To build global R&D centre
Maruti Suzuki, the country’s largest manufacturer of cars, today took formal possession of 700 acres of land allotted to it by the Haryana government for a major research and development hub at the Industrial Model Township here, 70 km from Delhi.
The centre is slated to become Suzuki’s largest R&D centre outside Japan. Of the allotted area, 100 acres will house the company’s auto parts suppliers, while the rest will house the R&D units and the test tracks.The first phase of the R&D centre will be completed in 2012 and the second phase in 2015. A company official said
Maruti paid around Rs 500 crore to purchase the land.
In a signing ceremony witnessed by the state’s chief minister, Bhupinder Singh Hooda, the company’s chairman, R C Bhargava, said the event was a milestone in the company’s history. “Twenty five years ago, we started by assembling SKD kits. Today, we have come to designing and manufacturing cars, not only for the domestic market but also for global markets. The upcoming R&D centre will transform Maruti into a complete world-class manufacturer of small cars,” he said.
Maruti Suzuki operates two factories in Haryana, at Manesar and Guragon, both close to Delhi. The choice for choosing the state again to locate its R&D centre, according to the company’s managing director and CEO, Shinzo Nakanishi, was locational advantage. “About 80 per cent of Maruti’s suppliers are located in and around Gurgaon. The upcoming R&D centre will provide an opportunity for young Indian engineers to train in the company’s facilities.”
With more car manufacturers setting up facilities in India, Bhargava said both the industry and the government need to do more to retain the country’s competitive edge as a hub for small car manufacturing. “Both the Chinese and the South Koreans are gearing up to become hubs for the manufacture of small cars. Further, the world has moved away from large cars and is becoming focused on small cars. We need to work together to improve competitiveness and that’s what we hope to do with the upcoming R&D centre.”
