Japanese automaker Suzuki Motor Corporation plans to significantly expand its production capacity in India while improving manufacturing efficiency as part of its strategy to accelerate new vehicle development and strengthen the country’s role in its global operations.
Suzuki Motor Corporation President Toshihiro Suzuki said the company aims to halve vehicle development time by 2030. The automaker also plans to improve development efficiency by 30 per cent compared with fiscal 2020 levels and increase factory productivity by 50 per cent compared with its Manesar plant in Haryana.
The company is targeting annual vehicle production capacity of around 4 million units in India by the end of the decade, compared with its current capacity of about 2.9 million units. Suzuki has been expanding its manufacturing footprint across Haryana and Gujarat to support both domestic demand and exports.
The Hansalpur facility in Gujarat has recently reached an annual production capacity of 1 million vehicles following the addition of a fourth production line. Suzuki also operates manufacturing facilities in Gurugram, Manesar and Kharkhoda in Haryana, while a new manufacturing facility is planned at Sanand in Gujarat.
Suzuki plans to improve its manufacturing processes by integrating planning, design, production engineering, quality and procurement activities more closely. The company also intends to expand the use of digital engineering and modularisation, allowing components and technologies to be shared across different vehicle models.
The automaker said it would continue following a multi-powertrain strategy rather than relying exclusively on battery electric vehicles. Its technology portfolio is expected to include battery electric vehicles, hybrids, internal-combustion engines, compressed natural gas, flex-fuel and other carbon-neutral fuel technologies.
Suzuki has identified India and Japan as key centres of its global business operations. Technologies developed in Japan will be shared with Maruti Suzuki and adapted to meet the requirements of different markets.
The expansion is expected to further strengthen India’s position within Suzuki’s global manufacturing and export network while supporting the company’s plans to increase production and introduce new vehicle technologies.
