More than a decade long efforts of Andhra Pradesh to attract the big time auto mobile players to its soil appear to be paying dividend finally. Isuzu Motors, Japanese Auto Maker on Friday announced its plan to set up a Greenfield Manufacturing unit in Sri City in Chittoor district, bordering Tamil Nadu with an outlay of Rs 1500 crores.
While Chennai has emerged as an auto mobile hub in the recent years and promoted itself as an attractive destination for car makers, Andhra Pradesh somehow could not make an impression on any leading national or foreign player.
Isuzu Motors signed up a MoU with the state Government and Sri City Project in presence of the Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy, who was beaming over his success in attracting first major auto mobile project to his home district.
Isuzu will set up its manufacturing facility on a 100 acre site in Sri City , 55 kms away from Chennai.
Shigeru Wakabayashi, Deputy Managing Director of Isuzu Motors India, said that the project will be ready by December 2015. "It will serve both the domestic market and as an export hub." The facility will have a capacity to manufacture 100,000 light commercial vehicles and SUVs.
On the occasion the company also launched its SUV in Hyderabad market. For present the company will bring in its vehicles from Thailand plant to meet the demand in Indian market. The company has opened two outlets in Hyderabad and Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu.