plans and its products will service the needs of M&M's automotive and auto components sectors, as well as external customers.

Presently, M&M manufactures Scorpio and Bolero utility vehicle at its facility in Satpur MIDC area, Nashik, which has a capacity to manufacture 330 units per day.

The company also plans to increase the capacity of its passenger vehicle plant to 570 vehicles per day by August 2007. Besides, the company is setting up a Logan car manufacturing plant adjacent to its existing Nashik facility, with an initial manufacturing capacity of 50,000 units per year.

The Logan car manufacturing plant will be operational by January 2007. M&M had recently announced setting up of another Ingenio car manufacturing plant at its Nashik facility by 2008, with an investment of Rs 550 crore.