Skoda CEO: India Key Market for Global Growth

New Delhi, Jan 30 (PTI) India is the most important market globally for Skoda after Europe and the region is helping the automaker to enhance its presence in regional markets like ASEAN and the Middle East, Skoda Auto CEO Klaus Zellmer said on Thursday.

Skoda Auto entered the Indian market in January 2000 with the company laying the foundation stone for its plant in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (formerly Aurangabad).

"We have built on 25 years of experience in India to make this thriving market the cornerstone of our international growth strategy," Zellmer said in a statement.

With its tremendous talent pool, growing consumer demand, and access to other markets, India is becoming the Czech carmaker's second pillar outside Europe and helping leverage further sales potential in ASEAN, the Middle East, and the Indo-Pacific region, he added.

On behalf of the Volkswagen Group, Skoda Auto has been spearheading all activities in India since 2018.

"As the company 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," Skoda Auto Volkswagen India MD & CEO Piyush Arora said.

The automaker is dedicated to enhancing its manufacturing capabilities, sales touchpoints and advancing sustainability initiatives to deliver long-term value to customers, employees, and communities, he added.

The Indian market has developed into one of the key markets for Skoda and a strategic hub for the wider ASEAN region, the Middle East, Australia, and New Zealand.

In addition to its assembly lines in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and manufacturing plant in Pune, Skoda has also established a technology centre in the country.

Moreover, in October 2023, the company opened a modern logistics facility for the export of components to Vietnam, a market it entered in 2023.