KIA'S INDIA PLANT TO BECOME A VITAL COMPONENT OF GLOBAL NETWORK
Auto Tech Review|January 2020
One of the newest entrant to the Indian automotive industry, Kia Motors India has made rapid progress in the short time it has been in the country. Its first, and by far the only product – the Seltos SUV – has been a runaway success, and sometime soon, the company will bring to the market its premium MPV, Carnival. With exports scheduled to commence soon, the manufacturing facility in Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh will be a busy hub of activities for the Korean major, and will become one of the group’s key locations.
Naveen Arul
KIA'S INDIA PLANT TO BECOME A VITAL COMPONENT OF GLOBAL NETWORK

Spread over an area of about 536 acres, Kia Motors India’s Anantapur plant has an annual production capacity of around 300,000 units, with the Seltos SUV currently being the company’s only vehicle that is being manufactured there. This plant has created 3,000 direct and 7,000 indirect jobs across the Andhra Pradesh region. This facility reports zero emission and water wastage, with 100 % water recycling carried out within the plant.

Construction of the plant had commenced in Q4 2017, while trial production of the Seltos SUV was kick-started in January, 2019. The facility has been set-up with a total investment of $ 1.1 bn (around ₹ 7,800 cr), and is equipped with the latest production technologies, including over 450 robots automating the press, body and paint shops, as well as the use of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies.

The facility also includes a training facility at a separate location, which offers a basic technical course (BTC) in automobiles in collaboration with the Andhra Pradesh State Skill Development Corporation (APSSDC). This course is aimed at helping develop manufacturing skills among youth, as well as propagate safety performance during vehicle production.

SHOPFLOOR

The plant is divided into four main areas of production – press shop, body shop, paint shop and assembly. There are numerous processes that are carried out within these areas, which are all separated into different buildings across the plant.

Press Shop

This story is from the January 2020 edition of Auto Tech Review.

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This story is from the January 2020 edition of Auto Tech Review.

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