GM chief Wagoner looking to boost production and sales in India

[neshapop]

http://www.cbc.ca/cp/business/070417/b041711A.html

NEW DELHI (AP) - General Motors Corp. plans to ramp up auto production and sales in India, one of the world's fastest-growing auto markets, as demand from consumers across Asia grows, the company's chairman said Tuesday.
"It is time to redouble our efforts on manufacturing and marketing here," GM chairman and CEO Rick Wagoner told a group of business leaders in the capital.
Wagoner said Asia will account for 70 per cent of the global auto market growth over the next decade.
"Three of the top five and eight of the top 15 fastest-growing auto markets over the next decade are excepted to be in the Asia-Pacific, including of course right here in India," he said.
Over the next decade, India is expected to be the world's second fastest-growing automotive market after China, thanks to its economic growth and a rapidly expanding middle class, he said.
"It is also important that half of this country's population.....are below 25," Wagoner added. "That is a lot of potential for future car buyers."

[indica]

General Motors, the world's biggest carmaker, wants to consolidate its presence in India as it expects the country will emerge as the second-fastest growing automobile market globally in the next decade."Next decade, India will be the second-fastest growing automobile market in world. . . it till be important for GM to do well in emerging markets such as India for its future," GM chairman Rick Wagoner said on Tuesday at a meeting with the Confederation of Indian Industry.
Global car sales this year are estimated to be about 70 million units, he said, adding 70 per cent of the growth would be coming from Asia-Pacific region,
He said during his Prime Minister Manmohan Singh earlier today he assured the company's support to enhance India-US economic relations.
Wagoner said he was impressed with the vision of Singh about the Indian economy and political system, and also the vision for the automobile sector.
The 2016 automotive mission plan was a well-thought out programme and GM would be happy to be a part of this strategy, he added.
General Motors also plans to increase sourcing from India over the next 4-5 years to $1 billion annually.
"We have been increasing localisation content and with volumes expected to rise, we expect to raise sourcing from India to a level of $1 billion," D Nick Reilly, president of GM Asia Pacific, said.
Citing the example of Korea, he said within four-and-a-half years of operations, sourcing from that country has increased to slightly less than a billion dollars.
In India, he said, the company has ensured about 92 per cent localisation in Chevrolet Tavera. The soon-to-be-launched small car Spark would also have a very high level of local contents, he added. -- PTI
(Above) Rick Wagoner, chairman of General Motors, talks with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during a meeting in New Delhi on Tuesday.

[Bravada]

For your viewing pleasure - the abovementioned Chevrolet Spark:




While one can hardly be a fan of the car, the name is perfect for a model of this class!

[t-rex]

India is probably the cheapest place on Earth for wages, and their workers have shown they can provide world-class build quality. Suzuki and Hyundai both supply global markets with Indian-built products. My bets for GM India is they'll produce the global cheapie car to rival the Renault Logan.

[Ming]

The thing I dislike about the "Spark" is that:

A. Don't think about hauling any kind of bags or luggage with people in the back seat.

B. Yikes! I wouldn't want to be in a rear end collision sitting in the back seat.

There's a point where a "hatchback" ceases to be useful as a sedan, unless you only rarely have passengers in the rear and have the seats folded down most of the time.

I demand a certain amount of cargo space with the seats up & locked in any car with a liftgate. Even the larger Suzuki SX4 didn't deliver that for me.

[cyboexpo2002]

Originally Posted by Ming

There's a point where a "hatchback" ceases to be useful as a sedan, unless you only rarely have passengers in the rear and have the seats folded down most of the time.

I demand a certain amount of cargo space with the seats up & locked in any car with a liftgate. Even the larger Suzuki SX4 didn't deliver that for me.

My brother's 99 Saab 9-3 hatch has a huge amount of cargo space. Hatches can have a lot of cargo area; it just depends on how they are designed.

[Ming]

Originally Posted by cyboexpo2002

My brother's 99 Saab 9-3 hatch has a huge amount of cargo space. Hatches can have a lot of cargo area; it just depends on how they are designed.

True. Malibu Maxx is almost wagon-like in its cargo space, too. I'm just talking about the recent flood of small hatchbacks that have little useful space behind the rear seats. It's a pet peeve of mine. Some small SUV's were/are bad like this, too, like the old Chevy Tracker/Suzuki Vitara.

[Bravada]

Well, you can't expect a car that's barely longer than 3.5 metres to offer ample cargo space. It is a bit of an exagerration on GM's part to say that it seats four or five people. But then, you can always fold the rear seats and put your shopping there...

Anyway, my point being - if you want a big trunk, don't buy a small city car. Kinda simple.

[osv_alero]

Are you forgetting this is for India, not the US. It seems to be the perfect car for them.

[give_it_all_]

They need small cars over there don't they? It's pretty packed so they can't have large cars like us...

Anybody else sorta find it annoying that every article about GM starts with "General Motors, the worlds largest automaker....".

[PRO_USA1776]

I was just wondering....why is it that other countries seem to have the right to limit what we export to them but we have no right to do the same?

[kenman923]

Looks to me like Chevy's answer to the Smart brand.

[kenbob787]

Plans for Indias market? Global efforts are important, but seriously, just keep putting more money places i.e. China, India and keep letting American markets limp by....I'm ready for Americas market to be the main focus and hear some defining plans for GM's home market! Grrr just venting...

[VCDJ]

Well gm wants to build more parts in India. GM wants to build more cars in Mexican. GM will not get my money if they keep doing this. Why should i support Mexican and India economy. When i can go buy perfectly good honda that is made here, and where 80% of its parts are made in America and, it is even engineered here. If gm keeps doing this they will have very few customers in North America.

[t-rex]

Originally Posted by PRO_USA1776

I was just wondering....why is it that other countries seem to have the right to limit what we export to them but we have no right to do the same?

Are you serious???? Go spend a week in India, then come back here and ask the same question.

As for wealthy developed nations.... none have trade restrictions that prohibit US-built cars. Import tariffs are, at most, in single digit figures, if at all. If you've heard otherwise, you were misled. Countries that have import restrictions, or high tariffs, have blanket policies that apply to imports from any country, unless it's coming from a country that's part of either a trade pact or trading union, such as ANDEAN or ASEAN.

American cars aren't well-received overseas because they're generally either utter junk, or they're not suited to local conditions. Are you seriously trying to suggest that Belgians or New Zealanders are going to want a Chevy Suburban? Minnesotans might have found the Chevy Lumina to be a perfectly good car, but the rest of the planet would have laughed at it. But Jeep is very successful globally because if its rather distinct nature, and good reputation.

And the wealthy nations, who aren't happy unless the the 3rd world are their slaves, have strong-armed developing countries into dropping or lowering their trade tariffs.

Only in a greedy and morally bankrupt society such as ours, could someone begin, with no notion of compunction whatsoever, to have the audacity to begrudge poor countries any attempts to lift their people from poverty.

One could also bring up the "Where does America think it has the right to _______" argument, but we'd be here for weeks.

Fairness doesn't always mean all the players playing by identical rules. Would it be fair for the Yankees or Braves to play against some little league team? If you think so, you may want to take moral inventory.