Fiat to source 250 million of auto parts in India

Italian automobile manufacturer Fiat said it will source auto parts from India worth 250 million (US$389.76 million) by 2010, which will be more than eight times the present 30 million, Fiat Group CEO Gianni Coda told reporters. The sourcing would be carried out for the company’s auto manufacturing plants in Europe, Brazil and North America, he said. Auto parts in India would be about 10-15% cheaper. The decision would also help the company broad base its global market for sourcing. “We are talking to vendors in India who will need to invest in their facilities to meet our demands,” he said. Fiat currently buys about 8 billion (US$12.47 billion) worth of auto parts from markets like Eastern Europe, Northern Africa, South America, India and China. (May 7, 2008)