Maruti Suzuki India Ltd’s new vehicle manufacturing facility at IMT Kharkhoda in Haryana was inaugurated on Thursday via video conference by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi during the India-Japan Joint Economic Forum in New Delhi.
The company said the plant marks a significant expansion of its manufacturing footprint in India. Senior executives, including Suzuki Motor Corporation President Toshihiro Suzuki and Maruti Suzuki India Managing Director and CEO Hisashi Takeuchi, attended the event along with government officials.
Capacity To Double To 1 Million Units
The Kharkhoda facility currently has an annual production capacity of 5 lakh vehicles, which the company plans to double to 10 lakh units in the future. Once fully operational, it will contribute to Maruti Suzuki’s target of achieving a total annual production capacity of 40 lakh vehicles across its plants. The company has projected an investment of around ₹35,000 crore in the facility, with an estimated employment generation of more than 21,000 people.
Speaking at the event, Toshihiro Suzuki said the expansion reflects the growing manufacturing partnership between India and Japan. He also noted that Suzuki’s first battery electric vehicle, the e VITARA, is being manufactured at the company’s Gujarat plant for export to around 100 countries.
Smart Factory With Renewable Energy Focus
According to the company, the Kharkhoda plant has been developed as a digitally enabled manufacturing facility using real-time monitoring systems to improve production efficiency, safety and quality. It also incorporates collaborative robots (cobots) that work alongside human operators.
Maruti Suzuki said the facility currently meets its electricity requirements through renewable energy sources, including solar and green power. It has an installed solar capacity of 20 MW, which is planned to increase to 70 MW by 2030. The company is also setting up a 10-tonne-per-day biogas plant and a 1 MWh battery energy storage system.
Zero Liquid Discharge, Rail Connectivity Planned
The plant has been designed as a zero liquid discharge facility, with all wastewater recycled for reuse. Nearly two-thirds of its water requirement is met through recycled water and rainwater harvesting, the company said.
To improve logistics, Maruti Suzuki plans to develop an in-plant railway siding at Kharkhoda, similar to those at its Manesar and Gujarat manufacturing facilities.
CSR Projects And Skill Development
The company said it is undertaking community development projects in 10 villages around the plant under its corporate social responsibility programme, focusing on education, healthcare, sanitation and infrastructure.
Separately, it plans to expand residential facilities at its Japan-India Institutes for Manufacturing (JIMs) in Sonipat and Manesar, which have trained around 2,600 students since their inception.
Manufacturing Footprint
Following the commissioning of a fourth production line at its Gujarat facility, Maruti Suzuki expects its combined annual manufacturing capacity across Gurugram, Manesar, Hansalpur and Kharkhoda to reach about 2.9 million vehicles by FY2026-27.
