Toyota Motor Corp. is expanding its manufacturing footprint in India with a new vehicle plant at Bidkin in Maharashtra’s Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district.

The project is expected to attract investments of around ₹20,000 crore over multiple phases, a senior official in the state’s Industries Department infomed Businessline, although Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) did not disclose any investment figure in its announcement on Monday.

Toyota Kirloskar Motor said it will build a greenfield manufacturing facility at the Bidkin Industrial Area in Maharashtra, with production scheduled to begin in the first half of 2029. The plant will have an initial capacity of 100,000 vehicles a year and employ about 2,800 people. The first model to be produced will be a new sport utility vehicle.

The company said the facility is intended to “strengthen Toyota’s business foundation in the Indian market” and will be positioned to “steadily deliver vehicles not only to customers in India but also to customers in surrounding regions.”

First major greenfield expansion in over a decade

The project marks Toyota’s first major greenfield manufacturing investment in India in more than a decade and its first production base outside Karnataka, where it currently operates two plants at Bidadi. Toyota said it will “continue strengthening its production structure to enable flexible response to future demand growth and market changes in India and surrounding regions, and to deliver products in a timely manner that customers choose.”

The company added that, through the new plant and “with the continued support of many stakeholders and local communities,” it aims to “contribute to the development of India’s automotive industry and society.”

Capacity to rise nearly 30%

Toyota’s two Bidadi plants have a combined installed capacity of 342,000 vehicles annually and manufacture models, including the Innova HyCross, Innova Crysta, Fortuner, Legender, Camry Hybrid, Urban Cruiser Hyryder and Hilux.

The Maharashtra facility will raise Toyota’s installed capacity in India to about 442,000 vehicles a year in the first phase, an increase of roughly 29 per cent.

Market speculation on future models

Toyota has officially confirmed only that the Bidkin plant’s first product will be a new SUV. However, industry speculation suggests the facility could eventually become the production base for a broader family of utility vehicles positioned between the Urban Cruiser Hyryder and Fortuner, helping Toyota address a key gap in its India portfolio.

Among the models generating discussion in automotive supply chains is the rumoured Land Cruiser FJ, a compact body-on-frame off-roader positioned below the Fortuner and aimed at emerging markets. Another possibility is a three-row version of the Corolla Cross, which would allow Toyota to compete more directly in the premium family SUV segment against products such as the Mahindra XUV700 and Tata Safari.

The plant’s integrated manufacturing setup, covering stamping, welding, painting and assembly, will give Toyota flexibility to build hybrid and conventional SUVs. Its export-oriented mandate also makes such products well suited for markets in the Middle East and Africa.

Why Maharashtra matters

For Maharashtra, securing Toyota’s investment is a strategic win. The State has positioned Bidkin, part of the Aurangabad Industrial City (AURIC) within the Delhi–Mumbai Industrial Corridor, as a next-generation manufacturing hub outside the traditional Pune–Chakan automotive belt.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had earlier said that the Toyota’s project in the state is part of Maharashtra’s ambition to become a $1 trillion economy and to reinforce its standing as India’s leading industrial state, with policymakers increasingly framing the broader vision as creating a “Detroit of India” anchored by advanced manufacturing and export-led growth.

“If the project expands beyond its initial phase, it could catalyse a new supplier ecosystem in the Marathwada region, generating thousands of additional jobs and attracting significant ancillary investment in the state” the industry department senior official said explaining the significance of this investment.

Published on May 11, 2026