Honda Cars in India

The Japanese auto giant Honda first entered India's automobile market via a joint venture with Usha International of Siddharth Shriram Group. The venture, formerly known as Honda Siel Cars India Limited, entered India in December 1995, but didn't commence operations until 1997. Soon after it began production, the Indian arm of the Japanese car maker became a highly trusted manufacturer of premium Honda cars in India. The company's first manufacturing unit was set up at Greater Noida with an investment of over Rs. 4.5 billion. This plant was initially capable of producing 30, 000 Honda cars every year, which was later increased to 50, 000. But Honda further increased their's first plant's capacity to its current 100, 000 in 2008. Their second manufacturing facility is located in Tapukara, Bhiwadi, Rajasthan, which currently houses a state-of-the-art powertrain and press shop. Built with an investment of Rs 7.8 billion, the Bhiwadi production plant operates under the ISO 9001 (standard for quality management) and ISO 14001 (environment management) certifications.

But this company, which was founded as a joint venture between a Japanese auto major and an Indian firm, soon ended up as a complete subsidiary of Japan's Honda Motor Company. In mid-2012, Honda bought out Usha International's 3.16 per cent stake for Rs 180 crores, hence making the Honda Siel Cars India a 100 per cent subsidiary of the Japanese car manufacturer. The company then changed its official name to Honda Cars India Limited (HCIL) from Honda Siel Cars India Limited to sell Honda cars in India. Honda Motor Company's total investment in its Indian production facility is over Rs 16.2 billion.

Honda's product portfolio includes rather famous Honda cars like Honda Brio, Honda Jazz, Honda City, Honda Civic, and Honda Accord, among others. Given the fact that Honda is known throughout the world for its cutting-edge technology, there is no doubt about the technology supplied to Indians via its cars. Other than that, Honda cars in India are built on basic principles of advanced design, established quality, durability, reliability and fuel-efficiency. Moreover, Honda Cars India Limited makes its presence felt throughout the country with its strong network, which is spread across 85 cities via 137 dealerships. They also offer services like Honda Assure, HCIL's insurance initiative, and Auto Terrace, which is Honda's exchange and pre-owned car division.