Private | |
Industry | Automotive |
Founded | 1942 |
Headquarters | Kolkata, India |
Key people
|
Uttam Bose, (MD) |
Products | Automobiles Automotive parts |
Revenue | ₹ 7.79 billion (2011) |
Owner | Groupe PSA |
Website | www |
Hindustan Motors is an Indian automotive manufacturer based in Kolkata, West Bengal, India. It is a part of the Birla Technical Services industrial group. The company was the largest car manufacturer in India before the rise of Maruti Udyog.
Hindustan Motors was the producer of the Ambassador motorcar, which was once a mainstream car in India, based on 1956 Morris Oxford series III and was in production from 1957 until 2014. Production of the Ambassador ceased on 24 May 2014.
One of the original three car manufacturers in India, founded in 1942 by Mr. B.M. Birla, it was a leader in car sales until the 1980s, when the industry was opened up from protection. All through its history, the company has depended on government patronage for its sales and for survival by eliminating competition. Manoj Jha was the Managing Director who stepped down from the post on 21 February 2012.
On 11 February 2017, Hindustan Motors executed an agreement with Peugeot SA for the sale of the Ambassador brand, including the trademarks, for a consideration of Rs 80 crore. The tie-up entails two joint venture agreements between the companies of the two groups.
Hindustan Motors Limited (HML), was once India's pioneering automobile manufacturing company. It was established just before Indian independence, in 1942 by Mr. B. M. Birla of the industrialist Birla family in collaboration with Lord Nuffield of Morris Motors who were already selling their cars in India. Commencing operations in a small assembly plant in Port Okha near Gujarat, the manufacturing facilities later moved to Uttarpara, West Bengal in 1948, where it began the production of the Morris designed Hindustan Ambassador. The HM-Mitsubishi Motors Plant is in Tiruvallur near Chennai in Tamil Nadu.
Post-Independence in 1948, vehicle production was shifted to a new green field plant spread over a large area in Uttarpara, West Bengal. The first car to roll out from the Uttarpara plant was the Hindustan 10, based on the Morris 10. In 1954 Hindustan launched the Morris Oxford series II derived Hindustan Landmaster and in 1957 the Hindustan Ambassador was launched which was based on the Morris Oxford series III. This first model later known as Mark-1, whose basic design remained unchanged was manufactured until 2015 with various model changes on facelifts, engines and later with power steering, disc brakes, etc.