Great Wall To Make An Indian Foray By 2021
China's largest SUV maker, Great Wall Motors (GMW), which has been studying the Indian market for nearly four years, has now firmed up its plans to get into the premium SUV segment in India. It is planning to launch its SUV brand ‘Haval’ and is also evaluating its options of launching a zero-emission vehicle under the ‘GW EV’ brand.
As and when it enters India, GMW will be the second vehicle manufacturer from China in India after SAIC Motor Corp-owned MG Motor entered the country last year.
Kaushik Ganguly, Director-Strategy and Planning at Great Wall Motors India told BW Businessworld recently, “With the kind of safety capabilities that we would drive for, no mainstream players are offering anywhere near to that in our first product.” He further added, “Next year, we will roll out our first product under the Haval brand. We will also consider the GWM brand of electric vehicles in India.”
Baoding, Hebei-headquartered GWM is China's largest sport utility vehicle (SUV) and a pick-up truck, producer. It sells passenger cars and trucks under the Great Wall brand and SUVs under the Haval and WEY brands.
Last month, GMW announced its decision to acquire the Talegaon-based vehicle manufacturing plant from General Motors for an undisclosed sum.
GMW has already shared its plans to invest around $1 billion in India in a phased manner.
The GM plant, when acquired, will offer a capacity of 135,000 units per annum scalable up to 300,000 units per annum on a three-shift basis.
