Maruti inks pact with Mundra Port for a mega car terminal

S Nakanishi, managing director and CEO, MSIL, said, “We are delighted to partner Mundra Port and Special Economic Zone Ltd for this critical initiative. Maruti Suzuki is ready to play a much greater role in Suzuki’s global operations. We have the technology and skills to build top-quality cars for the international market. But our export ambitions need infrastructure support on the ground, and this initiative will be a big step forward in filling that gap.”

Gautam S Adani, chairman and managing director, MPSEZL, said: “We are pleased to develop a cost-effective Roll-on Roll-off (RORO) terminal for facilitating automobile exports by Maruti Suzuki. Our RORO terminal at Mundra will provide cost- competitive support to the Indian automobile industry for international trade and our aim is to make Mundra a hub for automobile exports. The excellent draft at Mundra will allow berthing of the largest car carriers and turn them around in the least possible time.”

Maruti Suzuki’s exports have grown significantly this year, and will touch 50,000 units in 2007-08 (nearly 28 percent growth). The company currently exports from Mumbai Port. Maruti Suzuki will be launching its new model, A-Star, by the end of this calendar year. With this, exports are likely to go up significantly. The company plans to export two lakh cars annually to Europe and the rest of the world by the year 2010.

Maruti Suzuki will commence export operations at Mundra Port from January 2009. In view of its increasing export volumes, the company will continue shipping cars from Mumbai as well.