TINANEIAL EXPRESS 27 WE ONESIIAY,NI]IJE},IBER . ZII9 frnina's Haima Automob ile evaluating India entry

PRITISH RAJ New Delhi, November 26 DEBUT PLAN

BUOYED BYTHE success oflatest entrant r FAW Haima Automobile is a MG Motor,another Chinese carmanufac- subsidiary of Chinese state- turer FAW Haima Automobile is evaluat- owned auto manufacturer First ing entry into the Indian market and will Automobile Works Group auto make its debut at the upcoming expo I Haima's current product line-up 2020 witha displayproduct,people aware in global markets include sedans, of the said. development SUVs, MPVs and electric vans FAW Haima Automobile is a subsidiary of Chinese state-owned auto manufac- r The firm will make its lndia turer First Automobile Works (mW) debut at the upcoming auto Group. The company will loin China's expo 2020 with a display product largest SUV maker , Haima is likely to showcase an which will also showcase its products at r SUV and an electric car at the the auto expo and is scouting fora land in expo to get a feedback on the states, including Maharashtra, Guiarat, products Andhra Pradesh andTamil Nadqto set up a manufacturingplant. Founded inL992 as a ioint venture between the provincial govern- petition to Mahindra XW500, Tata Har- ment and to produce Mazda mod- rier, MG Hector and |eep Compass. els for sale in China, Haima was later The interest ofthe Chinese companies acquired bythe FAW Group. Haima's cur- to make inroads to Indi4the fourth largest rent product line-up in the global markets automobile market, also stems from the include sedans, SUVs, MPVs and electric fact that the new entrants like MG Motor rrans.The companycould not be contacted and Kia Motors have had a runaway suc- immediately for comments. cesswith theirmaiden products launched Persons familiarwith the matter said this year - Hector and Seltos - respec- the company is likelyto showcase an SIIV tively. and an electric car at the expo to get a feed- Within two months of the launch of back on the products. It is unclearwhen SUV Seltos, Kia Motors became the fifth the company would actually start the largest car manufacturer in India in Octo- Indian operations.Apart from Great Wall berwith iust one product.The Seltos regis- Motors, other Chinese companies, includ- teredsales of 12,850 unitsinOctoberand ing Changan, Beiqi Foton, Geelyand since its launch in August 2019, Kia has

. are also reportedly planning to enter India sold a total of 26,840 units ofthe Seltos. within the next five years. The company claims to have over 50,000 Great Wall Motors, which will enter bookings. MG Motor India, which also through its subsidiary Motors by ramped up productionto meet incremen- 2022,will showcase its range of SUVs at tal demand for the Hector SUV, said more the auto expqwhich are likelytobe acom- than 38,000 units have beenbooked.