[Nissan1180]

While this is good news for prospective customers, it might be difficult to establish a completely new brand name in the country, especially after all the negative press that GM got recently. Think about it: if you were in the market for a car today and there was a great looking SUV being offered at 8 lakhs by a new company which partnered with GM in the past, would you even consider it? There are very competitive products from Indian manufacturers and MNCs that have been here for more than 3 decades. Very few people, especially those with a lot of money to spare (and a love for Chinese products ), would bite the bullet. I have been on MG branded cars in Shanghai, and the build quality is better in cars offered by Hyundai for a little bit more money.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by dZired

Information about the products that will be launched under the MG Motors India brand will be revealed in the near future.

As of now, their lineup seems to be restricted to just two cars, in the home market. The MG3 hatchback and MGS crossover.

Both seem decent for India, but all of that depends on the final product and value proposition they offer.

[i74js]

I doubt if exit of GM will have any impact on SAIC in India. They will come and operate with a clean slate.
A. A JV does not mean they had any role in GM's exit from India
B. They are not going to make use of erstwhile presence of GM in they product advertisements
C. The product portfolio too has no resemblance to GM products sold in India

They must have done considerable research before making their entry decision, and they would be working with an entirely different strategy for profitable operations in India.

[Gansan]

Buy at your peril. If a limited war or even a skirmish becomes a reality, and patriotism runs high, at least some of them are likely to go up in smoke. And I don't think insurance covers arson.

They can't even be driven on the roads and will have to be hidden for the duration.

[ashwin489]

Originally Posted by Gansan

Buy at your peril. If a limited war or even a skirmish becomes a reality, and patriotism runs high, at least some of them are likely to go up in smoke. And I don't think insurance covers arson.

They can't even be driven on the roads and will have to be hidden for the duration.

I hope you were taking a light-hearted jab at our infamous mobs.

I don't think mobs in India would be discerning enough to cherry pick cars based on their manufacturer's origin to commit arson. They work by the hour, and would be happy to burn anything that looks like an aam aadmi car.

[D33-PAC]

The amount of China bashing on here is ridiculous. And people who think people will be vary about a Chinese product are really naive.

If anything, in non-luxury sectors and this is the same the world over I think, Indian consumers are the LEAST patriotic.

The Chinese made iPad and iPhone took the cake in India. And Xiaomi which is a CHINESE phone company is absolutely destroying Indian phone makers .

Even in b2b sectors, you'll find Chinese excavators, Chinese bulldozers at work sites and most of the subcontractors in India for heavy technical projects like power plants are Chinese vendors.

There's no inherent bias againt the Chinese. The consumer is very rational and logical for the most part in India. Especially in commoditized segments.

Crane firms like Terex and Liebherr are already losers in India to the Chinese. Reliance Industries ordered 50-100 50 ton cranes from Zoomlion (chinese star of the Crane world).

And why not ? Competition is good for the buyer. It's what drives a good deal. If anything all these companies getting hurt and losing or leaving is just a sign of a real free market.

[TusharK]

The Chinese-owned British brand - MG Motor today inaugurated its first manufacturing facility in India. The factory spread over 170 acres in Halol, Gujarat has been setup with an initial investment of Rs. 2,000 crore and has an installed capacity of 80,000 units per annum in the first phase. It currently employs 70 people which is expected to go up when production kicks off in 2019.



The Halol unit was previously owned by General Motors India. After GM decided that it would cease sales and exit the Indian market back in May 2017, it was approached by Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC) which owns the MG brand, to purchase the Halol plant. The two parties recently completed the handover process as well as transfer formalities. Since then, MG Motor has received the required approvals to re-start operations from the Gujarat government.



MG Motor will be refurbishing the complete facility and installing new manufacturing equipment. The revamp is expected to be completed by 2019, in time for the first MG product to roll off the production line.

Link to Team-BHP News

[volkman10]

MG Motor launches first manufacturing unit in India, to invest Rs 2,000 crore ,

The greenfield facility was inaugurated with a traditional Indian 'Puja' ceremony during the auspicious occasion of Navratras, in the presence of all MG Motor India employees, MG Motor International employees and key representatives of the local administration including the Gujarat Government

With an initial capacity of 80,000 units per annum in the first phase, MG Motor India will roll-out its first product from the plant in 2019

link

[GTO]

The full press release below. Notice how "China" is not used even ONCE in the press release. Instead, the focus is on "UK". MG knows the poor reputation that Chinese cars have, hence this is what you can expect in their future marketing activities too.

Halol, Gujarat: UK-based automotive marquee MG Motor today announced the inauguration of its first-ever manufacturing facility in India, through a minimum initial investment of Rs 2,000 crore. With an initial capacity of 80,000 units per annum in the first phase, MG Motor India will roll-out its first product from the plant in 2019.

The state-of-the-art facility, spread over an area of 170 acres, will be completely revamped by MG Motor by 2019. The company has already hired an initial workforce of 70 employees at the plant. The facility will entail creation of significant number of jobs, apart from several additional indirect jobs in the state, as part of the ‘Make in India’ and ‘Skill India’ initiatives.

