Yamaha to pump in Rs 300 cr in India in 3 yrs

New Delhi, May 10: Yamaha Motors India Pvt Ltd today said it will invest Rs 300 crore in the country in the next three years, for expanding its production as well as factory capacity, while aiming at a 15 per cent market share by 2010.

''At present we have a five per cent market share which we hope to ramp up to 10 per cent in 2008, and 15 per cent in 2010,'' Yamaha CEO and MD Tomotaka Ishikawa told reporters here on the sidelines of the launch of the new motorcycle -- the 125 cc 'Gladiator.' ''We have pumped in Rs 15-20 crore in the Indian market with the launch of the 'Gladiator'. The initial production capacity of its Standard and DX models is 5,000 units. We hope to target sales of more than 80,000 units in the next six months,'' Yahama Sales and Marketing GM Rajiv Pruthi said.

On plans of setting up an additional unit in India to cope with the production of its new model, Mr Pruthi said, ''We are not looking at setting up another unit in India at present, as our assembly unit in Surajpur in Uttar Pradesh, produces 400,000 units annually, which is sufficient for the time being.'' Yamaha had sold 250,000 units in India last year, and plans to ramp up production to 600,000 units by March 2007.

The comapny also has a plant in Faridabad which produces components.

The 4-stroke, 125 cc 'Gladiator' bike is targeted at the youth, and is available in two versions -- Standard and DX. While the former is priced at Rs 41,990, the latter costs Rs 44,990.

The bike will be available in showrooms from May 15, 2006.

UNI