The second joint agency of Iran Khodro (IKCO) and SAIPA was inaugurated in the presence of the CEOs of the two automakers.
During the inauguration ceremony held on Dec. 8, Mehdi Khatibi, CEO of Iran Khodro Industrial Group, said, “Today we are witnessing the opening of the second joint sales and after-sales services agency of Iran Khodro Industrial Group and SAIPA in line with the strategic alliance of the two major automakers. In the future, we will have many such joint programs and collaborations," Eghtesad Online reported.
"About a month and a half ago, the first joint agency of the two automobile groups was opened by SAIPA."
Khatibi stressed that the alliance pertains to sales and after-sales services, logistics, research, driving forces and parts manufacture.
According to Mohammad Ali Teymouri, CEO of SAIPA, the strategic alliance between SAIPA and Iran Khodro has had many benefits for customers in the past few months.
Teymouri noted that the alliance in the production and supply chain has great benefits for the two car manufacturers.
"This alliance has been established with the cooperation of two automakers in a short period of time, but in the next few years, in addition to joint ventures in producing parts and operating agencies, the two automakers also plan to launch the joint production of vehicles," he said.
"The biggest advantage of this strategic alliance is that it will help reduce car prices, increase quality and deliver the products on time."
The SAIPA chief added that their strategic alliance has had a good impact on car production.
“Last year, there were more than 160,000 incomplete cars in the parking lots of the two car manufacturers. Currently, there aren’t any incomplete cars in their parking lots. With regard to car delivery, SAIPA has delivered 360,000 cars from the beginning of the year to Dec. 7 and 40,000 cars are in the process of delivery,” he said.
"Iran Khodro Industrial Group has also delivered 420,000 cars during the same period and 40,000 cars are in the process of delivery, which together broke the delivery record of last year."
SAIPA, BSI Sign Deal for Producing New Car Models
SAIPA Automotive Group and Bank Saderat Iran have signed a memorandum of cooperation (MOC) in Tehran for producing new car models and increasing employment.
At a meeting attended by the senior managers of Iran’s largest bank and industrial complex, SAIPA’s CEO Mohammad Ali Teymouri said Bank Saderat Iran is one of the top five banks of Iran and SAIPA needs liquidity to fulfill its export plans and produce new models in the current and next fiscal years, Donyaye Khodro reported.
“The bank will provide the needed liquidity to SAIPA soon in the form of an MOC,” he added.
Referring to SAIPA’s financial performance, Teymouri said that in the first eight months of the current fiscal year (March 21-Nov. 21), more than 600 trillion rials ($1.65 billion) have been generated through the sale of SAIPA’s vehicles compared with 320 trillion rials ($882.51 million) earned in last year’s corresponding period.
“This is despite the fact that popular models such as Tiba, Tiba 2 and Saina were removed from SAIPA’s production lines at the beginning of the year. Also, we did not increase the price of other vehicles compared to last year,” he explained.
Zia Imani, the CEO of BSI, stated that by signing this deal, the bank wants to help boost the country’s production, employment and industry.
The CEO of SAIPA noted that parts manufacturing companies, affiliated with SAIPA, have made special efforts to recruit new workers during the period under review.
“Therefore, the main goal of all sectors, including the banking and industry sectors, is to lift production that will expand workforce,” he said.
Teymouri noted that more than 320,000 cars have been delivered to customers during the eight months and 42,000 vehicles are undergoing the sale process, which is an unprecedented growth compared to 392,000 vehicles delivered in the last fiscal year.
“In view of the arrangements, daily production is more than 2,000 vehicles and all the models are manufactured domestically. More than 90% of them are supplied by the domestic supply chain. This is while in the past, this production volume was achieved by including completely-knocked down [CK]) cars,” he added.
The SAIPA chief said daily production will reach 2,500 units in the fiscal 2023-24 with the launch of the 16-valve engine line.
“We will assemble and launch new and updated cars from Changan as CKD, for which an order has been registered and it’s work in progress,” he said.
“For the first time, we are planning to release eight new models from the current fiscal year’s 11th month (Jan. 21-Feb. 19, 2023). Atlas and Sahand cars are in the final stages and will enter the market soon.”
