General Motors India to start engine plant by year-end

The Indian unit of General Motors Co. (GM) said it will start operations at its engine and transmission plant at Talegaon in the western state of Maharashtra by the end of this year. General Motors India Pvt. Ltd. has invested US$200 million in the engine and transmission factory, which can make up to 160,000 gasoline and diesel engines a year. The company currently has a factory to assemble up to 140,000 cars a year at Talegaon and the engine plant will be a part of the same complex. It makes the Chevrolet Spark and Beat small cars at the factory, which was inaugurated in September 2008. Besides Talegaon, GM India also manufactures cars at a factory in Halol in the western state of Gujarat, with an annual capacity of 85,000 vehicles. (September 3, 2010)