Skoda Auto laid the foundation for its first plant in India in January 2000, commencing its journey that has seen multiple impactful models so far and
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- Skoda Auto laid the foundation for its first plant in India in January 2000, commencing its journey that has seen multiple impactful models so far and with more to follow.
Skoda Auto is celebrating 25 years of its presence in India since it first forayed into the market in January 2000. The Czech Republic automaker was the first player from the Volkswagen Group to mark its presence in India and laid the foundation stone for its plant at Aurangabad (now Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar) in Maharashtra. For a brand that’s 130 years old, it’s now spent a quarter century in the Indian market.
25 years of Skoda Auto India
Skoda India started operations from a rental space before its plant was functional to locally assemble its maiden offering, the Octavia. The sedan was launched in 2001 in the premium D-segment and was instantly popular for its driving dynamics and peppy petrol and diesel engines. The success of the Octavia paved the way for other global models from the brand including the Superb, Laura (second-gen Octavia), Fabia, Yeti, Karoq, and Kodiaq.
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The company then partnered with parent Volkswagen to operate its second manufacturing facility in Chakan, Pune, in Maharashtra, which led to more locally-built products like the Rapid, followed by its latest made-in-India range – the Kushaq, Slavia, and Kylaq – which see over 95 per cent localisation, according to the company.
Speaking about its presence in India, Klaus Zellmer, CEO of Skoda Auto, said, “We have built on 25 years of experience in India to make this thriving market the cornerstone of our international growth strategy. With its tremendous talent pool, growing consumer demand, and access to other markets, India is becoming our second pillar outside Europe and helping leverage further sales potential in ASEAN, the Middle East, and the Indo-Pacific region.”
Piyush Arora, MD & CEO of Skoda Auto Volkswagen India, said, “As Skoda celebrates 25 years in the country, the Group’s focus on the Indian market continues to strengthen. With evolving consumer preferences, we are introducing products that combine the Group’s global expertise with a deep understanding of the Indian market. Today, our model lineup features advanced vehicles designed and built specifically for India, including the newly unveiled compact SUV, Skoda Kylaq.”
India a key contributor to Skoda’s international plans
Skoda says India has been a major hub for its internationalisation plans and its presence helped the brand leverage the existing sales potential in the ASEAN region, Middle East, Australia and New Zealand. The automaker recently made its way into Vietnam with the cars exported from the manufacturing facility in India.
In addition to its global aspirations, Skoda Auto has also taken the lead for all its activities in India on behalf of the VW Group since 2018. The automaker led the India 2.0 project, which saw the development of the MQB A0-IN platform. The heavily localised platform has spawned five products so far including the Kushaq, Slavia, and Kylaq under the Skoda moniker, and the Taigun and Virtus under the Volkswagen brand.
Skoda Auto India says it anticipates the new Kylaq to contribute majorly to the brand’s overall volumes as it targets to sell 100,000 cars annually in India by 2026.
Check out Upcoming Cars in India 2024, Best SUVs in India.
First Published Date: 30 Jan 2025, 14:41 PM IST