[lurker]

FEATURE - Pig farms and kimchi, Hyundai makes a home in India
Fri Sep 8, 2006 12:36 PM IST
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By Chang-Ran Kim, Asia auto correspondent

CHENNAI (Reuters) - In the auto industry, carving out a place in India is in vogue as its population of more than 1 billion promises big returns for future business.

Few have taken to the task as literally as Hyundai Motor Co., South Korea's biggest automobile company.

Determined to make its 60-some Korean employees feel at home in Chennai, Hyundai is raising 50 white Yorkshire pigs and growing vegetables alongside its car and engine factories, offering its expatriates familiar cuisine.

Pork is rare in Chennai, where many people are vegetarian. For Koreans, who depend on the meat for much of their protein intake, that's a tough adjustment to make.

And adjusting is key, Hyundai says, because with more than $1 billion earmarked for its Indian operations, the world's sixth-biggest car maker is here for the long haul.

"We're pretty self-sufficient here," said Park Han-woo, executive director of Hyundai Motor India, adding the project was the brainchild of company chairman Chung Mong-koo. "We have plans to make the farmhouse even bigger and more beautiful."

In addition to the scallions, peppers and radish grown at the lush 13,000 sq metre farm, the company arranges two grocery shipments a year from South Korea that expatriate workers from all Hyundai group firms in Chennai order by email.

In-house cooks have been schooled in preparing Korean meals.

The daily spread at the Korean canteen consists of typical national fare: kimchi -- a dish of spicy, pickled cabbage -- vegetables marinated in sesame oil, spicy soups and other offerings using herbs grown at the Hyundai farm.

"Adjusting here is really easy," said Suh Sang-won, a manager at a Hyundai group firm in Chennai. "They do a good job in making us comfortable."

SECOND HOME

Hyundai has been promoting local staff -- which number almost 4,000 -- to managerial posts at its offices in Chennai, New Delhi and Mumbai.

But it still needs back-up from home for its relatively new and growing operations.

By 2008, the maker of the popular Santro hatchback plans to double its production capacity in India to 600,000 cars.

It's already the country's top automobile exporter and number-two car brand behind Maruti Udyog Ltd. despite having entered the market late, in 1998.

Ford Motor Co. takes the opposite approach by expecting all its staff -- from the managing director to factory floor workers -- to share the same canteen serving Indian food. Its staff, including the chief executive, are mostly Indian.

Hyundai, whose Indian operations are more than 10 times that of Ford's, says its gastronomical arrangements do not mean that its staff are sheltered from the local culture.

All Korean employees new to India go through an induction course to learn about local etiquette and working conditions. They can also dine in the canteen that serves Indian fare if they choose and the Indian staff can also try out Korean food.

Like any car maker eager to win over the community where it manufactures, Hyundai has bee busy making a mark in Chennai by making a donation of 3.5 million rupees this year for the renovation of Madras University under its Hyundai Motor India Foundation.

It has also funded a cultural centre to introduce residents of Chennai to Korean art and dancing. School children sometimes have outings at the Hyundai farm, which is also home to canaries, carp, and the occasional cobra caught on site and put on display.

"We take this market very seriously," said Lheem. "We have big plans for India."

[IMP]

Hi, just snapped these pictures, this is most likely the New accent undergoing tests. The guy just took off as he saw me taking the snaps. :-)

[normally_crazy]

Good work there IMP. Im beginning to like the way this car looks and its dimensions - now lets wait for the specs

[Mugen_Power]

Hey IMP..

Good Pics..
Thanks For Sharing..

Mugen.

[Steeroid]

Nice work there. I wonder what they're 'testing', though - I thought dealers already have stocks of this car for the launch?

[Mad Monkey]

[Steeroid]

Were those pics taken in India? We're getting VGT engines? WOW - thats 110 bhp then!

[abhibh]

Gr8 news, But looks does not appela me that much..

[ajmat]

Originally Posted by Steeroid

Were those pics taken in India? We're getting VGT engines? WOW - thats 110 bhp then!

Civic at city pricing strategy I guess

[Mad Monkey]

[unknown]

Mad Monkey]
Thank's a lot for these superb photographs

[Steeroid]

Originally Posted by ajmat

Civic at city pricing strategy I guess

Thats an interesting observation - look at this comparison of interiors:



The exterior is another matter altogether - I personally dont like the Verna though it looks like its been tweaked slightly from the Accent we see out here.

[Ram]

I have observed headlamp lenses and parking light lenses of Hyundai Sonatas (the old Jaguar shape) and Accents and Santros, fogged over with moisture on the inside.

Hope they've fixed this problem on the new Accent (sorry what does HMIL want to call it? Verna)!

Ram

[Mad Monkey]

[GTO]

Holy Crap Monkey! That looks like an army of Vernas ready to launch their ammo on the C segment market. Thanks a TON for sharing these insider pictures.

Did you drive the Verna? If you did...better post a driving impression in the testdrives section.