Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India (HMSI) has commenced the manufacturing of global engines from its Vithalapur in Gujarat. The manufacturing plant will produce engines over 250 cc and above that will cater to domestic and global demand. In a statement, Honda said the dedicated engine line will serve markets like Thailand, the US, Canada, Europe, Japan, Australia, and Gulf nations among others. A total of 50,000 engine units are scheduled for production in the first year of operations and the company will scale up production depending on the market demand. Honda has made an investment of Rs. 135 crore for the same.
Also Read: India Bike Week 2021: New Honda CB300R BS6 Unveiled
The Honda CB300R BS6 is likely to be the first model to benefit from this announcement with the bike now being built locally
The new facility will be making world-class engines following the company's global manufacturing practices. The two-wheeler giant is following the same standardised practices as its global counterparts for the machining process, engine assembly process, and manufacturing technologies.
Speaking at the line-off ceremony, Atsushi Ogata, MD, President & CEO, HMSI said, "As demand for mobility rises globally, Honda envisions further expansion of its exports footprint across the world. With the introduction of BSVI norms in India, we are a step closer to achieving this vision. Building products that are at par with global standards of manufacturing, this new expansion will allow HMSI to develop production capabilities to strengthen our direction of make in India, for the world."
The Honda plant is likely to build higher capacity engines as well that will make models like the CB500X more accessible
Sharing further, Ichiro Shimokawa, Chief Production Officer & Director, HMSI said, "With the global engine line-off today, HMSI will take its current exports capacity to new heights both in terms of markets as well as global quality standards. As part of this expansion, we are introducing special processes across various manufacturing stages like machining, engine assembly and advanced storage systems. Building the capability from the ground up, best-in-class technology along with highly skilled manpower will ensure top quality standards. Starting off with close to 50,000 engine units in the first year, our aim is to further scale up as per market demand."
Also Read: Honda CB300R BS6 To Be Locally Produced In India, Launch In January 2022
One of the first engines likely to be produced will be the Honda CB300R's 286 cc single-cylinder mill. Honda recently announced that the BS6 version of the bike will be locally manufactured and that should make for competitive prices. The local manufacturing of higher capacity engines should also make products like the CB500X more accessible. The Honda CB500X currently retails at Rs. 6.87 lakh (ex-showroom).
