French carmaker Citroën, part of the Stellantis Group, has announced that the company has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Kamarajar Port Ltd (KPL) to begin exports of the C3 hatchback from the Indian plant. The Citroën C3 hatchback is designed and developed for emerging markets like India with the brand’s Tamil Nadu facility acting as a global production hub. The C3 will be exported to ASEAN and African markets starting this month as Completely Built Units (CBUs).
Speaking about the MoU, Roland Bouchara, CEO & MD, Stellantis India said, “This partnership with Kamarajar Port Ltd (KPL) fortifies the Stellantis group’s ‘India for the World’ philosophy that will leverage India’s distinctive manufacturing export potential. In 2019, we started exporting powertrains from our Hosur facility and with the commencement of the new C3 exports as a CBU this year we are marking a key milestone in our India journey. We have created a 360-degree ecosystem that is reaping strong results for the group and we will continue to grow this in the future.”
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Guy Lederer, Head-Supply Chain & Logistics for India, Asia Pacific, Stellantis said, “Kamarajar Port meets all of Citroën’s requirements to export vehicles from India as part of its internationalization strategy. A port of significant importance in India’s sea logistics ecosystem, the Kamarajar Port will be used to export made-in-India Citroën vehicles from the Smart Car platform to the world. We are looking forward to a cooperative and successful working relationship with KPL to achieve the highest level of on-time delivery at competitive costs.”
Sunil Paliwal, IAS, CMD, Kamarajar Port Limited, said, “We are glad to enter into an agreement with PCA Automobiles to offer our Port services for the export of Citroën brand vehicles to countries in ASEAN & Africa. Associating with PCA Automobiles will help us augment our export operations. We hope to make this collaboration a success and contribute to India’s economy.”
The Citroën C3 was launched last year in the country and arrives with a 1.2-litre naturally aspirated petrol and a 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol engine. The model has been appreciated for its comfortable ride quality, quirky and likeable styling, and competitive prices. The model also gets a host of essential features including a 10-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, a digital instrument cluster, dual front airbags, seatbelt reminders, reverse parking sensors, ABS with EBD and more. Prices for the C3 start at ₹5.98 lakh (ex-showroom).
Although Citroën is yet to announce it, the C3’s exports are likely to make way for the newly-launched E-C3, the electric equivalent of the hatchback, also being exported to a number of markets overseas.
First Published Date: 01 Mar 2023, 13:19 PM IST