Volkswagen-Skoda reveals its first product from the India 2.0 Project
Volkswagen and Skoda together aim to attain a five percent market share by 2025.
The Volkswagen Group on Tuesday revealed its first product, the MQB AO IN platform, from its India 2.0 Project. Volkswagen’s operations in India were merged with Skoda India in October last year. However, the seeds of this were sown nearly a year and a half back, when it began working on India 2.0 Project.
The MQB AO IN platform will be first seen in the new Taigun SUV under the Volkswagen banner. Skoda’s take on this platform is seen in the form of the Vision IN concept.
The global automotive giant will be investing one billion Euros in India as part of this move. Of this, 250 million Euros have been earmarked for R&D. It has set up Skoda Auto DigiLab India and Software Development Centre in Pune, which will be developing tailor-made products for India.
Throwing more light on the group’s R&D plans, Gurpratap Boparai, Managing Director of Skoda Auto Volkswagen India, said, “By investing in the technology centre, state-of-the-art production processes, and competent supplier partners, we are aiming to reach up to 95 percent localisation in the new range, while maintaining the stringent quality and performance that ŠKODA and Volkswagen are known to deliver.”
Volkswagen-Skoda is aiming to reach 90 percent localisation by as early as mid-2021, which will be later increased to 95 percent as promised by Boparai. Thanks to this, the company will be generating around 5,000 jobs in the country.
The Volkswagen Group is one of the largest auto manufacturers globally. Post the infamous emissions-related scandal, Volkswagen is gearing up to gain back its glory in a world, which is undergoing a transformation from internal combustion engines to electric. The company plans to introduce as many as 30 new models in the mid-term, of which at least 10 will be electric, either partially or fully.
(Edited by Suman Singh)
