GM opens new design studio in India

As more and more car makers are beginning to realize, India is one of the biggest emerging markets for automobiles. Vijay Mallya’s Force India Formula 1 team is getting ready to start its first season in the world’s premier motorsport series. Porsche is considering moving some of its production to India. Two Indian firms are the leading bidders in the purchase of Land Rover and Jaguar. So perhaps it’s no surprise that GM has opened its first design studio in India.

The move is made with the intention of providing a foothold for the maker’s efforts to expand further into India. The studio, located in Bangalore, joins a GM research and development center already in operation in the southern Indian city, reports MSNBC.com. The studio will start with a roster of 60 employees.

GM is pushing hard to increase its presence in India, introducing two new cars this year: the low-cost Chevrolet Spark (pictured) and the premium hatchback Chevrolet Aveo U-VA. These two models have seen Chevrolet’s sales increase by almost 250 percent in the past seven months alone. GM looks forward to more growth as its Indian-based design and research and development centers produce more ideas for the Indian auto market.