National, 17 August, 2023: Škoda Auto Volkswagen India Private Limited (SAVWIPL), has achieved the 600,000 export milestone for cars produced at its manufacturing facility in Chakan, Pune. The entity that manages the Indian operations of Volkswagen Group brands – Škoda, Volkswagen, Audi, Porsche and Lamborghini, is responsible for fulfilling the VW Group’s ambition to become the leading European car maker in India. The exports achievement cements the position of region India as a key export hub for the VW Group, while it continues to make inroads into the growing Indian market.
The journey of the VW Group’s exports success commenced with the Volkswagen Polo and Volkswagen Vento models, which were the pioneers in their respective segments. These models paved the way for India to emerge as a prominent export hub for the Group. Expanding on this, the Volkswagen Virtus, Volkswagen Taigun and Škoda Kushaq have propelled forward with the same momentum, on the strength of their innovative and versatile features in both left-hand and right-hand drive variants. The India-made models are finding strong demand in Mexico, GCC countries, Sub Sahara, North Africa and other Asian markets, to name a few, further solidifying the Group’s global footprint. Notably, the Kushaq is also the first Škoda vehicle to be exported from India.
Commenting on the announcement, Piyush Arora, Managing Director & CEO, Škoda Auto Volkswagen India Private Limited said, “Exports from India are an integral part of our global strategy. Crossing the 600,000 units mark is a significant milestone. India’s strategic geographical location and the engineering capabilities here have been a key to our growing exports. It is a matter of great pride for us that the successful legacy of exports built by the India-made VW Polo and VW Vento continue to be carried forth by the Volkswagen Taigun, Volkswagen Virtus and Škoda Kushaq, which are enjoying the same acclaim and acceptance globally, as they do in India. Very soon we will see the Škoda Kushaq and Škoda Slavia find their way to Vietnam through the parts and components route. This success exemplifies our steady commitment to “Make in India” for both the domestic market and the world, with a clear focus on engineering each product for international excellence.”
The INDIA 2.0 cars have been well-received worldwide. The blend of design, quality, safety and performance that they offer has resonated well with customers across continents. The India-made Škoda Kushaq and Škoda Slavia models are set to be exported to Vietnam as parts and components from 2024. To facilitate this expansion, an advanced 16,000 sq. m plant is currently under construction in Chakan, Pune, dedicated to manufacturing these.
All the four INDIA 2.0 models have been awarded full 5-star safety ratings for both adult and child occupants by Global NCAP, making them the safest made-in-India cars. The Volkswagen Taigun and Volkswagen Virtus produced here for global markets have also achieved an outstanding 5-star safety rating in the Latin NCAP crash tests.
These accolades underscore Škoda Auto Volkswagen’s commitment to offer the highest safety standards across its vehicle range. With a firm focus on innovation, quality and sustainability, Škoda Auto Volkswagen India is poised to reinforce its position as a leading European car-manufacturer in the Indian automotive industry.
