Left-hand drive markets now go for Made in India vehicles, Auto News, ET Auto

MUMBAI: Automobile and business car makers within the nation are increasing their capability to make left-hand drive automobiles to make use of unutilised capability at their vegetation to fulfill rising international demand for such automobiles.

Exports to left-hand drive (LHD) markets start to signify a big alternative for auto firms similar to Nissan, Honda, Volkswagen, Tata Motors, Mahindra & Mahindra and Ashok Leyland as they’re increasing to newer LHD markets in South and Central America, Africa and West Asia, business insiders stated.

“These markets want inexpensive automobiles and for firms, it’s a chance to strengthen their Indian operations,” stated a senior official of a Delhi-based auto firm who requested to not be recognized.

Honda has began exporting its fifth-generation Metropolis sedan to 12 LHD international locations primarily in West Asia in 2021. “This marks the start of manufacturing of left-hand drive Honda Metropolis in India for exports and reaffirms our dedication to the ‘Make in India’ initiative,” stated Rajesh Goel, senior vice chairman and director, advertising and marketing and gross sales, Honda Automobiles India.
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Corporations like Honda, Ashok Leyland and Tata Motors goal a three-fold improve in LHD export volumes from India, firm insiders stated.

Whereas India is a right-hand drive market, LHD automobiles account for practically 87% of the overall passenger automotive market on the planet, with China being the most important market adopted by the USA.

Globally, prime carmakers similar to VW, Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Hyundai and luxurious makers promote between 75% to 95% of their manufacturing to LHD markets.

Producers in India are actually monitoring demand from LHD markets to finetune their manufacturing plans, consultants stated.

“OEMs (authentic tools producers) are sitting on massive unutilised capability and we’re starting to see demand for international knowledge for LHD markets for his or her future car programmes,” stated Ravi Bhatia, president of Jato Dynamics, a world supplier of information and intelligence on the automotive business.

Producers must accommodate car adaptability for each driving necessities on the design stage and make their manufacturing traces versatile for each RHD and LHD automobiles, he stated.

To make their exports worthwhile, firms want to review segments, security and emissions laws and client value worth expectations in every of the markets rigorously, Bhatia stated.

High 10 markets by quantity for LHD automobiles

High High quality Made in India

Auto majors now recognise that automobiles made in India are fairly aggressive on price in addition to high quality, which is driving their export technique, consultants stated.

“Up to now three years, while we’ve seen the home market slowdown, our manufacturing capability on the manufacturing plant in Chennai continued to extend attributable to export calls for,” a Nissan Motor India spokesperson stated. The corporate manufactures LHD variations of its automobiles at its alliance plant and Nissan Sunny contributes to greater than 60% of exports, the particular person stated.

Veejay Nakra, chief govt, automotive division, at M&M, stated LHD markets are projecting sturdy development within the post-pandemic interval and the long run.

The corporate exports LHD variations of its passenger automobiles and pick-up fashions together with KUV100, XUV300, XUV500, Scorpio SUV and pick-up, and Bolero pick-up “to South and Central America, North and West Africa, Center East and the Asia Pacific international locations such because the Philippines”, Nakra stated.

Tata Motors exports business automobiles with 750 kg payload, small business automobiles, and heavy business automobiles with as much as 60-tonne gross car weight to LHD markets within the Center East, the African continent, Southeast Asia and South America, and continues to increase to newer markets.

“Now we have additionally been introducing a brand new vary of merchandise at common intervals, which has fuelled the expansion in these markets,” stated Rudrarup Maitra, vice-president, business car worldwide enterprise, at Tata Motors.

Ashok Leyland COO Nitin Seth stated the corporate is increasing its LHD vary by 8-9 merchandise of LCVs and buses in a phased method to increase its international footprint and “have a look at worldwide markets extra aggressively”.

Skoda Volkswagen India has been manufacturing and exporting LHD variants of VW Polo and VW Vento to greater than 60 markets globally whereas Hyundai exports LHD variations of Atos (Santro), Grand i10 5 door (Nios), Grand i10 4 door (Aura), New i20, Accent (Verna), and New Creta to about 80 international locations throughout Africa, Center East, Latin America, and Asia.

High 10 makes by volumes for 46 international locations