Skoda Auto has completed 25 years in India, marking a key milestone in its expansion. The company entered the Indian market in January 2000, becoming the first Volkswagen Group brand to establish operations in the country. It began its journey with a manufacturing facility in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (formerly Aurangabad) and introduced the Skoda Octavia as its first locally assembled model.

Over the years, India has played a vital role in Skoda’s global strategy, contributing to its growth in regions like ASEAN, the Middle East, Australia, and New Zealand. Since 2018, Skoda has been leading Volkswagen Group’s regional operations, focusing on localization and market development. Currently, the brand manufactures three models in India—the Kushaq, Slavia, and the recently launched Kylaq compact SUV—designed on the MQB A0-IN platform to meet the evolving needs of Indian consumers.

Klaus Zellmer, CEO of Skoda Auto, highlighted the company’s strong growth and future vision in India, stating, "We have built on 25 years of experience in India to make this thriving market the cornerstone of our international growth strategy. With its tremendous talent pool, growing consumer demand, and access to other markets, India is becoming our second pillar outside Europe and helping leverage further sales potential in ASEAN, the Middle East, and the Indo-Pacific region. Skoda has been a notable brand in India since we entered the market with the Octavia in 2001. We now produce in two plants. 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%."

Skoda Auto’s journey in India began with the launch of the first-generation Octavia, which was initially assembled using imported parts while the company set up its plant in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. Over the years, models like the Fabia, Rapid, Superb, and Kodiaq further strengthened the brand’s presence. A major turning point came in 2018 when Volkswagen Group entrusted Skoda with leading its operations in India. This led to the development of the MQB-A0-IN platform, tailored specifically for the Indian market. The first model built on this platform, the Kushaq, entered production in Pune in 2021, followed by the Slavia sedan in 2022. Expanding into the highly competitive sub-4-metre SUV segment, Skoda recently introduced the Kylaq, which received 10,000 orders within 10 days of its launch. The company now aims to achieve 100,000 annual sales in India by 2026.