Yamaha's new plant in Chennai to be operational by next year

Panaji: The production at Yamaha Motor's new manufacturing unit in Chennai will be operational by the second half of 2014, Hiroyuki Suzuki, chief executive and managing director of India Yamaha Motor Pvt. Ltd, said Friday.

"We have completed the contract with the Tamil Nadu government and the production will begin by the second half of 2014," Suzuki told reporters at the launch of a scooter model here.

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He added that over one million units were expected to roll out of the new manufacturing facility in Chennai in the first year of its operations. "By 2016, we aim to manufacture two million two-wheelers," Suzuki said.

Masaki Asano, managing director of India Yamaha Motor Pvt. Ltd, said that India had emerged as the world's biggest market for two-wheelers, but has been witnessing marginally negative growth in recent months.

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"The demand for two-wheelers in India dropped by 0.3 percent, but Yamaha's sales increased by 22 percent," Asano said.

IANS