Skoda Auto Turns 25 in India : Skoda Auto Celebrates 25-Year Journey Milestone In India Škoda launched its presence in the Indian automotive market back in January 2000, with a factory in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (formerly Aurangabad). It was also the first Volkswagen Group brand to successfully conquer India.
It was the locally assembled Octavia that was its first offering and, today India is at the forefront of Skoda’s global growth. The brands are also supporting the Volkswagen Group’s growth in the ASEAN, Middle East, Australia and New Zealand.Three models have been developed specifically
for India and produced in tandem by Skoda—the Kushaq, Slavia and of course, latest entry being the Kylaq compact SUV. The Kylaq marks Skoda’s debut in the fiercely competitive sub-4-metre SUV class, which accounts for around 50 per cent of the Indian car market.
Klaus Zellmer, Skoda Auto’s Chief Executive Officer said about the brand’s journey: “In India, we have introduced three all new models tailored to the country, with localization being as high as 95 per cent – the Skoda Kushaq, Slavia, and most recently, the Kylaq compact SUV now joins the Octavia and Superb we’re also selling through an expanding dealer network. In two years, we have expanded customer touchpoints across the country by 35%. India is also helping Skoda Auto meet its global sustainability goals. One plant is now fully powered by green energy, while the plant in Pune expanded the photovoltaic grid to supply up to 30 percent of its power needs.”
Piyush Arora, MD & CEO, Skoda Auto Volkswagen India also commented, “Skoda was the first brand to introduce Volkswagen Group to the Indian market, back in January 2000, when it founded its first manufacturing plant in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.
Skoda’s India chapter started with the first-gen Octavia, put together with imported CKD kits as the factory was still being built. Other models like the Fabia, Rapid, Superb and Kodiaq have also managed to win over Indian customers over the years.
A significant inflection point was reached in 2018, when the Volkswagen Group tasked Skoda to spearhead its India operations. This was the inception of the MQB-A0-IN platform made specifically for India. The Kushaq was the first new car based on this platform, which launched in 2021, while the related Slavia sedan launched in 2022. Their latest launch, the Kylaq, achieved 10,000 orders in the first 10 days! By 2026, Škoda plans to sell 100,000 cars annually in India.