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The Czech carmaker first entered the Indian market in January 2000, setting up its factory in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (formerly Aurangabad).
Škoda is committed to sustainability, aiming for CO2-neutral production in India by 2030.
Skoda Auto has completed 25 years in India, marking a significant milestone in its journey.
The Czech carmaker first entered the Indian market in January 2000, setting up its factory in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (formerly Aurangabad). Skoda was also the first Volkswagen Group brand to make its mark in India.
The locally assembled Octavia was its first offering, and today, India plays a key role in Skoda’s global expansion. The brand is also helping Volkswagen Group strengthen its presence in ASEAN, the Middle East, Australia, and New Zealand.
Skoda currently manufactures and sells three models designed specifically for India—the Kushaq, Slavia, and the latest addition, the Kylaq compact SUV. The Kylaq is Skoda’s first model in the highly competitive sub-4-metre SUV segment, which makes up almost 50% of the Indian car market.
Klaus Zellmer, CEO of Skoda Auto, highlighted the brand’s journey: “We have launched three all-new models specifically for India, achieving localization of up to 95 per cent: the Skoda Kushaq, Slavia, and just recently the Kylaq compact SUV, which complement the Octavia and Superb we also sell through a growing dealer network. In the last two years, we have increased customer touchpoints across the country by 35%. India also contributes to the global sustainability goals of Skoda Auto. One plant already runs entirely on green energy, while the plant in Pune expanded its photovoltaic system to deliver up to 30% of its electricity needs.”
Piyush Arora, MD & CEO of Skoda Auto Volkswagen India, also shared his thoughts: “Skoda was the first brand to establish Volkswagen Group’s presence in India, setting up its first plant in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar back in January 2000.”
Skoda began its Indian operations with the first-generation Octavia, assembled from imported parts while the factory was being built. Over the years, models like the Fabia, Rapid, Superb, and Kodiaq have also won Indian customers over.
A major turning point came in 2018 when Volkswagen Group handed Skoda the responsibility of leading its India operations. This led to the development of the MQB-A0-IN platform, tailor-made for India. The first car built on this platform was the Kushaq in 2021, followed by the Slavia sedan in 2022. The latest launch, the Kylaq, received 10,000 orders within just 10 days! Škoda now aims to sell 100,000 cars annually in India by 2026.
Skoda is actively working towards CO₂ neutrality by 2030:
- The Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar plant already runs on 100 percent green energy.
- Pune’s solar system generates 26.6 GWh of electricity annually, covering 30 percent of its power needs.
- Over 300 species of plants and animals thrive at the Pune facility.
