Operations for the Volkswagen Group In India are now driven by their new ‘INDIA 2.0’ project, under which, brand Skoda will take the lead going forward. Having secured the prerequisite regulatory and statutory approvals, the group announced the merger of its three passenger car subsidiaries – Volkswagen India Private Limited (VWIPL), Volkswagen Group Sales India Private Limited (NSC) and Skoda Auto India Private Limited (SAIPL). The merged entity will be referred to as ‘Škoda Auto Volkswagen India Private Limited’ (SAVWIPL).
An important milestone in the group’s new ‘INDIA 2.0’ project, the new entity will be led by Mr Gurpratap Boparai, who will assume the role of its Managing Director. The company will be headquartered in Pune, Maharashtra, operate two production facilities in Pune and Aurangabad and have regional offices in Mumbai, New Delhi, and other locations across the country. The integration will make more efficient use of the existing synergies in this important growth market for VW.
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The merged entity has a strong brand portfolio which includes Škoda Auto, Volkswagen, Audi, Porsche and Lamborghini. These brands shall retain their distinctive identities, dealer network as well as implementing their own customer experience initiatives. However, they will be pursuing a shared vision and strategy for the Indian subcontinent.
In July 2018, the Volkswagen Group announced investments of around one billion euros as part of the ‘INDIA 2.0’ project. In January 2019, a new technology centre was opened in Pune, India, where vehicles will be developed based on the localized MQB-A0-IN subcompact platform, tailored to the requirements of local customers. The first step in the model campaign will involve ŠKODA AUTO Volkswagen India Private Limited launching a mid-size SUV model that will be available from both ŠKODA and Volkswagen. The company will be presenting the pre-production versions at the Auto Expo 2020, which will be held in New Delhi from 6 to 9 February 2020.
Talking about this new announcement, Mr Gurpratap Boparai, Managing Director of ŠKODA AUTO Volkswagen India Pvt. Ltd., said: “With this merger, we plan to combine the technology and management expertise of our team in India and realize our true potential in a challenging, competitive environment. We want to further strengthen our presence in India, ensure the professional development of our employees and safeguard sustainable profitability for our dealers.”