Rajkot-based Atul Auto (AAL) plans to set up a new three-wheeler manufacturing plant in a southern state in the next two-years,a top company official said. The investment in the proposed plant will be Rs 60 crore,he said. "Demand for our three-wheelers is increasing in the country. To cater to this demand,we plan to set up our second plant in a southern state in the next two-years," Atul Auto's Director,Vijay Kedia,said here. AAL is one of the largest three-wheeler manufacturers in the country and currently manufactures and markets 16 models in the domestic market. The BSE-listed company's only plant is located in Rajkot,Gujarat. "Our present capacity is 24,000 units per year. We plan to double our capacity by setting up the new plant in two-years," Kedia said. Two new launches are slated for launch by this year end,he said. These would the rare engine CNG and LPG,he said. "We will continue to launch more models in the years ahead as we are encouraged by the increasing demand for our products," he said. The company also plans to scale-up its dealership network to 120 from the present 85 by this year-end. "We have 85 dealers in Gujarat,Andhra Pradesh,Maharashtra,Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. We plan to enter into Orissa,Jharkhand,Karnataka,Kerala,West Bengal and Assam by this year-end," Kedia said,adding the company aims to grow around 50 per cent in the current year. So far,the company has sold around two lakh vehicles,both passenger and goods variants. It projects a six to seven per cent marketshare by end-this fiscal.
