PROTON sets up new subsidiary for international business

PROTON Holdings Berhad has a new subsidiary company to spearhead and be more focussed on its overseas expansion efforts. The new wholly-owned subsidiary, Proton International Corporation Sdn Bhd (PICSB), will have more flexibility when dealing with international markets. Until now, the automaker’s overseas business has been handled by its International Sales Division.

PICSB is tasked with enlarging PROTON’s global footprint, aiming to expand to the Global South while also continuing to oversee and develop sales and marketing efforts in existing overseas markets.

Export sales will be a key driver of future sales growth, and the company’s long-term planning calls for a ten-fold increase in export volumes over the next 5 years. This year’s target is 6,000 units so by 2030, the number should reach 60,000 units.

Almost 40 years of exports
After starting the first Proton exports to Bangladesh in 1986, just a year after its first car was produced, PROTON quickly expanded its international reach and by the early 2000s, the brand was present in over 60 countries. In some markets like the UK, annual sales reached 15,000 units in 1992.

After the beginning of the 2000s, PROTON shifted focus to high-growth regional markets. Over the past few years, it has steadily grown its export numbers with the new generation of models. Between 2020 and this year, 20,169 vehicles have been exported to 19 countries, making PROTON the leading exporter of vehicles from Malaysia.

Top export models
The three models with the highest export volumes since 2020 are the Saga (10,998 units), X50 (3,986 units), and X70 (3,316 units). However, the fully electric e.MAS 7 is also becoming an international model and has risen to third place in export sales this year. Countries that are now selling or will sell the e.MAS 7 are Nepal, Trinidad & Tobago, Brunei and Singapore.

Beyond individual sales numbers, the international sales team has also been setting up overseas local assembly operations in some markets. A notable development was the commencement of local assembly of the Saga in Egypt in February 2025.

“The official registration of Proton International Corporation Sdn Bhd marks a pivotal moment, sharpening our focus and increasing our agility to drive global expansion. We are setting ambitious targets for the next few years and to achieve this, we are actively hiring more talent for our regional sales and marketing teams,” said Edmund Lim Meng Thong, CEO of Proton International Corporation. “We are also excited about the progress made at the Automotive High Tech Valley  which will boost our production capability to meet growing international demand.”