RusPromAvto, Russia's automobile corporation, is to begin assembly of heavy-duty cross-country 'Ural' trucks in India from next month.

In a tie-up with Ural India Ltd and West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation, RusPromAvto is to invest $100 million in the construction of truck assembly plant near Haldia, 110 km from Kolkata.

Assembly of first trucks would commence in September and on reaching full capacity up to one thousand trucks would be assembled annually in India from the kits supplied from Russia, a release said.

Besides trucks the Ural India joint venture would also produce chassis for fire engines and dumper trucks.

Located in the city of Miass in the Urals 'UralAZ' truck plant of RusPromAvto is the former Soviet Union's only manufacturer of three and four axle 6x6 and 8x8 heavy duty cross-country trucks widely used by the military and oil and natural gas industry in remote Siberian areas and Central Asian oil fields in Karakum Desert.