Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India has today commenced the manufacturing of global engines from its 4th factory at Vithalapur (Ahmedabad district), Gujarat. Powering its 250cc and above category two-wheelers, the dedicated engine line is set to serve the global demand, like Thailand, US, Canada, Europe, Japan, Australia, and Gulf nations among others.
This plant, according to the two-wheeler giant, will be a key supplier of engines for the brand’s global product portfolio. Aside from that, this plant will also meet domestic demand.
In its first year of operation, the new facility will be able to produce 50,000 engines. According to an official release from Honda, production capacity will be increased further to keep up with market demand.
Speaking about the new engine production facility, Atsushi Ogata, Managing Director, President & CEO, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India Pvt. Ltd., stated that with the growing demand for mobility around the world, Honda sees further expansion of its export footprint. “With the implementation of BS-VI standards in India, we are one step closer to realising this vision. Building products that meet global manufacturing standards, this new expansion will allow HMSI to develop production capabilities to strengthen our make in India, for the world strategy “He further said.
The automaker also claims that with this new engine production facility, the company will be able to expand its current export capacity in terms of both markets and global quality standards.
“As part of this expansion, we are introducing special processes across various manufacturing stages such as machining, engine assembly, and advanced storage systems,” said Ichiro Shimokawa, Chief Production Officer & Director, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India Pvt. Ltd.
Building the capability from the ground up with best-in-class technology and highly skilled labour will ensure high quality standards. Starting with close to 50,000 engine units in the first year, our goal is to scale up as market demand demands.”