GM India will not cede ground in Chinese alliance

RELATED NEWS GM Oct China vehicle sales more than double from a year ago GM to start repaying $6.7 bn US govt loan: Source General Motors gears up for new China-India link

President and Managing Director of General Motors India, is categorical that the proposed alliance with SAIC Motor Corporation of China for light trucks will in no way compromise his company's position.

On the contrary, he added, should this partnership materialise, it will have to work out to the benefit of both parties.

Indications are that an announcement will be made before the end of this month though Mr Slym did not give any timeframe.

"We continue to negotiate with SAIC for some kind of an agreement and are clear that partnerships will have to be beneficial to both parties. There is no point in a joint venture unless both companies see something better from the agreement," he said.

As he explained, the recent alliance with Reva on the electric Spark was a case in point where each of the allies had something which the other did not. The best way to take it forward was to pool their individual strengths and make things work.

"Similarly, if something comes together with our Chinese partner, it will not be a one-way street but something that they have got we are very interested in and something we have that they are interested in. Both of us can then see the benefit from the end result," Mr Slym said.

He added that if GM India and SAIC decided to move forward with the alliance, it would not be a "one-sided" benefit.

"I reiterate that I would not be interested in any kind of package with anybody unless the end-result is beneficial to both parties," he said.

Reports have been doing the rounds that SAIC plans to bring the Wuling series of light trucks to India but Mr Slym said that even if this were the case, the vehicles would have to be "Indianised" first.

He cited the example of the recently launched Chevy Cruze.

Continued on the next page...