More news has emerged about Proton’s anticipated move into the Indian market – the company is said to be in talks with Hindustan Motors, India’s oldest automaker, to sign a contract manufacturing deal in which it will be using HM’s platform to assemble its portfolio cars in India.
Reports indicate that an announcement regarding the tie-up is likely to be made by around end of February, and Proton is expected to use HM’s Chennai plant, which was initially established for the assembly of the Mitsubishi Lancer. It has also been speculated that the new contract manufacturing tie-up might be extended to HM’s ailing plants that are located in Indore and Uttarpara.
The Proton models that are expected to be initially launched in the Indian market are the Saga, Persona, Exora and Emas hybrid models.
According to an Indian daily, Hindustan Motors’ MD Manoj Jha was qouted as saying otherwise recently. “In the automobile business, there are all kinds of discussions with all sorts of companies at all points of time, but the discussions with Proton that you are talking about is not taking place.”
It has been more than a year since Proton has been mulling to enter into a contract manufacturing tie-up with an Indian firm. In previous years, the company had been in talks with the likes of Mahindra & Mahindra and the Hero group.
According to news reports, Proton says it is hoping to conclude defining the strategies needed for its business expansion into India’s automotive market by the first quarter of this year.
Currently, Proton has identified the local OEM company it plans to work with – with a contract assembly and joint venture on the cards – as well as the models it would be entering the market with, said managing director Datuk Syed Zainal Abidin. The Exora, Persona and the company’s first global car, the Emas, have been pinpointed as the brand’s pathfinders in the Indian market.
He said that the plan will be presented to the board, and an annoucement made once approval had been given, adding that the company viewed India as a very important market for the brand.
but against at least RM30,000 variant against a "local" car..wat chance hav we got..
ReplyDeleteindian automotive industry is more complicated than malaysian automotive. there's a lot of regulation for proton to meet. logistically it would be challenging. just imagine their road condition and distance of vendor plant and car maker plan. its a tough business. but it would be worth it for proton.
ReplyDelete...set aside the local challenges there, but the basic question is how to overcome the price variances that will ultimately decide on protons success in india..if theyre juz there for brandings sake then its better spent on making it more affordable here s better dont u think..
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