Picture 1 caption: Chandrababu Naidu, Chief
Minister of Andhra Pradesh driving out the first D-Max V-Cross produced at the newly inaugurated
state-of-the-art manufacturing plant of Isuzu Motors India Pvt. Ltd. (IMI) in
SriCity, Andhra Pradesh.
The new state-of-the-art
manufacturing plant of Isuzu Motors India Pvt. Ltd. (IMI) was inaugurated by
Chandrababu Naidu, Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh at SriCity, Andhra Pradesh.
The new generation Isuzu D-Max V-Cross – India’s First Adventure Utility
Vehicle, was also rolled-out of plant by the Chief Minister and Masanori
Katayama, President, Isuzu Motors Limited, Japan, to mark the commencement of
production at the new facility.
The inauguration of the new plant and the
first vehicle roll-out was held in the presence of. Kenji Hiramatsu, Ambassador
of Japan to India, Kazushi Okawa, Executive Vice President, dignitaries from
the Government of Andhra Pradesh, Senior Officials from IMI, media and business
partners of Isuzu.
This manufacturing plant at SriCity is spread
over an area of 107 acres and has a production capacity of 50,000 units that
can be scaled up to 120,000 units in future.
With manufacturing operations in Japan,
Thailand and U.S.A already existing, this plant in India will add impetus to
the manufacturing operations of Isuzu, globally. The new generation of Isuzu
D-Max pick-ups will be manufactured at the plant with 70pc localisation at the
start of production that will be increased in future. Isuzu will also consider
export of vehicles manufactured at this plant to other markets in the world at
a suitable time in future.
This state of the art
manufacturing plant will follow Isuzu global manufacturing standards and Isuzu Manufacturing
Management (IMM) practices. The plant will also focus on safety, quality and Isuzu’s
commitment to the environment.
Image 2 Caption: Chandrababu
Naidu, Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh and Masanori Katayama, President, Isuzu
Motors Limited, Japan rolling out the first D-MAX V-Cross from the newly
inaugurated state-of-the-art manufacturing plant of Isuzu Motors India Pvt.
Ltd. (IMI) in SriCity, Andhra Pradesh
Speaking at the plant
inauguration, Masanori Katayama noted, “We are very happy to start our local
manufacturing operations in India. India is one of the biggest automobile
markets and also one of the fastest growing economies in the world. India is a
key part of Isuzu Motors’ global growth strategy. This new plant in India will
not only cater to the requirements of the growing Indian market, but in future
it will also serve as a key manufacturing hub for Isuzu’s global operations.”
Hiroyasu Miura, Chairman,
Isuzu Motors India Pvt. Ltd., said, “The globally proven Isuzu D-Max pickups
will be manufactured at this plant under high quality standards in line with Isuzu’s
well acclaimed ‘Isuzu Manufacturing Management’ practices. We have found Indian
suppliers to be capable of meeting Isuzu’s global quality standards and we will
follow a high localization strategy for the manufacturing operations in India.
Isuzu is in India for last 4 years studying the Indian market, understanding
the Indian customer’s requirements and establishing the sales and service
network. The inauguration of our manufacturing plant at SriCity is a major
milestone in this journey and we look forward to an exciting future in India”.
Local
Sourcing of Components for the manufacturing operations
Isuzu Motors India has started the local
manufacturing operations with a tie-up with 120 suppliers, including Tier-I and
II suppliers, for supplying auto-components for vehicles manufactured in India.
The localization level will continue to increase in future. A few key suppliers
of IMI have also signed an MoU with the Andhra Pradesh government for setting
up their manufacturing plant in the region. In time Isuzu will also explore the
opportunities to export components for requirements in other markets of Isuzu across
the world.
Image 3 caption: Masanori Katayama, President,
Isuzu Motors Limited, Japan handing over the memento to Chandrababu Naidu, Chief
Minister of Andhra Pradesh marking inauguration of the new state-of-the-art
manufacturing plant of Isuzu Motors India Pvt. Ltd. (IMI) in SriCity, Andhra
Pradesh
New
generation of Isuzu vehicles to be manufactured at the plant
Isuzu Motors India will manufacture the new
generation of Isuzu D-Max pick-ups at the plant. The new pick-ups will be
available in multiple models and variants and will cater to a wide range of
customer segments.
The D-Max V-Cross (4x4) is India’s First
Adventure Utility Vehicle. A globally proven off-roader with a capable 4WD, the
V-Cross is also a premium 5-seater urban vehicle. This is a
first-in-the-segment product in India that for the first time meets the
aspirations of India’s adventure seekers.
The D-Max Crew Cab, a 4 door pickup with a
cargo deck offers multi-utility capabilities for the business owners who like
to drive their own pickups and carry their crew and material with them. The D-Max
Single Cab and D-Max Cab-Chassis variant addresses the needs of India’s modern
business and commercial vehicle owners.
The bookings for the new
generation Isuzu vehicles will soon be started followed by deliveries at Isuzu dealerships
all over India.
India is a key market for Isuzu
and in near future the company will also launch new products catering to other
market segments.