Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India, one of the country's top two-wheeler manufacturers, has revealed that its new production facility at Kolar district, Karnataka would commence its operations from June 2013. The company's Kolar plant has been built at an investment of Rs. 1,350 crore and boasts of an annual production output of 18 lakh units (over two phases). As per reports, the Japanese two-wheeler maker will assemble its Dream Yuga bike and Activa scooters from the new facility.
In its first phase of operations, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India's Kolar plant will have an output yield of 12 lakh units, which will be increased to 18 lakh units in the second phase (by March 2014). The world class manufacturing facility was inaugurated on May 28, 2013. Speaking his mind on the new Kolar plant during the inaugural ceremony, Keita Muramatsu, President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India, was quoted as saying, “With the inauguration of our third plant, which will be functional from next month, Honda aims to deliver high quality and advanced two-wheelers of low emissions.”
According to Muramatsu, the company is looking at augmenting its cumulative annual production output by 64 per cent during this financial year. Post commencement of operations at Kolar plant, the increase in production capacity would be supported by Honda's 2,500 retail outlets across the country. The world class facility is spread across 96 acres of land at Narsapura Industrial Area in Kolar district, Karnataka and has a manpower close to 4,500 people with majority of them being locals.
Y. S. Guleria, Vice President (VP), Sales and Marketing at Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India, said, “In the current fiscal, Honda's global two-wheeler sales growth is expected to increase more than the previous years and headed to new heights, by its operations in the country. The company will start mass production of Dream Yuga which is targeted to cater to 100-110 cc motorcycle segment, contributing almost half of the total 1.4 crore two wheelers sold in the domestic market.”
