IAB Report - GM India starts vehicle exports

30/09/2014 - 12:24 | Chevrolet Beat, Chevrolet | Nithyanandh K

First lot of LHD Chevrolet Beats left for Chile from Mumbai.

In a bid to better utilize its installed production capacity, GM India has commenced vehicle exports.

GM India Chevrolet Beat LHD for Chile — More export markets will be identified in the future.

The Chevrolet Beat (called as the Spark in overseas markets) is the first made-in-India model by the automaker to be exported. The initial shipment of 140 Left Hand Drive units have left for Chile from the Mumbai Port Trust of Maharashtra and is expected to reach the South American nation in a few weeks.

GM's newly appointed global CEO Ms. Mary Barra rolled out the first export-specific Beat at the company's Talegaon plant on her visit to India in the second week of September.

GM CEO Mary Barra and GM India President & Managing Director Arvind Saxena roll out first Chevrolet Beat for export from the GM Talegaon manufacturing facility in Maharashtra — The first export-spec LHD Beat rolled out from GM India's Talegaon plant earlier this month.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Arvind Saxena, President and Managing Director, GM India said that the company will ship cars to Chile on a monthly basis. He added that more export markets will be identified in the future to improve the capacity utilization.

Also read: GM India to export Chevrolet Beat to Africa in 2015

With an installed capacity of 1,70,000 cars and 1,60,000 engines per year, GM's Talegaon plant is being heavily underutilized owing to poor demand for the Beat and Sail twins. In the previous fiscal year, GM used up just 28 percent of its Indian capacity, making it the least productive automaker.