Hyundai to up India output

Hyundai Motor India is mulling over boosting its production capacity to around 580,000 units this year.

India’s second largest car maker has thought on these lines in an effort to become the numero uno in the country’s booming car mart. Hyundai Motor India had produced around 490,000 units and made up 24 percent of the total automobile market in India, as against 17.7 percent in 2007.

The slowdown being experienced currently in the global market has affected Hyundai Motor India too. However the company feels that it would be successful in over reaching the target in the second half of this year. Hyundai has said that its total sales last year brought in $4 billion. With a view to boost the sales numbers, the car maker had earlier projected a production of 550,000 units for 2009. However, following a healthy demand, especially from the domestic market last year, it is now targeting production numbers to the tune of 580,000 units, Hyundai said.

In the local market, Hyundai Motor India at the moment sells and exports seven models across the world. They include models such as the Santro, Getz, i10, i20, Accent, Verna and Sonata. Meanwhile, in keeping with plans to make India ist production and export hub, parent company Hyundai Motor Company has decided to produce more of its small cars in India this year. This indeed would make India the company’s global small car hub, it is believed.

Exports have been succesfully undertaken to South Asia and the Asean countries, which in fact are the existing markets for Hyundai. These apart, the company mulls over tapping more regions and will be exporting to emerging markets in Australia and New Zealand as well as to all European countries, officials pointed out.