Skoda Auto exports from Chakan plant crosses 600,000 units mark

Mumbai: Skoda Auto Volkswagen India Pvt Ltd (SAVWIPL) on Thursday said export of its cars produced at the company’s Chakan facility in Pune has crossed 600,000 units mark.

SAVWIPL is the Indian subsidiary of German automotive manufacturing giant Volkswagen Group.

The company manages India operations of Volkswagen Group brands – Skoda, Volkswagen, Audi, Porsche and Lamborghini.

The India-made models are finding strong demand in Mexico, Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, Sub Sahara, North Africa and other Asian markets, further consolidating the group’s global footprint, a company statement 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,” said Piyush Arora, Managing Director and CEO at SAVWIPL.

Volkswagen Group commenced exports from India in 2011. Polo and Vento models of the Volkswagen brand paved the way for India to emerge as a prominent export hub for the group, it said.

“The successful legacy of exports built by the India-made Polo and Vento continues to be carried forth by the Taigun, Virtus and Kushaq,” Arora added.

Kushaq is also the first Skoda vehicle to be exported from India, according to the company.

“Very soon we will see Kushaq and Slavia (Skoda brand models) 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,” he added.

Kushaq and Slavia models are set to be exported from 2024, the company stated, adding that an advanced dedicated 16,000 square metre facility is under construction at Chakan for these models.