Renault, Nissan setting up biz centre in Chennai

Chennai: Renault and Nissan plan to set up a business centre in Chennai, which will open in early 2008.

“When completed, the new business centre will provide services including product and manufacturing engineering, purchasing, design, cost management and information systems development,” a press release on Renault’s Web site said.

The release said the centre – the Renault Nissan Technology and Business Centre India Pvt Ltd – would be structured as an equal joint venture between the two partners. It was designed to support a wide range of engineering and business services for Renault and Nissan facilities around the world.

In 2010, the centre would have more than 1,500 employees.

Renault and Nissan, in which Renault has a nearly 45 per cent stake, are setting up a Rs 4,000-crore automobile manufacturing plant jointly with Mahindra & Mahindra at Oragadam, on the outskirts of Chennai.

Besides, the French automobile manufacturer has also said it is in talks with Bajaj Auto for a possible joint venture to make vehicles in India. It is believed that they are working towards developing a small car, one that will be competitively priced to take on Tata Motors’ Rs 1- lakh car.

Renault has tied up Mahindra & Mahindra to produce the Logan mid-size car.

Recently Nissan, the Japanese automobile company, signed a heads of agreement with commercial vehicles maker Ashok Leyland for three possible joint ventures, including one that will produce light commercial vehicles in India.