Japan will import Maruti Suzuki cars from India: Narendra Modi

NEW DELHI: In a first, Japan will import cars from India that will be manufactured by the Japanese- controlled Maruti Suzuki, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said today.

"For the first time Japan will import cars from India and Maruti will manufacture it", he said while addressing the India-Japan Business Leaders Forum here.

"Maruti (Suzuki) will manufacture here... The Japanese company will manufacture here and export it to Japan", he said, adding that both India and Japan should move ahead together, not just in the sphere of high-speed trains, but also for "high-speed growth".

Speaking after the meeting, Maruti Suzuki chairman R C Bhargava said the company will export 'Baleno' at the moment.

When asked about the target, he said: "We expect to export 20,000 to 30,000 units in a year."

However, Bhargava added that exporting automobiles to Japan is not an easy task.

Japanese carmaker's unit Maruti Suzuki is expected to begin export of India-made car Baleno to Japan from January 2016.