Mitsubishi Motors eyes new Indonesian plant

TOKYO (REUTERS) - Mitsubishi Motors Corp is considering boosting output capacity in Indonesia and possibly building a new plant there to capitalise on brisk demand in emerging Asian economies.

"It is true that we are considering strengthening our operations in Indonesia, but nothing has been decided as of now," a company spokesman said on Saturday.

A Nikkei business daily report said the automaker, along with trader Mitsubishi Corp and local partners, plans to build a new Indonesia plant by around March 2017, with investment totalling at about 40 billion yen (S$527.2 million).

The spokesman said Mitsubishi, the maker of Triton pickups, the Outlander Sport SUV and i-MiEV electric car, aims to post a net profit of 100 billion yen by the year ending March 2017.

If it were to build a new plant, that would have an annual production capacity of 100,000 vehicles, he added.

For the current business year to March 2014, Japan's 7th-largest carmaker expects a net profit of 50 billion yen.

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