ELEVATED ROAD TO SUCCESS

Honda Cars India is exporting 'Made in India' cars back to Japan showcasing India as a strong manufacturing hub for Honda sedans and SUVs. What is its game plan?

- Ashish Sinha

IT’S A EUREKA moment for Honda Cars India (HCI) in its 29th year. From selling excellently engineered cars in the domestic market and creating a loyal but small base of customers, the carmaker is now exporting big numbers across key international markets including home country Japan, showcasing its robust manufacturing prowess (Make-in-India).

But much of the buzz around exports is on account of the Honda Elevate SUV, and its export to Japan. The Elevate made its global debut with India as the first market in September 2023. In the past six months, it has sold over 30,000 units and counting.

Takuya Tsumura, President and CEO, HCIL said, “The launch of the ‘Made-in-India’ Elevate as WR-V in Japan is a proud moment for all of us. This reaffirms our manufacturing potential and growing importance of Honda Cars India in Honda’s global business strategies.”

Unveiled first as Honda WR-V in Japan in December, the Elevate with its bold design and strong road presence, outstanding space and comfort, and its advanced safety offering has come in for huge praise from its Japanese customers.

Besides Japan, HCIL has been exporting models in its line-up to left hand drive markets in Turkey, Mexico and Middle East and right-hand drive markets in Nepal, Bhutan, South Africa and SADC countries.

The Resurgence

In the past three years, HCIL undertook a number of steps to make its systems robust, its organisation lean and more efficient and its manufacturing state-of-art at its Alwar, Rajasthan-based plant. Today, the results are for everyone to see.