Fiat India Automobiles is targeting to export 3,000-3,200 Lineas to South Africa in the next 12 months and would start exporting the Grande Punto to that country as well. The Palio is already being exported.

With the aim of strengthening its Research & Development (R&D) operations, Fiat India Automobiles today said that it plans to double the headcount to 200 by next year. "We have 100 people working in the R&D department, "We want to double the number by next year," Fiat India Automobiles Chief Executive Officer Rajeev Kapoor said today.

Kapoor said, though the main job of the R&D team was confined to vehicle testing and looking at localisation, and in the next five-year period, the R&D team would have a lot of activities for them. "The R&D team now works for the Indian operation only but it has a dream to take part in the worldwide initiatives of the parent company he said declining to divulge the investment that the company would make to step up operations," Kapoor said.

He said that it took a lot of time to create and develop the R&D team as it was a step-by-step process. Kapoor also added that Fiat India Automobiles was on track to reach up to 80 per cent localisation for the Grande Punto by March next year, from 75 per cent now. It has already been making Linea with 85 per cent local content.

Fiat India Automobiles is targeting to export 3,000-3,200 Lineas to South Africa in the next 12 months and would start exporting the Grande Punto to that country as well. The Palio is already being exported to South Africa. The company would also look for neighbouring countries to export its vehicles.

Kapoor said the company expects higher sales in the current month and hoped that the trend would continue in the next month as well. "The outlook for the car sector is buoyant. There is a lot of competition in the industry, but everybody is hoping to have good numbers," he said.

Report courtesy of the Press Trust of India