MG Motor India plans Rs 5,000 crore investment, first model to be an SUV

SAIC Motor Corporation, the largest automobile manufacturer in China, which announced its entry in the Indian market last year through its fully-owned subsidiary, MG Motor. is making aggressive moves through MG Motor India, its wholly owned subsidiary. MG Motor India today announced that it will invest a total of Rs 5,000 crore in India over the next six years.

The company, which acquired GM India’s Halol plant in September 2017, will have an initial production capacity of 80,000 units per annum. Work on upgrading the facility with a new press shop and modification of assembly lines and other facilities is progressing at a face pace, says MG Motor India. 

L-R: Rajeev Chaba, president and MD, MG Motor India, and P Balendran, executive director, at a press meet in New Delhi today. 

SUV first model to roll out by H2 2019
MG Motor India has said the first vehicle launch by the company for the domestic market will be an SUV in the second half of 2019. The company currently has an employee strength of around 1,000. 

As part of its India journey, the company says it will have one new product launch each year from 2019, along with having around 300 dealership and service centres (combined) in India.

Additionally, it will further develop and work closely with start-ups in India to keep localisation levels high since the start, with an initial aim of 80 percent. This will be enabled by its Indian engineers. It has already started talks with various suppliers to further localise the vehicles.

Commenting on the company's plans for the Indian market, Rajeev Chaba, president and MD, MG Motor India, said: "We are moving forward swiftly on our India strategy. Our aim is to provide vehicles that will be new-age and very contemporary, with a premium image and great value."

Meanwhile, the company is to hold dealer road shows in India starting with Mumbai on March 28, Delhi (April 6) and Bangalore (April 16).   

SAIC is among the top 10 global OEMs (in volume terms) and had sold 6.93 million vehicles in 2017. SAIC has also revealed that it is investing around $3.2 billion (Rs 20,124 crore) towards research and development of new energy vehicles including electric, plug-in hybrid and fuel cell vehicles.

Also read: Winners and losers in India's SUV market 

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