The Hindu Business Line : Suzuki Motorcycles to focus on expansion

Mr Satya Sheel, Managing Director, Suzuki Motorcycle India Pvt Ltd, and Mr Katsumi Takatam, Joint Managing Director, at the launch of Suzuki scooter ‘Access 125’, in the capital on Monday. —

Our Bureau

New Delhi, Sept. 17

In a bid to capture higher market share, Suzuki Motorcycle India Pvt Ltd plans to invest about Rs 150 crore in the next one year mainly on product development and expansion of its current facility. This would be part of Rs 700-crore investment announced by the company till 2010.

Speaking at the launch of its first gearless 125 cc scooter, the Suzuki Motorcycles India Managing Director, Mr Satya Sheel, said, “In addition to investments up to Rs 350 crore made so far, we would invest Rs 150 crore in the coming one year.”

Currently, the company is selling 80,000 units annually with a production capacity of about 1 lakh units, which can be further scaled up to 1.75 lakh unit.

More launches

He said that the company was aiming to capture 4 per cent of the two wheeler market in India in the next three years from the current 1 per cent. Mr Sheel did not clarify on their expansion plans on the production front.

Commenting on the launches, he said that the company would launch a bike early next year and another one by the December next year. He, however, declined to reveal the segments in which the company intended to launch its products.

The company on Monday launched a scooter that would compete with Honda Activa.

It would be made available by the second week of next month. Suzuki Motorcycles also declined to share the price of its new vehicle stating that it would be known after it gets launched nationally. The company expects to sell 5,000 units on a monthly basis in the first one year.

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