T20

The classic scooter, Vespa will be back on Indian roads by 2010 and this time its a solo ride. Vespa maker, Piaggio has set a target of producing 150,000 two-wheelers per year initially. Along with the traditional Vespa scooter, adrenaline pumping motorcycles like Moto Guzzi and Aprilia from Piaggio are also on the way. Roberto Colaninno, Chairman & CEO, Piaggio & CSPA, said, "We believe that in the next two years, the only possibility from Aprilia and Moto Guzzi is to import from Italy to India before we start production." But Piaggio's plan of entering the two-wheeler market is part of a large strategy to build Asia as a major hub for its international business. Which is why it will invest close to EUR 100 million in the region over the next two years and EUR 65 million of that in India. That investment will be to launch its second four wheeler, a sub-2-ton cargo carrier and to start manufacturing engines in partnership with Toyota Group company Daihatsu. Piaggio, which sold close to 155,000 vehicles in India last year is ramping up capacity to reach 200,000 vehicles by 2010, where hybrid vehicles may also be produced. and the Indian subsidiary is also scouting to have an assembly base abroad. Ravi Chopra, MD, Piaggio Vehicles, said, "Either in Latin America, or Africa or South East Asia. We are looking for an opportunity where we can create a facility and take advantage of low cost production." New plans, new investments in markets like India, Vietnam and China, and trading offices in Japan and Singapore, Piaggio is moving fast to ensure that it rides on every opportunity in Asia, especially when its European markets are getting stagnant.

Hey common, I just told it on the lighter side, BTW, the TATA-Ford deal is 90% through, Tata has got it!!!

Hey common, Indian company buying Jaguar and Landrover, the Plant has to go to India!!!

Auto giant Volkswagen may use India as a base to make cars exclusively for the world market. The Managing Director for Volkswagen passenger cars for India, Mr Andreas Prinz, told Business Line that once the company starts making cars for the Indian market, it might also look at manufacturing models exclusively for the export market. Volkswagen is setting up a €410-million production plant in Pune for manufacture of B/B Plus segment car specifically designed for India. Volkswagen will have its own vendor base located around the manufacturing plant. The car is expected to hit the market sometime in 2009. Mr Prinz said the car will be based on Volkswagen’s new generation Polo model but may not be called by the same name. “The car made in India will have higher wheel base with better ground clearance and also have bigger capacity inside the car,” he said. He said in Europe and the US small cars are usually the second car for families but in India they are the primary cars and hence they have to be built differently. Volkswagen expects to sell about 4 lakh cars in 10 years in India out of which 80 per cent will be sales from the small car. Mr Prinz, however, ruled out any plans to compete with lesser priced cars in the country including the Tata’s Rs 1 lakh car. He said Volkswagen will look at profitability rather than market share in India. “For us profitability is the key and not higher market share,” Mr Prinz said. “Worldwide, it is now profitability rather than market share,” he said. On the issue of whether Volkswagen will share engines with its group company Skoda which is also planning a small car for India, Mr Prinz said the Volkswagen car will be a premium small car and would be positioning it differently. The engine of the small car could either be 1.3 lt or below that, he said. New launches Mr Prinz said Jetta car is expected to hit the Indian roads during the current financial year and along with Passat they will be assembled in the Skoda’s factory near Aurangabad. The New Beetle and Phaeton are expected to be available in India as a CBU in another three months while the sports utility vehicle, Touareg will be launched sometime next year.

Bmw is just one of the carmakers that are now manifacturing and assembling in India. Its a long list.. Suzuki has made India their home.They sell more in India than they sell in Japan!!!! They are launching their next global car from India, complete from sratch, including the design in India. Fiat is now in India in full force.They are launching 7 new cars in India in this one year alone. Toyota is in Inda in a big way, manifacturing in India. Daimer chester is in India in a big way, Merc cars now made in India and exporting to even europe.And did you know that a Mercedes car Made in India has the highest quality rating for a mercedes made outside Germany??? They are opening a second plant near Mumbai. Hyundai, they have made India home!!!! Majority of Hyundai cars are made in India.Invested more than INR 100 crores in 2007 for R&D in India. Cars made in India exported all around the world including europe.More Global launches from India are expected. Volswagan has just opened a plant in Gujrat,North India, looking to make it big here in India. If I keep Profiling about each and every company, I will have my fingers sprained!!!! I will now come straight to BMW. Bmw selling in India like hot cakes, I would not be surprised if they open two more plants. Quality of manifacturing is not an issue anymore in India, it is worrld class!!!! Bmw presently assembling cars in India with 20% local content presently and aims to make it 50% shorly, and by the way, dont expect cuts in costs for a Bmw made in India!!!!

Hi, this is T20 and its my first post here.Considering that I am from India, I can give you a better prospective about topics related. Tata has created history when it made the world's cheapest car.Many 'great' car manifacturers termed it as foolishness and tagged it 'impossible' when the idea was first concieved some five years ago. But, Tata has proved them wrong. Its tag price is 1 lakh Indian rupees, cheaper than the maruti 800 which costs around 2 lakh INR.It's dimentions comparing to the Maruti 800 is than on the outside, the Tata Nano is 8% smaller in length and the interior of the Tata Nano is bigger than that of the Maruti 800 by 21%. Now that impressive.The car has seen some cost cutting as the prices of raw materials are at an all time high, thanks to the massive demand India and China have created around the world.Hence lighter but more durable raw materials have been used.Safety has been a prime concern of this car. Tata has conducted the manditory crash tests and it has passed the full frontal crash test.Tata has said that the Nano causes less pollution than the average bike on the road. Now, Toyota, Fiat, Ford, everybody wants to make a low coast no-frills car for the masses.The custumer is the man to be in this senerio.