Joint Investment, Main Condition For Co-op With Foreign Partners

Tehran, Oct 12, IRNA – Managing Director of Iran Khodro Industrial Group says joint investment is the main condition for cooperation with foreign auto manufacturing companies. He says Iranian auto making industry is by no means ready to cooperate with foreigners under previous terms. Speaking at a ceremony held for the launching of the domestically-manufactured Peugeot 206 with TU3 engine, Hashem Yekeh Zare’ said: “We aim to become a strong car manufacturer with exports to fetch our required hard currency.” Stressing that production is not the main priority of the factory, Yekeh Zare’ said this year is the time for Khodro to pay special attention to the quality of after-sale services of exported cars and to the development of the product. According to the schedule, he further remarked, as of the second half of the calendar year 1394 (2015-2016) every six months a new product and every six months a product with different appearance will be manufactured. Due to implementation of sound planning as of the second half of the past year an increase was witnessed in production so that during that period the number of cars produced was twice as much as the corresponding figure the year before. In the current year, he added, 530 thousand cars were produced by Iran Khodro which showed an increase of 16% in comparison with the projection of the Ministry of Industry, Mines and Trade for the first half of the current year. He said currently between 2400 to 2500 cars are produced on daily basis, adding that for the first time production is in accordance with the demand of the sale sector.