Nissan Motors was conspicuously absent from the Delhi Auto Expo this year but in 2012 it intends to participate with full vigor. This year its main plan is to introduce its small car in India. The new small car will go into production in May this year and the first hatchback model will be ready for sale at the dealer showrooms in July this year. Nissan plans to make India as its manufacturing and exports hub. It will start exporting its small car model by end of this year.

"We are well on track to open the new factory in March. Production will start in May and the first hatchback... will be sold from July," said Kiminobu Tokuyama, Nissan India's Managing Director.

Nissan also plans to enter the used-car market in India. Nissan will draw up plans for the same after the small car launch in India. Nissan also has a good R&D team in India as the company intends to make India as its R&D hub as well. "We are happy on the progress of research and development. A small team is engaged (now) in the research of fuel cell membrane," said Renault Nissan Technology and Business Centre India Senior Vice-President Grahame Cornforth.