General Motors India on Monday said that it is looking at more than doubling its exports in the current year and its Talegaon facility will become the export hub for the auto major in the country. GM India which exported 21,000 units in 2015 is eyeing a number of 50,000 in 2016.
On Monday the company also rolled out the first vehicle meant for shipment to Argentina which is its sixth major export market. GM India exports its left hand driven Beat model to countries including Mexico, Chile, Peru, Central American and Caribbean Countries (CAC) and Uruguay.
The Chevrolet Beat recorded the highest growth for any passenger vehicle exported from India and became the sixth most exported passenger vehicle out of India during financial year 2015-16, with a total of 37,082 units, GM India said in a statement here.
“The new export market is a testimony to our commitment to provide the quality standards to global customers from the Talegaon plant. Whether it is in India or anywhere else in the world, General Motors follows the quality standards in its manufacturing processes providing same high quality vehicles that customers in India and around the world expect and deserve,” GM India president and MD Kaher Kazem said.
The Beat, badged as Spark outside India, is available in more than 70 markets worldwide and has sold over 1 million units. The Beat is produced at GM India’s manufacturing facility in Talegaon, Maharashtra, which has a base capacity of 130,000 vehicles. GM India began vehicle exports from India to Chile in September 2014.
“In 2016, we plan to export over 50,000 vehicles, compared with 21,000 vehicles last calendar year, reinforcing our commitment to the Indian market and our strong local supplier base. This is part of GM’s strategy to make India an export hub for global markets and will help increase capacity utilisation at our Talegaon plant. We expect to identify additional export markets going forward,” Kazem said.
