Mr. B. S. Yeddyurappa, Karnataka Chief Minister, along with Mr. Akira Okabe, Senior Managing Director, Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC), recently laid the foundation for Toyota Kirloskar Motor’s (TKM) second plant in India at Bidadi on the outskirts of Bangalore. Construction will start in August.
Mr. Okabe said on the occasion: "We hope to establish in Karnataka a firm base for our monozukuri culture, which combines production technologies based on the Toyota Production System and human resources development - and to be able to contribute to the growth of India through activities in Karnataka."
The second TKM plant is scheduled to have an annual production capacity of one lakh vehicles when it begins operation in 2010, and it will produce passenger vehicles, including a new compact vehicle. The company is seeking to emphasize the role of nature in creating production sites that are in harmony with their natural surroundings by promoting sustainable plant activities and pursuing special initiatives.
The special initiatives are reducing energy consumption through introduction of production technology with a lower level of CO2 emissions; using renewable energy sources, such as biomass, solar and wind power; striving for a harmonious coexistence with the local community through activities such as planting trees at our factories; and reducing environmental impact through measures such as introducing a wastewater recycling system, using water-borne paints, and achieving zero landfill waste. TKM is a joint venture company for automobile production and sales established on the outskirts of Bangalore in 1997 by Toyota Motor Corporation and the Kirloskar Group. Currently, TKM produces the Corolla and the IMV series Innova (MUV), with annual production of 52,000 vehicles in 2007, representing an 18 per cent year-on-year increase.
Toyota is expanding its local production in India, and actively investing to manufacture its products in the country. In the future, TMC will continue to develop an optimal production network on a worldwide scale from the perspective of providing 'the right vehicle in the right place at the right time', while also contributing to the development of the automotive industry and the overall economy in India.
