Hyundai i10 rides wave of large export orders

Hyundai Motor India Ltd (HMIL) has said that its recently- launched i10 hatchback has received 60,000 orders from the overseas market since it started taking orders in December 2007. According to the company, it has set a record of clocking the fastest 50,000 units of export orders in just three months and plans to ship around 26,000 units by March 2008.

HMIL has also started a training programme to train the staff of all its overseas distributors for the i10. In mid-March, a batch of 31 sales managers from the overseas markets covering about 21 countries from Africa, Latin America, Europe and Asia underwent a training programme in Chennai. Hyundai says this is the beginning of a trend which by itself is a first for the industry where overseas partners are trained in India.

HMIL’s recently-inaugurated second plant is in line with the company’s positioning as HMC’s global export hub for compact cars. Apart from expansion of production capacity, HMIL plans to expand its dealer network.

Last year was a significant year for HMIL as it achieved a significant milestone by rolling out the fastest 400,000th export car. Hyundai exports to over 73 countries globally; even as it plans to continue its thrust in existing export markets, it is gearing up to step up its foray into new markets.