Mahindra & Mahindra is gearing up to launch its compact diesel pickup trucks in the U.S. from early 2010. According to the company’s executive vice president of international operations, Pravin Shah, Mahindra is looking at options to purchase a new U.S. facility to produce its pickups locally. The move is expected to save Mahindra costly import duties.

“We are exploring various options,” Shah told reporters.

Mahindra currently has three local assembly plants and sells tractor to U.S. farmers. Shah said that following the diesel pickups, Mahindra will bring its Scorpio SUV to the U.S. in 2011.

Shah said that the new pickups will be “competitively priced” and that the U.S. is expected to become the company’s largest export market in “some time.”

Mahindra expects to sell around 45,000 units of the trucks in their first 12 months in the United States.

- By: Kap Shah

Source: Reuters