Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India Pvt. Ltd. (HMSI), the Indian subsidiary of Japanese automotive major Honda, on Wednesday said India had become the company’s biggest production hub for its two-wheelers worldwide with an annual production capacity of 64 lakh units from its four plants. Honda also inaugurated its fourth assembly line at its third two-wheeler plant at Narsapura, near Bengaluru.
According to the company, the fourth line has an annual capacity of 6 lakh units making the Karnataka plant as Honda’s biggest manufacturing plant worldwide with 24 lakhs units annual production capacity.
Presently, HMSI has four manufacturing plants in India including Vithalpur in Gujarat and Narsapura in Karnataka.
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“Honda’s two-wheeler business spans more than 120 countries worldwide and India is leading the demand. In 2016-17, India alone contributed 28% to Honda’s global two-wheeler sales and became the number one contributor to Honda’s two-wheeler business,” stated Shinji Aoyama, Chief Officer, Regional Operations (Asia & Oceania), Honda Motor Company in a press release.
According to HMSI in the first quarter of FY18 Honda alone contributed 68% to the industry’s new volumes resulting in 3% market share gain to ever highest of 30%.
The company commissioned its first line of the manufacturing unit in 2013 at Narsapura has so far invested about ₹ 2,600 crore and employs about 7,000 people.
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Apart from the direct investments Honda has created an ecosystem of 26 new suppliers in the State and have created 15,000 additional employment opportunities at their plants.
“In the long-term, Honda two-wheelers India’s steady and strategic investments will power our dreams to make India the Export hub worldwide,” said Minoru Kato – president & CEO, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India Pvt. Ltd.