Mitsubishi's tough drive in India
18.05.12
For a company that has been in India for more than 15 years, Mitsubishi Motors still remains a fringe player in the automobile segment. In contrast, Japanese companies like Toyota, Honda and Nissan, which came in much later, have surged ahead. Suzuki, of course, remains the leader, with Maruti. What then has stopped Mitsubishi from going all out in India?
Early this week, it announced its entry into Thailand's eco car project with the Mirage. Suzuki followed suit, almost immediately, with the new Swift, which is already part of the Indian landscape. Nissan and Honda were the earlier entrants to the Thai initiative with the March (Micra in India) and Brio respectively.
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Unlike Mitsubishi, these companies have made sure that their models for Thailand are also part of the product portfolio for India. This has helped them draft a smart growth plan for the Asia-Pacific region, and a long-term strategy for emerging economies like Brazil, Russia and Indonesia. Toyota will also throw its hat into the Thai eco project next year, with a derivative of the Etios which entered India more than a year ago.
Source: Hindu Business Line