Renault-Nissan alliance adds a new production shift at the Chennai plant
The Renault-Nissan alliance has added a third production shift at its Chennai plant. This has been done to cater to the strong demand for its current models as well as to prepare for upcoming launches, states the group in an official statement. The new shift will come in to operation from this week on one of the two production lines. This will increase the plant's annual production capacity from 480,000 units per year which is its present strength.
Earlier this year, the Chennai plant rolled out the one millionth vehicle achieving an important milestone. The additional shift will help Renault bring down the long waiting periods of the Kwid hatchback. It will also support Datsun's redi-Go crossover which is expected to launch in India in the next few months. In terms of exports, the plant will continue to cater to the global demand of the Sunny and the Micra. As of now, the plant has shipped more than six lakh units to 106 countries.
"Increasing our production capability means we will be able to better meet the demands of our Indian and overseas customers by limiting waiting times on deliveries. On average we have launched two new models each year since the plant opened. This is a testament to the skill and dedicated of our Indian workforce, including our supplier partners, who are not only providing a range of great products for our domestic customers but also showcasing Indian build-quality on the world stage," said Colin MacDonald, chief executive officer and managing director of Renault Nissan Automotive India Private Ltd (RNAIPL).
The additional shift at the Chennai plant will help the upcoming launches from both the brands which include the Datsun Go Cross, redi-Go crossover, 7-seater Renault Duster, new Nissan Terrano as well as the Renault Kaptur SUV.