Exide plans new factory in Bangladesh

By Our Staff Reporter

CALCUTTA, AUG. 11. Exide Industries has planned to expand its automotive battery production from 4.5 million to 5.5 million pieces a year by 2002.

The company also intends to set up a production facility of one lakh automotive batteries in Bangladesh, preferably as a joint venture.

Talking to media persons after the annual general meeting here today the company chairman, Mr. S. B. Ganguly, said a new plant would be set up in Haryana by 2002-03 to cater exclusively to Maruti, Eicher, Daewoo and others.

The Hosur facility which currently produces more of industrial batteries would be split into two with expanded capacity for the automotive segment.

The chairman had taken a strong exception to the Union Government's decision to introduce same rate of customs duty on lead and finished batteries.

Lead is the basic raw material used in batteries and mostly imported. The `anomalous duty structure' had had a severe impact on domestic battery producers.

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Section  : Business
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