Mercedes to soon double capacity at Chakan plant

Luxury car maker Mercedes-Benz India would soon double its production capacity at its existing plant in the country at Chakan near Pune, a company official said today.

"The plant expansion is in the final stage and in the process of getting all approvals. It will be ready for use very soon," Boris Fitz, VP (sales and network development) of Mercedes-Benz India, said here.

The company's first owned-plant in India started production in 2009. It has an annual installed capacity of 10,000, which would become 20,000 post expansion.

Last year, Mercedes-Benz registered sales of more than 9,000 units.

"This calendar year, we are expecting to grow in double digit," Fitz told reporters at the launch of special editions of A-Class and B-Class compact cars in the metropolis.

"The capacity expansion has been planned to make the company future-ready as the luxury car market is going to expand at a higher growth as compared to the normal passenger car market," he said.

At present, the volume of the luxury segment was 1.5 per cent of the total car market in the country.

"By 2022, this will go up to four per cent of the total market estimated at 5.5 lakh units," Fitz said.

He said with the expansion in capacity, total investments in India would touch Rs 850 crore.

Mercedes-Benz plans to launch three more models in the current calendar year.