The first models to be locally produced in Chennai will be the MINI Cooper D Countryman and the MINI One Countryman.



India is becoming an increasingly significant market for the BMW Group, which has operated its own sales company on the subcontinent since 2007. At the start of 2012, MINI opened its first five showrooms for cars from the British brand in Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Bangalore, making India the 100th market in the global MINI sales network. A total of 302 cars were sold here in between March and December 2012.



The BMW Group's decision – in line with its "production follows the market" strategy – to carry out local production of the MINI Countryman in India responds to the burgeoning interest within the country in innovative and high-quality vehicle concepts. MINI is the first premium manufacturer to be represented in the locally ultra-important small car segment, and is expecting the Indian car market as a whole to experience high growth rates over the medium and long term.



BMW's Chennai production plant was built in March 2007 and has since taken on production of the BMW 3 Series and BMW 5 Series as well as the BMW X1 and BMW X3 models. The facility, which has a production area covering around 13,000 square metres (approx. 140,000 sq. ft.), is located in the Mahindra World City business zone in the southwest of India, roughly 40km northwest of Chennai.

BMW added that the MINI brand will continue to broaden its global perspective over the coming years, and the strengthening of its international production network is intended to assist in that process. It also said it is investing heavily in the expansion and modernisation of the three locations that make up the MINI production triangle in Britain as part of the expansion of the MINI model family, which is intended to further bolster the brand’s global success.