Daihatsu ready to partner with Toyota for India foray

Tokyo: Small car champion Daihatsu has reportedly said that Suzuki Motor''s mammoth market share in India has been the reason the small car company has not activated any plans for the country.

However, Daihatsu is open to partnering with Toyota to launch a small car in India, according to the company''s president Teruyuki Minoura, who was speaking to the media at the 40th edition of the Tokyo Motor Show.

According to Minoura, though India has a mouth watering market size, the fact that Suzuki has almost half the market is the reason why Daihatsu is yet to make its India debut, as it does not want to take on the market leader head-on. Adding further, he said that the company was willing to consider partnering with Toyota Motor Corporation for launching a car in the Indian market, saying that it could be possible that Daihatsu would not come into India on its own

According to market sources, Toyota should not delay its launch of a small car in the Indian market, as almost 80 per cent of the country''s car market is in the sub-Rs5 lakh range, and a presence in that segment is necessitated if a car company wants to truly benefit from its Indian presence.

Daihatsu''s website does refer to "global expansion" as key to the company''s growth, though it does not make any statement about its India plans, if any.

Daihatsu is owned by the Toyota Motor Corporation. At the Tokyo Motor Show, it unveiled a concept car called HSC, which is a 660cc car that provides a fuel efficiency of almost 43km per litre. The car is a mini-sedan, capable of seating four passengers, though the company does not have any plans for its immediate launch.