Xenitis signs MOUs for passenger car, mobile handset manufacturing

Kolkata, Apr 28 (UNI) In a big leap with its diversification plan, Xenitis Group of Companies today signed a Memorandum of Understanding with three multi-national car manufacturers for production of passenger vehicles in West Bengal.

The agreements were signed with Guangzhou Motors Company of China, one of the largest automobile manufacturers, Honda of Japan and Hyundai of Korea at a ceremony in the presence of Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee.

Chairman and Managing Director of Xenitis Group Shantanu Ghosh said the new plant would be set up in Hooghly district, where the company has its motorcycle manufacturing unit. ''Everything will be finalised by 2008,'' he added.

Xenitis, set to enter the mobile telephony market, also signed a separate MoU with Longcheer Technology of Singapore for setting up a mobile handset manufacturing unit in the state.

The Chief Minister said land for the proposed automobile project had been identified and assured that there would be no problem over acquisition of land.

However, the Xenitis CMD refused to divulge the details of investment for the project.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the programme, the Chief Minister said two other big automobile companies had expressed interest to set up units at Haldia in East Midnapore district.

''With the Tata Motors project coming up and other automobile companies willing to set foot, a new horizon would open up in the state's industrial sector,'' he said.

The Chief Minister, however, refused to spell out the names of the companies.

Mr Bhattacharjee said his Government, which had been holding talks with Ashok Leyland for setting up of a unit, was hopeful about the project coming up in the state.

Speaking on the newly launched motorcycles, Mr Ghosh said they would be rolled out across the country in the next six months.'' Our two-wheeler factory has the capacity to churn out 3.6 lakh two-wheelers annually,'' he added.

The company also launched its 'Xpression' range of motorcyles and signed two other MoUs with IndianOil Corporation and auto ancillary units. While the first MoU was signed for its global automobiles service points at 350 IOC retail outlets all over West Bengal, the second was for supplying auto components to the proposed four-wheeler and the existing two-wheeler factory.

UNI