London, Sept. 5: Another British icon has gone the Chinese way. We are talking about taxis.

They are now not being made in Britain, but at a sprawling factory in the lush green suburbs of Shanghai.

Young Chinese workers have been roped in for the full-scale production of one of Britain's most emblematic vehicles.

London Taxi International, which will continue to build nine out ten cabs used in Britain at a factory in Coventry, could not expand at its small-scale, high-cost plant. So it turned to China to drive overseas expansion.

General Motors would launch new models of mini compact global car in 2010. These models are being developed at company’s Bangalore plant in India and other global plants in the world.

The company has also decided to launch its first electric car in India. It will expand its car business with the additional investment of US $ 500 million in next seven years. The US based company has already invested about US $ 1 billion in India.

GM has decided to develop small diesel engines in its new power plant in India with an investment of $200-million.

The leading automobile manufacturer Mahindra & Mahindra is planning to develop its two wheeler business. The company will expand the business with the help of global alliances and acquisitions with suitable companies.

The company had already acquired Kinetic Motors in last month.

New Delhi, Sept 4 : Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Kamal Nath on Thursday said that auto exports from India should reach 25 billion dollar in the next decade.

He was speaking at the “Making India a Global Automotive Export Hub” at the Annual Convention of Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), here today. He said the government will play its part by providing the “enabling policy framework” and added that the auto sector should take advantage of these and leverage their strengths for expanding to other parts of the world.

India’s top car manufacturer Maruti Suzuki India Ltd is all set to unveil its ‘A-star’ model in the local market by the next month (October 2008).

A senior company official said that the company will begin exports by December 2008.

It is also learnt that initially, the car will be exported to the European markets.

Maruti Suzuki India Ltd has also decided to increase local research and development (R&D) for small cars to 90%.

A new engine plant will soon start with its process of construction in Talegaon, in the western state of Maharashtra, as General Motors today signed an agreement regarding building it. The agreement was signed in presence of the Honorable Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Mr. Vilasrao Deshmukh and host of other dignitaries, between GM India President and Managing Director Mr. Karl Slym and Mr. A.M. Khan, Principal Secretary (Industries).