KOLKATA: The CK Birla-controlled Hindustan Motors Ltd (HML) is planning to develop about 314 acres of its surplus land at the Uttarpara factory as an IT and ITeS township and an auto ancillary park, HML Managing Director, R. Santhanam, said.

The company is now awaiting a formal nod from the West Bengal Government for going ahead with its plans which are part of a revival and renewal proposal for the ailing company which in 1948 set up India's first automobile unit some 30 km from here at Uttarpara in Hooghly district, Mr. Santhanam he said here on Friday. The plant, which is the largest such facility in South Asia, is located on 743 acre. While this facility is engaged in producing Ambassador cars and multi-utility vehicles like Trekker, Porter and Pushpak, HM's other facility is at Thiruvallur near Chennai which makes the Mitsubishi Lancer cars.

The two important tenets of the revival proposal are: sustaining the vehicle business by expanding the range and upgrading technology and diversifying and expanding into the automobile components sector. While the company already has facilities for casting, stamping and charging at Uttarpara, it plans to develop these facilities so as to act as a BPO (business process outsourcing).

The company has already piloted this approach and the response from original equipment manufacturers in India and Europe is encouraging, according to Mr. Santhanam. HML's losses stood at Rs. 20.40 crore for the quarter-ended June 30, 2006.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail