Maruti to export 2 lakh cars annually

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NEW DELHI: Set to play a much bigger role in Japanese auto major Suzuki Motor Corp's global operations, Maruti Suzuki India plans to export two lakh cars annually by 2010-11 to be led by international model A-Star.

The company, which had announced that it aimed to sell one million cars in the domestic market by the same time frame, is also planning to introduce more fuel efficient next generation engines in three to five years time.

"When we exported about 53,000 cars in 2007-08, that was the highest ever in our history. But we now want to take it to 200,000 cars annually by 2010-11, " Maruti Suzuki India Managing Director and CEO Shinzo Nakanishi said in his address to shareholders in the company's annual report.

He said the company's effort would be led by Suzuki's fifth World Strategic model A-Star, which will be manufactured exclusively by Maruti Suzuki.

"It will be exported mainly to Europe but also to other markets in the world," he added.

"While Europe is important, we need not be confined to it. Suzuki operations in South Asia, South East Asia, the Middle East and Africa can also gain from the experience and expertise of Maruti Suzuki," Nakanishi said.

He said by focussing on India alone, MSI had become a major contributor to Suzuki's global turnover and profit and it was time for the company to strive for the next level.

"Let us now channalise it to the next level, where we become the exclusive base to manufacture small cars for Europe. The A-Star model will become a reality," he said.