Mitsubishi Motors Corp ( id="symbol_7211.T_0">7211.T) is considering boosting output capacity in Indonesia and possibly building a new plant there to capitalize on brisk demand in emerging Asian economies.
_0">"It is true that we are considering strengthening our operations in Indonesia, but nothing has been decided as of now," a company spokesman said on Saturday.
A Nikkei business daily report said the automaker, along with trader Mitsubishi Corp ( id="symbol_8058.T_1">8058.T) and local partners, plans to build a new Indonesia plant by around March 2017, with investment totaling at about 40 billion yen ($422.90 million).
The spokesman said Mitsubishi, the maker of Triton pickups, the Outlander Sport SUV and i-MiEV electric car, aims to post a net profit of 100 billion yen ($1.06 billion) by the year ending March 2017.
If it were to build a new plant, that would have an annual production capacity of 100,000 vehicles, he added.
For the current business year to March 2014, Japan's 7th-largest carmaker expects a net profit of 50 billion yen. ($1 = 94.5850 Japanese yen)
(Reporting Yoko Kubota, writing by Kiyoshi Takenaka; Editing by Michael Perry)