Chennai, November 28, 2012: By 2016, one-third to half of Nissan Motor Company’s sales in India, Indonesia and Russia will be under the Datsun badge, its program director confirmed. Speaking exclusively to Autocar Professional, Ashwani Gupta, program director, Control Corporate Plan Group, Datsun Business Unit (pictured), said that the brand will enter India with two products in each market in 2014 and will introduce another product “within three years.” Emphasising that Datsun’s representation in India will be that of “Global brand, local product,” Gupta established that the company is working on “unique platforms.”



Asked if the company is looking to make India a sourcing hub for its global markets, Gupta said, “Initially, we will look to cater to the domestic market. But if the requirements and aspirations of customers in India, Africa and the Middle-East are the same, we will definitely look at exporting from Chennai.”

Datsun will share manufacturing space with Renault-Nissan at the alliance’s manufacturing facility in Oragadam, near Chennai. The plant, at present, has a capacity to produce 400,000 cars per year. Marc Nassif, MD, Renault India, had hinted in July this year that the company will definitely ramp up capacity, based on demand. The plant currently exports the Nissan Micra hatchback, Nissan Sunny saloon and the Renault Duster SUV.