MG Motor India is the youngest player in the Indian automotive industry in terms of having a full-fledged presence. How's been the journey so far for the team?
It has been a roller coaster of a ride for MG in India although the company was incorporated only in February 2017. To build a strong foundation, we brought on board the crème de la crème of talent to bolster our ranks. We took over the plant on September 22 last year and the construction is now in full swing. We have also appointed 45 quality dealer partners, including the top dealers in the automotive business and have built a strong company culture on the core pillars of innovation, diversity, and safety. We will continue augmenting our existing talent pool in the future and expanding our employee base in India from 300 to around 1,000 by next year. We are all set for the launch of our first vehicle, a C-segment SUV, in Q2 next year.
MG Motor India started operations at its plant at Halol in Gujarat, which was earlier GM India's manufacturing facility. What kind of changes and additions have you done to the plant to make it suitable for your requirements?
We are getting the plant completely refurbished. The construction is in full swing and the first vehicle is set to roll out from the Halol facility in Q2 next year, with a high degree of localisation. There are some captive vendors too. Innovation, Safety and Diversity are the fundamental pillars upon which the brand MG has been built, and this is what guides our long-term vision in the Indian market.
What is the overall capacity of this plant?
At present, the manufacturing capacity of our Halol facility is 80,000 units per year. But there is provision to ramp up the capacity to 200,000 units per annum depending upon the requirements, which we will examine and cater to in due course of time.
What kind of investments have been made so far? What is the further investment roadmap for the next three to four years?
So far, we have invested over Rs.2,200 crore and we have plans to make more investments going forward depending upon the requirements.
MG is all set to launch its first vehicle, an SUV, in India in Q2, 2019. What is the strategy behind the plans to start with an SUV?
MG, as a premier British auto brand that represents sheer class, performance and exclusivity, aims to provide Indian customers with a one-of-its-kind automotive experience. Our first SUV to be launched in India will live up to the MG legacy. We believe that no other brand within the C-SUV segment will offer the kind of features and technological integration that our vehicle will provide, making it a breakthrough product in this space. Also, in terms of market segmentation and growth, we believe that there is room in the C-segment for us to grow and expand the premium SUV.
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