Re: Maruti planning to relocate its Gurgaon plant This was bound to happen sooner or later. In July 2011, I was in Gurgaon for a few weeks and just out of curiousity went around the Gurgaon plant (did not go inside at all) and had a good view from outside the compound, sometimes just peeping into the gates and clicking pictures the same time. A thread that I had created on teambhp would give a pictorial review of the place. A short, vivid note on the observations is also appended. They were making the mass volume cars viz. Wagon R, Alto, 800 (then in 2011) and Omni then in Gurgaon. The newer models viz. Ritz, SX 4, A Star and perhaps the Kizashi were being manufactured in Manesar.
The link for a flashback here : https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/india...-pictures.html (Indian Automobile Factory Pictures)
The Gurgaon plant was in a desolate place and the small town Gurgaon was selected for its proximity to Delhi by its founder Mr Sanjay Gandhi. He used to drive down himself on his green Matador to Gurgaon. This was around 1974-75, when Maruti began to conceptualise about producing a people's car. The ownership was in private hands. Emergency was declared in June 1975. Maruti Udyog Ltd (MUL) was working on a prototype ( the oldest model has been often seen in pictures) . An imported VW Beetle engine was plonked into this microcar. It could not endure the then ARAI/ VRDE tests and one car had turned turtle on their test tracks. As emergency was declared, Mr Sanjay Gandhi was obliged by Chief Ministers of neignbouring states, who favoured MUL with orders for bus bodies. Old road rollers were refurbished and sold to these state governments for MUL's survival.
A village enroute to Gurgaon had some cattle and poultry that would squat on the highway (Delhi- Jaipur). During the emergency, this village was relocated as Mr Sanjay Gandhi felt that he could not keep up his speed on his Matador without decelerating, due to the obstructions posed by this village. All these acts were treated as excesses during the emergency and formed a part of the terms of reference for the Shah Commission for enquiry on the emergency excesses.
After the death of Mr Sanjay Gandhi in a flying accident on 23/06/1980 near the Safdarjung airport, the MUL was nationalised (the Govt of India held a major equity) and efforts were begun to scout for collaborators. Renault, Volkswagen and Suzuki were among the bidders and Suzuki won their bid. Mr V. Krishnamurthy a retired IAS officer was appointed Chairman and soon Mr R.C. Bhargava too came along. The latter is now Chairman.
Anecdotes apart, as I had mentioned in 2011 that the transport trucks were all parked to the extreme left corner of the roads, as will be observed in the pictures. But these have to move through the crowded Gurgaon streets while transporting the cars or during their fro journey back to the factory. Hence, relocation of the Gurgaon plant would have become necessary.
The plant has a very colourful history and has been the centre of many controversies during the emergency and even very recently it was in the news, when workers resorted to violence and did some criminal acts. Real estate prices are skyhigh and this land is in the heart of Gurgaon (Gurugram now) town.
The MSIL Gurgaon plant will be missed however !
Last edited by anjan_c2007 : 15th September 2018 at 21:27.
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