Suzuki Motor Corp (SMC), which owns a majority stake in India's largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki India (MSI), had earlier forecast operating profit at 10 billion yen (USD 111.05 million).

The small car major said its operating profit in Asia increased in the first six months of this fiscal due to strong performance by the Indian subsidiary.

SMC said its sales in Asia during the period stood at 363.1 billion yen (USD 4.03 billion), against 416.3 billion yen (USD 4.62 billion), down 12.78 per cent on account of yen appreciation.

"...but Maruti Suzuki India posted higher sales than those for the consolidated cumulative second quarter of the previous fiscal due to good sales of the new models, including A-Star and Ritz," it said.

The country's largest car maker Maruti Suzuki India (MSI), majority owned by the Japanese firm, is investing up to Rs 1,500 crore in building test tracks and an R&D centre in Rohtak, Haryana.

Maruti is also considering increasing production capacity at its Manesar facility, and a decision on this is likely soon.

The company is executing its three-year plan of Rs 9,000-crore up to 2010 and is working on plans for new investments and capacity expansion in the presence of Suzuki, who has come to India to attend the company's AGM.

Where four-wheel drive is specified, the vehicle is delivered with an intelligent all-wheel drive (i-AWD) system. A synergetic vehicle dynamics control system acts on the i-AWD system and electric power steering system to suppress body movements and keep the car stable.

The synergetic vehicle dynamics control system reportedly acts only on the power-steering system, where two-wheel drive is specified. The company plans to launch the Kizashi in the US, following its Japan launch.

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"We are very excited to welcome Vice President Al Gore as the keynote speaker for the Allstream Global Forum," said Dean Prevost, President Enterprise Solutions division, MTS Allstream. "Mr. Gore has been recognized across the world for his tremendous leadership and passion on environmental issues as well as the remarkable personal energy he continues to invest in inspiring others to be part of the solution. As a company with our own record of innovation and investment, particularly in technology and products that offer businesses the chance to make a difference with their own environmental impact, we look forward to hearing his message. We also look forward to sharing the benefits from the event with the David Suzuki Foundation and the great work they are doing to raise awareness of environmental sustainability as well as the means by which it can be achieved."

"It is a great honour for the Foundation to be a part of this exciting event," said Dr. David Suzuki. "Vice President Gore is a leading advocate for confronting the threat of global warming and a key promoter of making innovation a big part of solving some of the more pressing environmental challenges we face today. Transforming the Economy, in fact, is one of the new focus areas for the Foundation. We look forward to being a part of Mr. Gore's visit in November, and thank MTS Allstream for their generous support."

The Allstream Global Forum is one of Canada's premier thought-leadership events and is staged every year by MTS Allstream, one of Canada's leading national telecommunications companies. For more information on the Allstream Global Forum and how your organization can purchase corporate tables to the Allstream Global Forum, please visit www.allstream.com/globalforum. To learn more about the David Suzuki Foundation and its Long Term Direction Project, visit www.davidsuzuki.org.

About MTS Allstream

MTS Allstream is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. As one of Canada's leading national communication solutions companies, MTS Allstream provides innovative communications for the way Canadians want to live and work today. The Company has more than 100 years of experience, with 6,000 employees across Canada dedicated to a mission of delivering true value as seen through the eyes of our customers. In 2008, MTS Allstream had nearly two million total customer connections spanning business customers across Canada and residential consumers throughout the province of Manitoba. The Company's extensive national broadband and fibre optic network spans almost 30,000 kilometres. MTS Allstream is a proud sponsor of Cindy Klassen, 2006 World Champion and Canada's greatest Olympian, and a proud contributor to the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. Manitoba Telecom Services Inc.'s common shares are listed on The Toronto Stock Exchange (trading symbol: MBT). Customers, stakeholders and investors who want learn more about MTS Allstream services, markets, community commitments and record of creating shareholder value are encouraged to visit: www.mtsallstream.com.

About the David Suzuki Foundation

The David Suzuki Foundation works through science and education to protect the diversity of nature and our quality of life, now and for the future. With a goal of achieving sustainability within a generation, the Foundation collaborates with scientists, business and industry, academia, government and non-governmental organizations. We seek the best research to provide innovative solutions that will help build a clean, competitive economy that does not threaten the natural services that support all life. An independent charity, the Foundation does not accept direct government funding and is supported with the help of some 40,000 individual supporters across Canada and around the world.

SOURCE: MTS Allstream Inc.

SOURCE: Green News

Media: Greg Burch, MTS Allstream Corporate Communications, (416) 345-3576, (204)
941-8576, media.relations@mtsallstream.com; Dan Maceluch, David Suzuki Foundation,
(604) 732-4228 ext. 246, dmaceluch@davidsuzuki.org