Toyota to decide rolling small car on India roads: VP

Bangalore, Aug 1 (UNI) Global automobile giant Toyota is yet to decide on producing a small car in India, Toyota Motor Corporation Executive Vice President Mituso Kinoshita said today.

Speaking to newspersons here, after inaugurating Toyota Technical Training Institute, he said the demand for small cars in Indian market was very popular. ''We are still studying the matter and we are yet to decide on the subject,'' he said.

Mr Kinoshita said Toyota had neither received any offer for acquiring the world's best known All Terrain Utility Vehicle 'Land Rover', nor the luxury car 'Jaguar'. ''We neither received any offer nor we are intending to acquire the two British brands,'' he said.

Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) MD Atsushi Toyoshima said the company had not decided on setting up its second plant in India yet.

''We are keen on our growth in the Indian market in the long run.

But we are yet to finalise on setting up of our second plant.

Whatever growth we have to achieve we will do it from this plant,'' he said.

TKM, the Indian arm of the Japanese car giant, had a modern car manufacturing unit at its Bidadi plant in Bangalore rural district, about 35 km from the city.

The company's board had not decided yet on introducing a cheaper model of its popular sedan Corolla, Mr Toyoshima added.

TKM Deputy MD K K Murthy said with the availability of most of the raw materials and competitive manufacturing base, India could emerge as global major in manufacturing auto parts.

UNI