Yamaha to inaugurate new factory in Chennai next month

Yamaha Motor India is gearing up to inaugurate a new factory in Chennai next month. The facility will start production in 2015 and will have an installed annual capacity of 4,00,000 units.

The Yamaha Alpha scooter will be the first product to be rolled out from the new plant. It will be followed by other scooters in the company's line-up.

The scooter market has been growing at a fast pace with Indian customers changing their preference from motorcycles. Like other players, Yamaha too seen a growth in the scooter segment. The company has recorded a growth of close to a 30% this year. It also plans to expand its touchpoints from 1,200 to 2,000 by next year.

Yamaha is targeting a 10% share in the Indian two-wheeler industry. At present it has a 3.68% with sales of 243,028 units. In the scooter segment it sold 101,517 units in the first five months of the year and has a market share of 5.79%.

Yamaha sold approximately 450,000 two-wheelers in 2013. It is aiming to increase its sales to 600,000 units in 2014. Additionally, the company exported 2,00,000 units in 2013. A similar number of vehicles is expected to be shipped this year as well.

Source: Autocar Professional