New Delhi, Aug 03: After a massive jump in its July sales, Hyundai Motor India, the country's second-biggest carmaker, plans to recruit 1,000 workers to meet a planned increase in its production capacity by one lakh units to 2.5 lakh cars by the end of next year. The company has, however, shelved plans to manufacture light commercial vehicles even as it gears up to export cars, for the first time, to Western Europe from August 12, Hyundai Motor India (HMIL) Managing Director J I Kim said.
"We will be taking 1,000 workers by the time we complete the expansion in production capacity to 2.5 lakh units by late 2004. This will take the total size of our workforce to 3,700," Kim said.
"We had a study team to check the feasibility of launching LCVs. But, we found that we are out of the competition in terms of pricing, specifications and technology of our products," he said when asked about the LCV project.
Hyundai had last year announced plans to launch LCVs in 1-2.5 tonne capacity in the domestic market.
HMIL, a wholly-owned subsidiary of South Korean auto major Hyundai Motor Company, manufactures the compact car 'Santro', mid-size model 'Accent' and luxury sedan 'Sonata' at its plant outside Chennai.
Bureau Report