Kolkata: Hindustan Motors (HM), a CKA Birla Group company, has once again approached the state govt seeking land at Uttarpara to set up an electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing unit through a joint venture.State commerce and industries minister Tapas Roy confirmed the development Monday. “HM people met me a couple of times with their proposal of setting up an EV unit at Uttarpara. We are considering the proposal on a war footing,” he said.HM sources said the company has two proposals — one from a European company and another from a US car manufacturer. “If the state govt allots land to us at Uttarpara, we will submit a concrete proposal for setting up an EV unit with either of these companies,” they said.Back in 1942, Hindustan Motors had a factory in Uttarpara spread over 700 acres. The unit would manufacture Ambassador cars and was the oldest car manufacturing facility in Asia after Toyota. Production at the unit was suspended indefinitely in 2014.The company had sold 314 acres to Shriram Properties in 2009 and around 100 acres to the Hiranandani Group later. Citing non-utilisation and failure to revive operations, the state formally resumed around 395 acres in Nov 2022.HM challenged the resumption in Calcutta High Court. After the court upheld the takeover, Supreme Court dismissed HM’s appeal in July 2025.In May 2022, HM had tied up with a European car manufacturer for an EV facility at Uttarpara, but the MoU was cancelled after the state resumed the land.
