Suzuki Motor Corporation has begun production at its third assembly line in Gujarat which will add production capacity of 250,000 units in order to meet India’s growing need for vehicles, the company announced on Friday.
Suzuki Motor Gujarat (SMG) has now expanded annual production capacity to a total of 750,000 units. SMG is a 100pc subsidiary of Suzuki Motor Corporation and production at Plant C has officially begun as of April 2021.
Maruti Suzuki has a total annual capacity of 1.5mn units and, after the additional capacity, automobile production in India for Maruti will reach 2.25mn units as all units produced at SMG are supplied to Maruti Suzuki. In 2020 SMG produced 346,000 units.
Maruti has estimated demand in India to grow further and exports are expected to be ramped up too, emphasising ‘Make In India’ initiative of the government.
Maruti Suzuki accounts for the highest market share in passenger vehicles in India with over 51pc. Maruti’s statement about growing demand likely instils confidence for its raw material manufacturers including metals.
In March, Maruti sold a total of 167,014 units, up 99pc from the prior year, although March 2020 was a low base year marking the beginning a stringent lockdown.