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IN - Kia Motors to enter India in 2019, $1.1 billion plant to come up in Andhra Pradesh

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• Kia Motors has chosen Anantapur in Andhra Pradesh for its first factory in India
• The company will sell a mini sedan and a compact SUV to begin with, and will expand its portfolio over time
• Kia hopes to ride on the growth momentum of the Indian car market

Kia Motors, a group company of South Korean auto giant Hyundai, is all set to enter the highly-competitive Indian car market by investing $1.1 billion to build its first factory in India.

Kia Motors said it plans to start production at the factory in Anantapur district in Andhra Pradesh in the second half of 2019. The new factory will have an annual capacity of three lakh vehicles.

Times of India was the first one to report on Kia's India plans as early as August, 2016.

The company will sell a mini sedan and a compact SUV to begin with, and will expand its portfolio over time.

Kia hopes to ride on the growth momentum of the Indian car market.

Group company Hyundai has been in India for the past 20 years and is the second largest carmaker here, behind Maruti Suzuki which has a tie-up with Japan's Suzuki Motors. It produces cars at a factory near Chennai in Tamil Nadu and has an annual production capacity of around 7 lakh cars.

"We are delighted to announce that Kia's newest manufacturing facility will be here in Andhra Pradesh," said Han-Woo Park, president of Kia Motors.

"It will enable us to sell cars in the world's fifth largest market, while providing greater flexibility for our global business. Worldwide demand for Kia cars is growing and this is our latest step towards becoming a leading global car manufacturer."

Source: indiatimes.com

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