Suzuki Motor Corp. started vehicle production this month at a new plant in the western Indian state of Gujarat as part of efforts to meet growing car demand in the South Asian country and to expand exports from there.

Suzuki Motor Gujarat Private Ltd., its wholly-owned subsidiary set up in March 2014 to boost automobile production capacity in India, has started manufacturing Dzire subcompact sedans at the new factory, called Plant C, with an annual production capacity of 250,000 units, the Japanese company said Friday.

Together with Plant A and Plant B, which started operating in February 2017 and January 2019, Suzuki Motor Gujarat has a total annual production capacity of 750,000 units, according to the company.

Combined with the production capacity of Maruti Suzuki India Ltd., another subsidiary and the country's top automaker, Suzuki's overall vehicle production capacity in India has totaled 2.25 million units, it said. All automobiles produced by Suzuki Motor Gujarat will be supplied to Maruti Suzuki, it added.

Suzuki said it will continue contributing to the Indian government's "Make in India" industry promotion initiative by meeting demand in the Indian car market and striving to expand exports for the global market. (NNA/Kyodo)

==Kyodo

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