Maruti Suzuki to invest $1.3 bn on plants

India’s top automaker,the Japan-controlled,Maruti Suzuki plans to invest $1.3 billion over the next three years on manufacturing plants to boost capacity,it said on Tuesday,as demand for cars remain strong.

Maruti,54.2 percent owned by Japan’s Suzuki Motor,needs more capacity to keep pace with the growth,the firm said in a statement after an annual shareholders meeting in New Delhi.

Suzuki Motor said on Monday it would build its fourth auto plant in India,boosting its output in one of the fastest growing car markets to 1.5 million units a year.

Suzuki said the factory would start operations in 2013,with annual output capacity of 250,000 cars.