China’s Great Wall SUVs set to enter India

China's largest sports utility vehicle maker, Great Wall Motors, is set to enter the Indian market next year — the first Chinese auto company to venture into the world's sixth-largest car market.

Great Wall has also sought to participate in next year's Delhi Auto Expo, but is unlikely to make the cut due to space constraints at the new Greater Noida venue.

It may set up its production facility near Pune, and is likely to bring its bestselling SUV Haval H5 as its first offering in India.

"The company will enter the market next year," said a source close to the firm. "It will be the first bona fide Chinese company to come here. They see great potential in India especially because of the high demand for SUVs here."

Great Wall Motors is a specialist SUV maker, with two production bases with an 800,000 units per annum capacity. It exports vehicles to over 100 countries and is present in other big emerging markets such as Brazil, Russia and South Africa.

In the past, China's largest auto maker, SAIC, entered India via the back door, by buying a stake in General Motor's India subsidiary. GM's two latest products, the SAIL UVA and its sedan version, are SAIC products adapted for India.

Get insights into Upcoming Cars In India, Electric Vehicles, Upcoming Bikes in India and cutting-edge technology transforming the automotive landscape.