Japanese auto giant Suzuki announced an investment of up to Rs 1,500 crore in the next 6-7 years for setting up a research and development centre in India,which will be the company’s global small car R&D hub.
The company’s subsidiary — Maruti Suzuki India will develop the 700-acre R&D centre,to be constructed in two phases,here in Haryana by 2015.
“This facility in Rohtak would be a big step forward in building the R&D capability of Maruti Suzuki,and enable us to offer superior products to our customers in the future as well,” Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) Managing Director and CEO Shinzo Nakanishi said here.
The R&D facility,to be set up at an investment of Rs 1,000- Rs 1,500 crore,would become the Japanese auto giant’s global showcase for small cars,he said adding that MSI would design and develop a made-in-India car by 2012.
Nakanishi said the project would add to MSI’s in-house R&D capabilities and would be a “dream-come-true” for Indian engineers and automobile designers.
The largest such facility by Suzuki Motor Corp (SMC) outside Japan would comprise a 600-acre R&D centre and test tracks and a vendors park spread over 100 acres.
SMC would develop the land and construct the test tracks in the first phase by 2012,while the entire project would be completed by 2015.