It was reported in The Nikkei on 23 June that Asahi will invest JPY 5BN to build flat glass plants in India & Russia in order to meet demand from Toyota Motor Corp; Suzuki Motor Corp; & other Japanese carmakers that are increasing production in those countries. In India, Asahi India Glass Ltd, a joint venture between Asahi Glass, Suzuki local subsidiary Maruti Udyog Ltd, & others, are building an automotive glass plant on the outskirts of Delhi, due to come online in September 2007. The plant, which will be the third on the subcontinent for Asahi, will be capable of producing enough glass for 400,000 vehicles/pa. It will supply Suzuki, Honda Motor Co & other locally based companies with a range of products, including replacement glass. The company's total Indian manufacturing capacity is expected to rise to 2.9M vehicle/pa, an increase of 16%. In Russia, Asahi will start building a plant in 2007 at St. Petersburg to fit locally made glass. All the glass needed for Toyota's Camry sedan, produced nearby starting 2007, will come from the plant. To date, the firm's glassworks in eastern Moscow, which makes enough glass for 1.5M vehicles/pa, has supplied mostly local manufacturers. Asahi Glass decided it was necessary to build another plant after Toyota, Nissan Motor Co. & Suzuki set up in St. Petersburg, around 1,000km away from its glassworks.
