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| Successor | SML Isuzu Limited |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1983 |
| Defunct | 2011 |
| Headquarters | , |
| Products | trucks, buses, ambulances, police personnel carriers, water tankers and special vehicles |
| Parent | Sumitomo Corporation |
| Divisions | Swaraj Mazda Parts Division |
| Website | smlisuzu |
Established in 1983, Swaraj Mazda Limited, at Chandigarh, India based automobile company, is owned by the Sumitomo Corporation of Japan and Punjab Tractors Limited of India, with a technical collaboration with Isuzu and Mazda of Japan. Sumitomo upped its stake in the company in 2009 by purchasing all of Punjab Tractors' remaining shares, raising their stake to 53.5% [1] After some trial production in 1985, series production began in 1986. [2]
Chandigarh is a city and a union territory in India that serves as the capital of the two neighbouring states of Punjab and Haryana. The city is unique as it is not a part of either of the two states but is governed directly by the Union Government, which administers all such territories in the country.
India is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the southwest, and the Bay of Bengal on the southeast, it shares land borders with Pakistan to the west; China, Nepal, and Bhutan to the north; and Bangladesh and Myanmar to the east. In the Indian Ocean, India is in the vicinity of Sri Lanka and the Maldives; its Andaman and Nicobar Islands share a maritime border with Thailand and Indonesia.
The Sumitomo Group is one of the largest Japanese keiretsu, or business groups, founded by Masatomo Sumitomo around 1615.
The company manufactures light commercial vehicles like trucks, buses, ambulances, police personnel carriers, water tankers and special vehicles.
An ambulance is a medically equipped vehicle which transports patients to treatment facilities, such as hospitals. In some instances, out-of-hospital medical care is provided to the patient.
It exports its products to countries like Nepal, Zambia, Bangladesh, Kenya, Tanzania, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Rwanda, Seychelles, Syria, Jordan.
Nepal, officially Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is located mainly in the Himalayas, but also includes parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. With an estimated population of 26.4 million, it is 48th largest country by population and 93rd largest country by area. It borders China in the north and India in the south, east and west while Bangladesh is located within only 27 km (17 mi) of its southeastern tip and Bhutan is separated from it by the Indian state of Sikkim. Nepal has a diverse geography, including fertile plains, subalpine forested hills, and eight of the world's ten tallest mountains, including Mount Everest, the highest point on Earth. Kathmandu is the capital and the largest city. Nepal is a multiethnic country with Nepali as the official language.
Zambia, officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in south-central Africa. Its neighbors are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique to the southeast, Zimbabwe and Botswana to the south, Namibia to the southwest, and Angola to the west. The capital city is Lusaka, located in the south-central part of Zambia. The population is concentrated mainly around Lusaka in the south and the Copperbelt Province to the northwest, the core economic hubs of the country.
Bangladesh, officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. While it is the 92nd-largest country, spanning 147,570 square kilometres (56,980 sq mi), it is the world's 8th-most populous country with a population nearing 163 million, making it one of the most densely populated countries in the world. Bangladesh shares land borders with India to the west, north and the east and Myanmar to the east, whereas the Bay of Bengal lies to its south. Dhaka, its capital and largest city, is also the economic, political and the cultural hub of the country. Chittagong, the largest sea port, is the second largest city. The country's geography is dominated by the Ganges delta which empties into the Bay of Bengal the combined waters of several river systems, including those of the Brahmaputra and the Ganges. As a result, the country is criss-crossed by numerous rivers and inland water ways. Highlands with evergreen forests cover the landscape in the northeastern and southeastern regions of the country. The country also features the longest natural sea beach and most of the largest mangrove forest in the world. The country's biodiversity includes a vast array of plants and wildlife, including the endangered Bengal tiger, the national animal.
The company's annual turnover for the year 1997 - 1998 exceeded Rs. 151 crores. It has a dealer network of about 128 dealers spread throughout India. Swaraj Engines and Punjab Scooters are its associate companies.
The Indian rupee is the official currency of India. The rupee is subdivided into 100 paise, though as of 2019, coins of denomination of 1 rupee is the lowest value in use. The issuance of the currency is controlled by the Reserve Bank of India. The Reserve Bank manages currency in India and derives its role in currency management on the basis of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934.
In June 2006, Swaraj Mazda entered a new Technical agreement with Isuzu Motors, Japan.
In 2009, Swaraj Mazda started to roll out Luxury buses and medium-duty trucks powered by Isuzu Engines from a new plant in Punjab. Plans are to build multi-axle trucks, tractor units and refrigerated trucks within the next three years. For an interim period, these vehicles were marketed under the Swaraj Mazda Isuzu brand. [3]
In addition, Swaraj Mazda is moving to offer the Isuzu D-Max pickup. [4]
The Isuzu D-Max is a pickup truck manufactured since 2002 by Isuzu Motors. It shares the same platform with several General Motors (GM) mid-size trucks in the United States such as the Chevrolet Colorado, GMC Canyon and Isuzu i-Series. The Chevrolet Colorado name is also applied to a rebadged version of the D-Max in the Middle East and Thailand, although not identical to the American version. The original D-Max is sold alongside the Chevrolet Colorado in the Thai market where they are both built. In Australasia between 2003 and 2008, the D-Max was marketed as the Holden Rodeo, but has since been relaunched as the Holden Colorado. The Isuzu D-Max itself was also introduced in Australia during 2008, selling alongside the Holden-badged offering.
Former associate company Punjab Tractors manufactured agricultural tractors and combine harvesters under the Swaraj brand name before selling 64.6% to Mahindra Tractors. In 2009, Mahindra and Swaraj Mazda settled a dispute over the use of the Swaraj name, allowing Swaraj Mazda to continue using the name for only two more years. [5]
Swaraj Mazda Limited has informed the Exchange that at the Board Meeting of the Company held on 1 October 2010, the Board of Directors have decided to change the name of the Company from Swaraj Mazda Limited to SML Isuzu Limited. As of 2011 they no longer use the "Swaraj" brand name.
