The Hindu Business Line : Bengal, Indonesia co sign pact for two-wheeler unit

THE Indonesia-based Salim Group, which has already lined up investment in real estate sector in West Bengal, has entered into an agreement with the State Government on Thursday for setting up a two-wheeler manufacturing facility at the Uluberia Growth Centre in Howrah. The group has acquired 65.18 acres of land from the State Government for the project.

It may be mentioned that Hindustan Motors has been the only company operating in the automotive sector in the State so far.

Talking to presspersons, the Chief Minister, Mr Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, said that the Salim Group today signed a memorandum of association (MoA) with the State Government, the "first-ever FDI in the State automotive sector."

To support the core project, Salim Group would also invite its Indonesian partners to set up auto-ancillary industries in the state.

The group has already commissioned a detailed feasibility study on the project's capacity and the quantum of investment required. The DFR is expected to be ready within one-and-a-half month.

Mr Benny Santosa, Executive Director of Salim Group, said that the company was initially considering setting up an assembly-line unit here but finally settled for a full scale manufacturing facility.

"We are not new in this field. We run a 1.5-million units two-wheeler manufacturing facility in Indonesia," he said, adding that the company expected Kolkata to provide excellent opportunities for the automotive sector.

"Our relationship with the State Government has proved to be satisfactory so far. We will be happy to extend it further," he added.

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