“Today is a water-shed moment for the MG brand in India with the inauguration of our first-ever manufacturing facility here. Overall, we aim to positively contribute to the ecosystem here in Gujarat including all stakeholders by generating employment opportunities for local talent, leveraging the capable supplier base and contributing to the overall benefit of the society and community here,” said Rajeev Chaba, President and Managing Director, MG Motor India.

“The Morris Garages brand already has a huge resonance in India with at least 500 owners in India since 1924, when the brand was first established in the UK. These owners and many passionate fans have expressed their curiosity, keenly anticipating the brand’s return to India. The first product will roll out from here in 2019, blending MG’s true DNA with modern British design language,” Chaba added.

The greenfield facility was inaugurated with a traditional Indian ‘Puja’ ceremony during the auspicious occasion of Navratras, in the presence of all MG Motor India employees, MG Motor International employees and key representatives of the local administration including Gujarat government.

“We greatly appreciate the pro-active approach displayed by the Gujarat government in facilitating the smooth transfer approval of the Halol plant and granting us the required approvals to re-start the operations. With this, we are very proud to play our role to the ‘Make in India’ initiative, contributing to the overall positive and sustainable development of the society here. With the takeover and other transfer formalities having completed, we will start refurbishing the entire plant very soon, with MG’s state-of-the-art manufacturing tools, equipment and processes,” said P Balendran, Executive Director, MG Motor India.

The MG brand, which originated as an iconic British Racing Sports Brand in the year 1924, has evolved into a modern-day innovative brand through the last 93 years.

About Morris Garages

Founded in the UK in 1924, MG (Morris Garages) was world famous for its sports cars/cabriolet series, sought after by many celebrities including British Prime Ministers and even the British royal family. Set up in 1930 in Abingdon, UK, the MG Car Club has more than a million loyal fans, making it by far one of the world's largest clubs for a single brand. SAIC acquired the MG brand and its businesses in 2008.

[rajeev k]

Originally Posted by TusharK

The Chinese-owned British brand - MG Motor today inaugurated its first manufacturing facility in India. The factory spread over 170 acres in Halol, Gujarat has been setup with an initial investment of Rs. 2,000 crore and has an installed capacity of 80,000 units per annum in the first phase. \

The Halol unit was previously owned by General Motors India. After GM decided that it would cease sales and exit the Indian market back in May 2017, .............owns the MG brand, to purchase the Halol plant. The two parties recently completed the handover process as well as transfer formalities. Since then, MG Motor has received the required approvals to re-start operations from the Gujarat government.
MG Motor will be refurbishing the complete facility and installing new manufacturing equipment. The revamp is expected to be completed by 2019, in time for the first MG product to roll off the production line.

The greenfield facility was inaugurated with a traditional Indian ‘Puja’ ceremony during the auspicious occasion of Navratras, in the presence of all MG Motor India employees, MG Motor International employees and key representatives of the local administration including Gujarat government.

MG India press release claims that it is a greenfield project. How can it be. when it is a refurbishing work of an existing GM Plant?

[RM Motorsports]

We know MG Motor is coming to India. Now we have a glimpse of what its India-specific website looks like. The British carmaker is highlighting its rich, 93-year history since the brand debuted in 1924. MG Motor will be just five years away from hitting the platinum jubilee when its cars go on sale in India towards the end of this decade.

The new website (www.mgmotor.co.in) presents a timeline of some of its most iconic cars made since the brand’s inception. A gap of 47 years and a stark visual contrast between the classic lines of MG Midget and the sleeker MG3 reveals the new-age design trend moving forward as SAIC rescued the legendary carmaker from its downward spiral.

The carmaker hasn't revealed what cars would make it to its Indian showrooms, but three of its cars seem to have earned the spotlight on the website. Two of them are SUVs while one is an electric sports coupe concept. Smart choices considering the craze around SUVs, while electric vehicles promise to be the next big thing. An electric SUV, perhaps, would've been the best possible amalgamation of the desire of the present and the need of the future.

http://www.mgmotor.co.in/history.php

[civic-sense]

Originally Posted by D33-PAC

The amount of China bashing on here is ridiculous. And people who think people will be vary about a Chinese product are really naive.

China is to India what Japan used to be for USA. They hate Japanese products, but can't live without them. India's Soviet Union is Pakistan. So, as long as the brand does not have Pakistan roots, they are safer.

That said, there were some attacks by the ruling party cadres on Oppo and Vivo shops during the recent Doklam standoff. So there is some risk involved.

But if the product is good, no amount of false nationalism or patriotism is going to prevent me from buying them!

[ajmat]

MG have started a unique recruitment drive. Will win over 50% of the population!

[GTO]

Thanks to Raaj Patel for sharing!

On a recent trip, I was passing by GM's plant near Halol in Gujarat (70 kms from Vadodara). There, the RED banner caught my attention.

Without thinking anything, my curiosity made me turn my wheels towards the plant. But the security didn't let me in.

Then with some further investigation, I found out that the company will start its production by late 2018 or in 2019 and there is a staff of hardly 70 people as of now. And all are new - people from security to the others; none from the old GM company.

[GTO]

MG Motors first YouTube videos are up.

Focus on UK & all that's cool (nothing about China). For obvious reasons:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3lfObDHznA