The Hindu Business Line : Ural India may set up small car facility

Ural India Ltd, a joint venture of the Kolkata-based Motijug Group, the West Bengal Government and Uralaz of Russia, is firming up plans to set up a small car manufacturing facility in collaboration with a Russian company.

Discussions in this regard are under way and a formal announcement will be made by the end of the current fiscal. Ural India is currently engaged in the manufacture of heavy-duty and high-capacity trucks, dump trucks and tippers at its manufacturing facility that has been set up at Haldia in West Bengal.

Ural India’s manufacturing facility in Haldia was set up last year. It was West Bengal’s first automobile manufacturing facility to be set up in 64 years. In 1942, Hindustan Motors had set up the country’s first car manufacturing plant at Uttarpara near here.

Heavy vehicles

Talking to Business Line, Mr Anirudh Kanoi, Director in Ural India Ltd, said the location of the car project has not yet been decided. Its implementation would entail an investment of around Rs 700 crore.

Mr Kanoi said Ural India would also embark upon the production of heavy vehicles of up to 50-tonne capacity at its Haldia facility. While samples of the 50-tonne capacity heavy vehicles would be displayed in the first week of next month, production of the vehicles would begin from January next year. Currently, Ural India manufactures 6X6 model heavy vehicles of up to 25-tonne capacity.

According to him, the domestic market for heavy vehicles was booming with growing demand for them coming from sectors such as mining, infrastructure, road construction and steel companies.

‘Cost competitive’

The heavy vehicles manufactured by Ural India are cost-competitive, fuel-efficient and can be operated in the peak rainy season since their engines were fitted with waterproof components. In fact, heavy-duty vehicles manufactured by Ural India can operate normally even where there is five feet water, he pointed out.

Mr Kanoi said Ural India would manufacture over 100 heavy-duty vehicles at its Haldia facility each month beginning January 2008. They would be marketed through the company’s agencies.

More Stories on : Outlook | Cars | HCV/LCV/Tractors

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page