Renault puts on hold India car launch plans indefinitely

French auto major Renault has put on hold indefinitely its plans to introduce its cars in the Indian market from the upcoming Chennai plant on account of global slowdown, which has affected the firm's worldwide operations.      

"We have indefinitely put on hold our product plans...It is because of slowdown that has affected us globally," a senior Renault India official told PTI.   

The company, which had already stopped hiring for production activities in its upcoming Chennai facility, is waiting for market conditions to improve.  

When contacted, a Renault India spokesperson said, "The construction of the plant is going on, but we have frozen our product plans due to downturn in the global economy.However, we have left our product plan at such a stage that whenever we want to defreeze it, without loss of any time we can do (that) and ramp up the production." While investment for construction of the plant was going on, it has been put on hold on product plans, he added.    

Renault India had last year announced plans to invest Rs 4,500 crore over a period of seven years to produce four lakh cars annually from the Chennai plant in alliance with Japanese firm Nissan.