Close on the heels of Ford India and Peugeot Automobiles announcing major investments in Gujarat, the state seems to be well poised to complete a hat-trick of sorts. Maruti Suzuki India Limited is likely to formally announce on Thursday its plans to set up a car manufacturing plant in the state after its high-level team meets chief minister Narendra Modi.
Official sources said that a team from Maruti Suzuki, led by Suzuki Motor Corporation chairman Osamu Suzuki, is slated to meet the CM and discuss final modalities of setting up the plant. Maruti Suzuki chairman RC Bhargava, MD Shinzo Nakanishi, and other senior officials will also be a part of the team. DNA was the first to report on May 18 that Maruti Suzuki was scouting for land in the state for this purpose.
Bhargava and other senior Maruti Suzuki officials had earlier met the CM on May 31 and expressed interest in setting up the car plant. The team was shown various sites for the plant, but the company had said that it would take a decision about the location in three to four months.
Officials and ministers were tight-lipped about the development, but sources said that discussions are in the final stages and an announcement could be made on Thursday.
Sources also said that Maruti Suzuki has short-listed Santalpur in Patan and Hansalpur near Bechraji in Mehsana as the potential sites for its 10-lakh cars per annum manufacturing plant.
"Halol is another site Maruti Suzuki is considering since it is already home to General Motors plant and has the requisite infrastructure," said an official, requesting anonymity.
A minister said Sanand was also in the reckoning, but chances of Maruti Suzuki opting for it have fallen after both Ford and Peugeot decided to set up their plants there. Tata Motors' Nano plant is already located in Sanand. "Maruti Suzuki choosing a location other than Sanand is good as the automobile industry will be well spread instead of being concentrated in a single location," the minister said.
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