After spending $230 million on the high tech plant, GM will be capable of manufacturing here some 160,000 engines each year, with gasoline and diesel units to be built simultaneously. And that's only for the first few years, as GM says there's enough room for expansion.
Since GM's growth in the country is spearheaded by small cars, it is these who will receive the first engines manufactured at the new plant.
“This marks the beginning of GM's next chapter in India.” said Karl Slym, GM India president. ”The opening of our new facility will enable our company to become more competitive and keep up with the growing demand for our vehicles. GM India’s sales have grown significantly since we began rolling out our mini-cars, the Chevrolet Spark and Beat, at our Talegaon plant about two years back.”
“We appreciate the support of the Maharashtra government and our employees across the country. Their backing has enabled us to build a world-class engine facility in record time of less than two years.”
Work on the new facility began two years ago, when GM was only beginning to feel the taste of Indian success. Since then, the carmaker grew to become the country's fifth largest carmaker, selling no less than 93,960 vehicles in the first months of this year, or some 73 percent more than in the same period in 2009.
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