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Maruti plans big diesel foray.
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BANGALORE: Maruti, India's biggest carmaker, would set up a Rs 350-crore diesel engine plant at Gurgaon in line with its plan to become a major player in diesel vehicles in a couple of years.
The company, which currently has insignificant presence in diesel vehicles, would source technology for the proposed plant from Fiat GM Power Train.
MUL managing director Jagdish Khattar told reporters here that a team from FGP, a joint venture between Fiat, GM and Opel, is already in Gurgaon in this regard and the plant with a capacity to produce one lakh diesel engines would be operational in 2006.
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He pointed out that while the annual growth in the diesel segment was 13 per cent in the last three years, it was 19-20 per cent in the first quarter (April-June) of the current fiscal.
"We want to play a major role in diesel segment also. That's our next target. So far, we have been focussing on retaining our marketshare in petrol segment. We will do so in diesel segment also", he said.
The Hindu: Maruti to invest in diesel engine plant
NEW DELHI, MAY 18. The country's largest automobile producer Maruti Udyog Limited (MUL), which today announced a three-fold rise in net profit, also outlined plans for fresh investments. The company said it would be investing Rs. 350 crores for setting up a diesel engine plant with technology from Fiat of Italy and General Motors' subsidiary, Adam Opel.
Disclosing this here today, the MUL Managing Director, Jagdish Khattar, said an agreement had been concluded recently with Fiat and Opel for manufacture of a 1.3 litre state-of-the-art diesel engine based on the common rail injection system. This measure was being taken to meet the growing demand for diesel cars in the Indian market, he said. Making a statement after a meeting of the MUL board of directors, he said, "Our decision to invest in a new facility to manufacture diesel engines underlines oor parent Suzuki Motor Corporation's continued commitment to India. It is in keeping with Maruti's strategy of providing suitable products for diverse segments of customers.''
He said the new facility would have capacity to manufacture one lakh diesel engines annually and would begin production in 2006. At present, Peugeot of France, supplies diesel engines for Maruti's Zen and mid-sized Esteem models. This will further reduce the imported component in Maruti vehicles, making them more competitive in the Indian market.
Deccan Herald: Maruti plans new diesel engine plant
“We expect demand for our diesel vehicles will be strong even if price difference between diesel and petrol becomes small. This will be possible because of refined CRDI engine” Khattar said.
BANGALORE, DHNS:
Maruti Udyog Ltd, is setting up a new diesel engine production facility near its existing plant at Gurgaon with an investment of Rs 350 crore.
The plant will be ready in 2006 and at full capacity will produce 100,000 diesel engines for cars and utility vehicles. It will manufacture new generation CRDI (common rail direct injection) engines in collaboration with Fiat-GM Opel and engines will be of 1200 cc.
This was disclosed here by Maruti Managing Director Jagdish Khattar on Wednesday while launching new Esteem in the city.
The reason why Maruti is going for the manufacture of diesel engines is that the diesel segment in the Indian car industry is growing faster than petrol: diesel cars accounted for 13 per cent of all cars in 2002 but in 2004 its share has moved up to19 percent.
But Maruti is not able to cash in from this strong demand because it does not have a diesel engine and its presence is insignificant. Khattar expects that except for the small cars like Maruti 800 and Alto 800, all other Maruti vehicles can have diesel versions along with petrol. “We expect the demand for our diesel vehicles will be strong even if the price difference between diesel and petrol becomes small. This will be possible because of the refined CRDI engine” Mr Khattar said.
Times of India
Diesel Maruti to be a reality soon
MUMBAI: Maruti Udyog Ltd's directors have approved a proposal that a joint venture with Japan's Suzuki Motor Corp will control a diesel engine manufacturing plant being set up in India, the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) said on Tuesday.
It said the joint venture, now called Suzuki Metal India Ltd, will be renamed Suzuki Engineering India Ltd.
Suzuki owns 54.2 percent of Maruti, India's largest car maker.
The diesel engine manufacturing plant, to be located in Haryana, will meet the requirements of Maruti as well as those of Suzuki subsidiaries and joint ventures in Asia, including Japan, China and Indonesia, it said.
However, Suzuki Motor Corp said on Tuesday that no decision had been made yet on the participation of Maruti Udyog Ltd in a diesel engine plant to be constructed in India in two years.
A day earlier, Suzuki Chief Executive Osamu Suzuki said the Japanese small car and mini-vehicle maker would take the lead in the diesel engine project, and said Maruti's role had been misunderstood.
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