India will serve as Skoda Auto's export base starting in the next year.

While Skoda Auto exports to the Middle East and North Africa, Volkswagen currently ships vehicles from India to Mexico and South Africa.

As it prepares to start exporting vehicle kits for assembly in Vietnam from next year, Czech automaker Skoda Auto has stated that India would become an export hub for the business.

The business, which reported a staggering 125 percent year-over-year increase in vehicle sales at 53,721 units in 2022, also sounded optimistic about expanding into double-digits this year.

Similar to this, Volkswagen Group sales increased by 85.48 percent annually to 1,01,270 vehicles the year before.

Under Skoda Auto Volkswagen India Pvt Ltd (SAVWPIL), the Group is represented by the Skoda Auto, Volkswagen, Audi, Porsche, and Lamborghini brands.

In an interview with PTI, Petr Solc, Brand Director at Skoda Auto India, stated that India is an absolutely important market as part of our regional strategy of Skoda Auto, and India will become an export hub for Skoda.

While Skoda Auto exports to the Middle East and North Africa, Volkswagen currently ships vehicles from India to Mexico and South Africa. The export of vehicle kits for assembly in Vietnam will begin the following year, according to Solc.

He said that Skoda and Volkswagen's strategy already includes exporting heavily and will do so in the future.

He noted that Skoda Auto India delivered more than 50,000 vehicles in the domestic market for the first time last year and added, We would like to grow with the market or even faster and our ambition is to grow into double digits.

Because of the launch of the Slavia, he claimed that 2022 was unique for the business. He continued, So, there was this kind of a one-time effect of any new model introduction.

We can now enjoy having both models for the entire year on the market because both (the brand-new Slavia sedan and Kushaq SUV) are now available. 

In terms of the company's expansion strategy, the 7-seater upgraded SUV Kodiaq will also be important, according to Solc, especially given the current, significantly higher supply.

Christian Cahn Von Seelen, Member of the Board for sales, marketing, and digital at SAVWPIL, responded to a question about Audi, which for a time held the undisputed lead in the domestic premium luxury car market, by saying that the company's volume growth in 2022 was impressive compared to the year prior, but that growth was still significantly constrained by the chip supply issues, even in Europe.

Audi has grown impressively, and we definitely intend to keep doing that, As much as I may disagree, I can say that a tonne of new products will be introduced over here.

Solc stated that the company's entry into the EV market in India will depend on how the market develops there. Late this month, the European automaker Skoda unveiled its EV plan, which calls for the progressive introduction of six electric vehicles by 2026.

Skoda and I, as a manufacturer, will be prepared. And if things take off well, it's possible that the market for cars or electric vehicles may grow by up to 20, maybe 30% in the next 5 to 10 years. We are not certain, he stated.

We would like to be included in that spectrum as well, so this may be part of it, but it again relies on the response. We will be prepared if more manufacturers decide to move here, infrastructure is established, and consumers are willing to purchase electric vehicles, the guy stated.

He claimed that the business is debating which models it should export to India as EVs in the future. And if we determine that the market has promise, we'll include them as well. Therefore, I am unable to predict what the proportion will be. But if the industry shifts to include more than 20% of electric vehicles in the overall market, Solc continued, we would like to enter within the EV segment.

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