Renault-Nissan to roll out 2.5 lakh cars this year

The unit set up by Renault Nissan Automotive India Pvt Ltd commissioned its second production line in March to achieve the fully committed capacity of over 400,000 cars a year.

With this, the Rs 4,500-crore investment by the Renault Nissan Automotive India Pvt Ltd, beats the deadline for full capacity by three years, according to Mr Koji Takei, Senior Vice-President of the company. It has also completed over 80 per cent of its investment at the car plant located at Oragadam, an industrial suburb about 45 km west of Chennai.

Next week, it will launch the 'Evalia', a passenger car that is set to ferry New Yorkers around as it will be inducted into the city's taxi fleet next year. The other launch will be the Duster, a SUV-like vehicle, he said. In 2010, the company manufactured 75,000 cars, and in the next year 1.35 lakh units. With the full installed capacity, for 2013 there are "major expectations of growth on a global basis," but the plans are yet to be finalised.
Room for expansion

There is still head room to expand its marketing to match the capacity, pointed out Mr Takei. Of the 1.35 lakh units, the company exports nearly 70 per cent of its production with about 39,000 units being sold in the domestic market.