NEW DELHI, DEC 22 : Maruti Suzuki has signed an agreement with Kamarajar Port Limited for export of passenger vehicles to global markets.

Kamarajar Port will be used for exports to Africa, Middle East, Latin America, ASEAN, Oceania and SAARC regions by the company.

The agreement is for a period of 5 years, starting December 2022, a statement from the company said on Thursday.

To facilitate automobile exports, a car-cum-general cargo berth has been developed and commissioned by Kamarajar Port Limited for handling automobile units, the statement said.

As a part of the partnership between Suzuki Motor Corporation and Toyota Motor Corporation, Maruti Suzuki’s Grand Vitara is manufactured at Toyota Kirloskar Motor’s Bidadi plant in Karnataka. The vehicles to be exported will be sent to the pre-delivery inspection (PDI) center at the Kamarajar Port, and subsequently shipped, the statement said.

Kamarajar Port has a capacity to park 14,000 cars.

Hisashi Takeuchi, Managing Director and CEO, Maruti Suzuki India Limited, said, “Maruti Suzuki is dedicated to the ‘Make in India’ initiative of the Government of India. Our expanding export operations reflect our commitment to offer reliable, high quality, technologically advanced cars to our global customers. The start of exports from the Kamarajar Port will help us reach out to a wider base of customers. This initiative will also help to decongest the Mumbai Port, Mundra Port and Pipavav Port used by the Company to export vehicles at present.”

Sunil Paliwal, IAS, CMD, Kamarajar Port Limited, said “We are glad to enter into an agreement with India’s leading passenger vehicle manufacturer, Maruti Suzuki, to offer our port services for export of vehicles to regions across the globe. Maruti Suzuki has earned the distinction of being a major contributor to exports from India, and associating with the Company will help us augment our operations as well. We hope to make this collaboration a success and contribute to India’s economy.”(UNI)