Volkswagen Group and Skoda Auto India inaugurate new technology centre in Pune

Continuing their aggressive expansion, Volkswagen Group India and Skoda Auto India have invested around Rs 2000 crore in research and development for the ‘India 2.0’ project, led by Skoda Auto India. Volkswagen Group India and Skoda Auto India inaugurated their new technology centre with the aim of increasing localisation, developing new cars tailored for India while continuing to maintain high quality, safety and design standards.

The inauguration of the technology centre was attended by Andrej Babiš, Prime Minister of the Czech Republic, and other members of his government. The company will be deploying 250 engineers who will develop vehicles tailored to Indian customer’s requirement.

Skoda Auto India will be on the forefront for the development of the Volkswagen’s MQB A0 platform as well the group’s model offensive campaign in the country. This will drive the localization to 95 per cent of vehicle components for the platform while still retaining the best standards of quality, design and safety, according to the company.

Last year, the Volkswagen Group India confirmed an investment of Rs 7900 crore in the ‘India 2.0’ project with the aim of developing cars for the Indian market. Come 2020, the first product (a compact SUV) out of this project will be showcased. In a bid to reduce the ownership costs, of Volkswagen cars in India, the company recently announced a reduction of service costs by 24 per cent to 44 per cent depending on the model and variant along with more free services and extended roadside assistance.

On the Skoda leading the India 2.0 project, Andrej Babiš, Prime Minister of the Czech Republic, said  “I am delighted that Skoda Auto is expanding its presence and involvement in India with such significant investments and promising projects. The fact that Skoda is creating great opportunities for the high potential market here in India demonstrates the long-term strategy of the brand.”