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With its new investment of ₹5,300 crore, Renault and Nissan will support the development of six new models in India, including two electric vehicles, as well as prepare its alliance factory at Oragadam near Chennai to meet electric vehicle requirements.
The new growth plans of Renault and Nissan’s Indian operations were announced today at an official ceremony in Chennai by Nissan’s Director, Chief Operating Officer, Representative Executive Officer and Member of Alliance Board Ashwani Gupta, in the presence of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin and other officials from the government.
Guillaume Cartier, Chairperson for Nissan’s Africa, Middle East, India, Europe and Oceania region, said, “India was the first Alliance plant and India will be at the centre of this new chapter of the Alliance, with new vehicles, new R&D activities and new export markets taking our joint operations to the next level. For the first time, the Nissan line-up in India will reflect our global power in high-quality SUVs and EVs, bringing greater value to our employees, customers and communities.”
Ashwani Gupta, COO, Nissan Motor Corporation, at a press conference in Chennai after the signing of MoU between Tamil Nadu government and Renault-Nissan on Monday, February 13, 2023. (PIC: Bijoy Ghosh)
Models’ details
The six new models will comprise three for each company, engineered and built in Chennai. They will be built on common Alliance platforms while retaining the individual, distinctive styling of the respective brands. They will include four new C-segment SUVs.
Two new A-segment electric vehicles will be the first EVs for both Renault and Nissan in India, building on the heritage and expertise of both brands in mass-market electrification, which began with the Nissan LEAF and Renault Zoe more than a decade ago.
The new models will not only be aimed at Indian customers but will also signal a significant increase in exports from India, boosting plant utilisation to 80 per cent and generating many thousands of jobs at the Renault Nissan Automotive India Private Ltd (RNAIPL) plant in Chennai for the years to come.
Complementing the additional production will be an increase in R&D and associated activities at the Renault Nissan Technology & Business Centre India, which is expected to create up to 2,000 new jobs at the site near Chennai, focusing on new Indian and international projects.
The RNAIPL plant seeks to achieve carbon neutrality by 2045, through an ongoing programme to transition to 100 per cent renewable energy, while reducing energy consumption at the plant by 50 per cent compared to today.
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