New Delhi, Jan. 8

Maruti Suzuki India Ltd has no immediate plans to launch a product in the sub-800 cc segment in the Indian market, but will focus on India playing a greater role in Suzuki’s global operations by producing a third of all Suzuki vehicles globally by 2010.

The company also expects to finalise a location for setting up its pre-delivery inspection centre at a port in Gujarat to facilitate exports of its cars.

“We want to transport vehicles by rail road to the port, and will stop using the Nhava Sheva port for exports once this location is finalised,” Mr Shinzo Nakanishi, Managing Director of MSIL, said, adding that they expected to have the facility in place by the year end.

Though MSIL currently exports 55,000 units a year, this number will see a major increase once manufacture of the A-Star begins at Manesar by the end of the year.

To be manufactured only in India, it is targeted primarily for export to the European market. MSIL expects to export 1,00,000 units of the A-Star under the Suzuki brand, and another 50,000 of them under an arrangement with Nissan, by 2010.

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