Maruti deliveries may come faster

Maruti Suzuki, the country’s largest carmaker, will invest Rs 200 crore in setting up company-owned stockyards and model showrooms across the country by 2011-12.

The initiative is part of its efforts to decentralise its warehousing facilities located in Gurgaon, administrative managing executive officer S Y Siddiqui said.

Siddiqui said the company aims to acquire around 25 acres in each zone for such stockyards. He added that the delivery time for Maruti cars would be cut down once the stockyards are operational.

Plans are also afoot to set up model showrooms in all the 16 cities where Maruti has its regional offices. Currently, the company owns a model showroom in Delhi where its entire portfolio of products is on display.

Siddiqui said the company plans to fully localise its research & development by 2011 and will increase the number of R&D personnel to 1,450 from the present 1,000.