BMW India has achieved a new milestone as they rolled out the 1,00,000th locally produced car, with the special honour going to a BMW Individual 740Li M Sport Edition. BMW started manufacturing in India in March 2007, in Chennai, and the milestone has been achieved just as it prepares to celebrate its 15th anniversary here.
“It is a day of great joy and pride for us as the 1,00,000th Made-in-India car drives out of our assembly lines,” said Thomas Dose, managing director, BMW Group Plant Chennai. “This accomplishment ensures that every BMW or Mini produced in Chennai is of the same international quality as other BMW plants across the world.”
Dose also attributes this success to an increase in localisation. “An increase in localisation, up to 50% and a collaboration with local partners has created more value in the ecosystem,” he said. “BMW now aims to further raise the bar in sustainable manufacturing excellence.” The plant already runs on 100 % green electricity.
The number of cars and SUVs locally manufactured by BMW in India has also continuously increased over the years, with the brand now producing over 13 models. The sedans and coupes include the BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe, 3 Series, 3 Series Gran Limousine, M340i, 5 Series, 6 Series Gran Turismo and 7 Series, while SUVs include the BMW X1, X3, X4, X5 and the flagship X7. Coming to Mini, the carmaker manufactures only the Countryman in India, while the other models are fully imported units. BMW recently launched the Mini Cooper SE Electric in India and will launch the facelifted X4 soon.
