Though Indian passenger vehicle landscape has become intensely competitive with the presence of most of the global brands, the three-million-plus car market continues to attract more players.
The latest car-maker to show strong interest in coming to India is Malaysia’s market leader Perodua. A Malaysian-government owned company, it appears to be keen on having a facility in India — to sell its products locally and use the country as a base to target other markets.
EEPC meet
A senior management team, as part of a large Malaysian delegation, will be in Chennai at the EEPC India event during March 15-16 to explore the possible opportunities for joint ventures and partnerships.
“Though these are early days, Perodua feels India is a big market. Whether the domestic market excites them or using India as a global base for exports is something that will be determined later. Two cars of Perodua will be on display during the EEPC event,” said Sooraj Dhawan of Falcon Capital Advisors, which is advising MARii (Malaysia Automotive Robotics and IoT Institute).
Perodua has an annual production capacity of 3.5 lakh vehicles in Malaysia and its cars are sold in Indonesia, Singapore, Brunei, Fiji, Nepal, Mauritius and Sri Lanka.
In 2018, Perodua had its best-ever annual sales of 2.27 lakh units, according to Malaysia’s Paul Tan’s Automotive News.
Other players
Meanwhile, Proton officials will also be part of the Malaysian team and a couple of Proton models are also likely to be displayed at the EEPC event. Kia Motors of South Korea is the latest entrant into the Indian PV market as the company is gearing up to roll out its first vehicle in India during the second half of this year. It is now in the process of building all support systems. It has built a factory in Andhra Pradesh, and is setting up dealerships across the country and signing tie-ups with financial institutions.
Also, French auto-maker Groupe PSA is also readying for its India entry with the launch of Citron brand here in 2021. The company has an agreement with CK Birla Group to make vehicles and power-trains in Tamil Nadu.