Maruti Suzuki signs 5-year agreement with Kamarajar Port to boost exports

Maruti Suzuki India Limited has signed an agreement with Kamarajar port to export passenger vehicles to global markets, the automaker announced on 22 December.

As per the company's statement, the port will be used to export cars to Africa, Middle East, Latin America, ASEAN, Oceania and SAARC regions.

The company has signed the agreement for a period of 5 years, starting December 2022. 

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To facilitate automobile exports, a car-cum-general cargo berth has been developed and commissioned by Kamarajar Port Limited for handling automobile units.

As per the auto giant, the port will be used to export around 20,000 cars annually.

Kamarajar Port is the fourth port, after Mumbai Port, Mundra Port and Pipavav Port, to be used by Maruti Suzuki for export of its vehicles to global markets.

Mr Hisashi Takeuchi, Managing Director & CEO of Maruti Suzuki India has said, “Maruti Suzuki is dedicated to the ‘Make in India’ initiative of the Government of India. Our expanding export operations reflect our commitment to offer reliable, high quality, technologically advanced cars to our global customers."

"The start of exports from the Kamarajar Port will help us reach out to a wider base of customers. This initiative will also help to decongest the Mumbai Port, Mundra Port and Pipavav Port used by the Company to export vehicles at present,” he further added.

Mr. Sunil Paliwal, IAS, CMD of Kamarajar Port Limited, said "Maruti Suzuki has earned the distinction of being a major contributor to exports from India, and associating with the Company will help us augment our operations as well. We hope to make this collaboration a success and contribute to India’s economy.”

As a part of the partnership between Suzuki Motor Corporation and Toyota Motor Corporation, Maruti Suzuki’s Grand Vitara is manufactured at Toyota Kirloskar Motor’s Bidadi plant in Karnataka. "The vehicles to be exported will be sent to the pre-delivery inspection (PDI) center at the Kamarajar Port, and subsequently shipped, the company said.

At 12.54 pm, Maruti Suzuki was trading at ₹8,317.40 on the NSE, down 0.40 percent.