Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi

New Delhi, Jul 2: Maruti Suzuki India Ltd has announced plans to invest Rs 35,000 crore in a new automobile manufacturing facility in Gujarat, significantly expanding its production capacity and reinforcing India's position as a global automotive manufacturing hub. The announcement coincided with the visit of Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba to India and reflects the deepening industrial partnership between the two countries.

The proposed plant, to be developed at Khoraj near Gandhinagar, is expected to become one of Maruti Suzuki's largest manufacturing hubs. The facility will eventually have an annual production capacity of 10 lakh vehicles, with production from the first unit scheduled to begin in the 2029 financial year.

The investment complements Maruti Suzuki's ongoing expansion at its Kharkhoda manufacturing complex in Haryana, where commercial production recently commenced at the second plant, raising the site's annual installed capacity to 5 lakh vehicles. Once all planned units are operational, the Kharkhoda facility will have the capacity to manufacture 10 lakh vehicles annually, making it one of Suzuki Motor Corporation's largest production centres worldwide.

The expansion aligns with the Centre's 'Make in India' initiative and underscores Suzuki Motor Corporation's long-term commitment to India, its largest global production and sales base. The additional capacity is expected to support growing domestic demand, increase exports, and facilitate the production of hybrid and electric vehicles, as well as new SUV and premium models.

The project is also expected to generate substantial employment, with estimates of more than 12,000 direct jobs and several lakh indirect employment opportunities through ancillary industries, component suppliers, logistics and MSMEs. The investment is expected to further strengthen India's automotive supply chain and encourage greater localisation of advanced manufacturing technologies.

Maruti Suzuki said the expansion forms part of its long-term strategy to maintain leadership in India's passenger vehicle market while supporting the country's ambition of becoming a major global automobile manufacturing and export hub.