Skoda Auto Volkswagen India has appointed Christian Schenk, as the Chairman of SKODA AUTO Volkswagen India Private Limited (SAVWIPL) and Piyush Arora as the Managing Director. Skoda Auto Volkswagen India Private Limited has also appointed Christian Cahn von Seelen, Head of Management of Global Regions at SKODA AUTO and Chairman of SAVWIPL, as Executive Director – Sales & Marketing at SAVWIPL.
Official Statements
Commenting on the appointments, Thomas Schäfer, CEO of ŠKODA AUTO, said, “In line with our vision to be the leading European automotive brand in India, I am delighted to welcome this group of seasoned professionals to bolster the leadership team in India. I am confident that Christian Cahn von Seelen’s understanding of SAVWIPL’s business in India right from inception, and his strong relationships at HQ, will complement Piyush Arora’s deep knowledge and experience of the Indian automotive sector. Along with Christian Schenk’s support at HQ, this leadership team is fully geared to accelerate our growth in the Indian market.”
Piyush Arora, Managing Director, SAVWIPL, said, “This is an exciting time to join the Group. 2022 is slated to be the Group’s best year in India. It is my pleasure to welcome Christian Cahn von Seelen to join me on the Board. I look forward to working with him to take the INDIA 2.0 story forward, further building on the strong momentum while continuing on a sustainable growth path in the years ahead.”
Christian Schenk points out, ”The Indian region has become a more and more important and strategic relevant pillar in the Volkswagen Group and especially for ŠKODA. I am looking forward to this new challenge.”
Skoda India: Recent launches
Skoda has currently revealed prices for the 1.0 TSI engine range which will be the bread and butter model in the Slavia range. Prices for the more expensive and powerful 1.5 TSI variants will be revealed on March 3. The Skoda Slavia is launched at ₹10.69L (ex. showroom). The Skoda Slavia competes with Hyundai Verna, Honda City, Maruti Suzuki Ciaz. It will also compete with the Vento replacement that is the upcoming Volkswagen Virtus. The Skoda Slavia is similar to its compact SUV sibling, Skoda Kushaq.