Chery Indonesia eyes acquisition of Handal's Pondok Ungu factory
Otomotif Katadata, 28 November '25
A series of recent developments has drawn attention to Chery Sales Indonesia's (CSI) strategic direction as the company evaluates its operational plans in the country, specifically regarding independent development.
At present, the Chinese brand is considering several options for potential investment, including the possibility of acquiring Handal Indonesia Motor's (HIM) existing production facility in Pondok Ungu, Bekasi.
"Everything is possible, but the outcome will depend on the negotiation process," said Rifkie Setiawan, Head of Brand at CSI, during GJAW 2025.
According to Rifkie, the acquisition of the Handal Pondok Ungu facility is possible, with CSI having already invested in the site and negotiations ongoing.
"Chery Group is already fully operational in production at Handal Pondok Ungu. Almost everything is ready, and all lines are in use," he further added.
Based on the information available, Chery may proceed with acquiring the Handal Pondok Ungu factory. The timing of any decision is not yet confirmed.
"Yes, it will be necessary to wait and observe the progress of Chery's potential acquisition of the Handal factory," Rifkie stated.
Handal has not disclosed further details regarding Chery's plans and has not provided additional information.
"I do not know; there will be no discussions yet," said Jongkie Sugiarto, Deputy Commissioner of HIM.
The establishment of independent production facilities is part of CSI's plan to expand its operations in Indonesia. The construction of a Chery factory would follow the existing collaboration with Handal.
Although detailed information has not been provided, Budi did not rule out the possibility of further developments in the collaboration.
"Actually, our current collaboration with Handal is only the first step. It will continue to be strengthened in future," said Budi Darmawan, Vice Country Director of CSI, on a separate occasion.
This supports the view that Chery is considering the acquisition of Handal's production facility in Pondok Ungu, Bekasi, West Java.
With one month remaining before 2025, Chery has not indicated preparations for any location other than Handal. The intention to establish an independent factory was first stated by Zeng Shuo, President Director of CSI.
