Chinese carmaker Haima India entry delayed

Haima Automobile, a Chinese carmaker that debuted in the country at the Auto Expo 2020 has also had to delay its plans to enter the Indian market. This comes after GWM's investment in the plant in Talegaon, Maharashtra was put on hold and Changan Automobile delayed its entry into India by almost a year.

Haima's India foray is in partnership with Bird Electric, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Delhi-based Bird Group. The firm collaborated with Haima New Energy, the EV arm of Haima Automobiles to showcase an affordable EV for the Indian market. The company was looking at a Rs 10 lakh price point for their hatchback and a 2022 India launch.

However, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has delayed the development of this project, given that the disease has affected work life in both China and India. A bigger uncertainty being faced by this venture though is the current tense situation between the two nations. This has led to a growing anti-China sentiment and a call to boycott Chinese goods and services. The recent ban on 59 apps of Chinese origin is an example of how this confrontation may play out in economic circles.

The Bird Electric-Haima EV is still in its design phase, but the company is hopeful that by the next phase of development there will be more clarity on where India-China relations stand

Source: ET Auto