Indian Automobile Market in Chennai

Ford has a manufacturing plant located in Chennai which contributes around 60,000 vehicles annually to the automobile industry as a whole. Porsche India is looking ahead to control the luxury car market in India and thinking about hiring new dealers in Chennai. BMW India also has a plant in Chennai where it puts together different parts of its car series. Naza is considering establishing a plant in Chennai to produce cars for the automobile market in Chennai as well as in the other automobile markets in India. It is going to spend a lump sum amount of US$ 150 million at the onset. Chennai also has manufacturing units of companies like Hyundai and Ford. Hyundai Motors' Chennai plant was started with US$ 900 billion and is now capable of producing 250,000 units yearly with its upgraded standards. The plant is facilitated with the scope for research and development. At Oragadam, Chennai a manufacturing plant is going to be established by Mahindra & Mahindra, Renault, and Nissan with an investment of ` 4,000 crore. Volkswagen has decided to establish a manufacturing plant at Chennai. It has chosen 2 locations for the manufacturing plant and is yet to choose the appropriate one between Sriperumbudur and Oragadam. Ford Motors has also decided to export auto components worth nearly US$ 160 million from India to other countries.

The efficiency and quick service of the administrative sector in Tamil Nadu in assisting the automobile industry in Chennai are helping the growth of the automobile sector in Chennai. BMW considers Chennai to be the most appropriate location for its manufacturing unit because it can afford a pool of investments. It has decided to invest nearly ` 180 crore in a time span of 5 years. The presence of the other major automobile players in Chennai has attracted the attention of the German company, Volkswagen. Chennai is rapidly becoming the choicest location for the automobile industry due to its skillful and efficient workforce aided with its expertise in the manufacturing sector.

This is precisely the reason for the growth of the luxury car market and the heavy automobile sector in Chennai. The other factors encouraging the growth of the automobile sector in Chennai are its competitive automotive and component sector, high literacy standards, excellent infrastructure, and the availability of ports.

Latest automobile launches in Chennai:

Hyundai Motors has launched its recent car, Getz from its Chennai plant. The new Honda Accord has also been recently launched from Chennai. Hyundai also plans to launch its latest car, Honda CR-V from Chennai. General Motors had also launched Opel Corsa and Astra 2000 from its Chennai plant. BMW is also going to launch its X5 model very soon.

Transportation costs are quite high in Chennai which often leads to the purchase of cars as a better option to reduce transportation costs. The rise in the number of automobiles among the middle class in Chennai is due to the growth of employment avenues in Chennai and the increased disposable incomes among the salaried personnel.