Tata Motors announced on Friday it was planning to expand its sales in Southeast Asia market and use Thailand as manufacturing base, The Time of India reported.

India’s top bus and truck maker’s said it was considering launching a range of products to tap into healthy demand in the region.

Ajit Venkataraman, CEO of Tata Motors (Thailand), a 70 per cent owned joint venture of Tata Motors, said the company planned a 1.3 billion baht ($38 million) investment in Thailand to assemble up to 35,000 units of like pick-up trucks per year over the next five years.

“It’s an important step for us,” he told the media interview. “Once we have established business here, we will be also looking for export potential.”

Tata’s trucks and cars will be assembled at its Thai partner Thonburi Assembly’s plant in Bangkok’s neighboring province Samutprakarn, which currently assembled Mercedes-Benz passenger cars.

Of 80 per cent of one-ton pickup trucks will be sold in domestic market.