The Panama-registered M V Modern Peak steams into the newly commissioned Ennore Port, just north of Chennai on India’s south-eastern coast.
It is a Korean freighter that has just arrived from Chittagong in Bangladesh, empty.
At the dock, rows of gleaming, brand new Nissan Micra cars are waiting to be loaded on board and shipped to Singapore.
“From there they’ll go on to Lebanon, Israel and parts of north Africa,” the ship’s Korean captain says.
The cars may be a product of the Japanese giant auto maker but they are manufactured about 60kms away, at Nissan’s Indian factory.
Less than a year old, the sprawling 600-acre plant is one of the company’s largest worldwide.
At its high-tech assembly line, Indian workers work swiftly, putting together the latest models.
Nissan is among several major Asian companies that have set up manufacturing hubs in this area.
Rapidly growing market
A short drive down the congested highway, packed with large container trucks, and you’ll pass the facilities of Hyundai, Samsung, Mitsubishi and myriad others.
“India is a rapidly growing market, so therefore it is very important for global auto manufacturers,” says Nissan’s managing director in India, Kiminobu Tokuyama.
But they are not just hoping to capture the local market.
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But we Koreans are trying hard to adjust. We also want to introduce Indians to our culture, food, language. That way, we can make new friends”
KH ShinKorean living in India
They are also using India as a hub for products aimed at overseas markets.
“We are also exporting our products from India to Europe, Africa, Middle East and other places,” Mr Tokyama says.
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Categories: Asia, India, Science and Technology