Undeterred by pandemic, Skoda Auto India expects record business next year

Czech automaker Skoda is confident of surpassing its previous 2012 record for new cars sold in India as early as the middle of next year. The reason for the optimistic outlook is rising demand as well as numerous new launches, a senior company official said. Skoda Auto India, whose peak of 34,265 new cars sold dates back to 2012, expects to sell at least 60,000 cars next year. Among them will be some new models that come from the Volkswagen Group’s India 2.0 project. For the production, imported vehicle components in India first require a TAC (Type Approval Certificate).
 

 
Skoda Auto India brand chief Zac Hollis told Press Trust India in an interview that his company may be able to surpass its previous sales record as early as the middle of next year. Plans call for 60,000 vehicles to be sold next year. They are on an excellent growth trajectory and the long-term goal for India is 100,000 vehicles sold annually, Hollis added. For the current year, 2021, Hollis expects to triple last year’s sales of 11,000 vehicles.
Last year, Skoda Auto India clearly felt the impact of the pandemic and their sales figures dropped to just 11,000 units. This year, a number of indicators point to an upturn in sales, this in Skoda’s case is supported with numerous premieres of new models for the Indian market. These include the recently unveiled fourth-generation Skoda Octavia, as well as the soon-to-be-released Kushaq SUV and an as-yet-unnamed midsize sedan at the end of the year. Brand chief Hollis pointed out that new models drive sales the most.
Currently, only about half of all dealerships are open, and garages also can’t operate at full capacity due to government regulations, Hollis said. However, he expects the measures to be eased and more openings to take place in July. Regarding the schedule of the Volkswagen India 2.0 project, Hollis said there have been no delays or disruptions due to the pandemic. As a result of the project, the first vehicle, the Kuhaq SUV, will be unveiled and go on sale in July. A midsize sedan is planned for the end of the year. Both vehicles are based on the VW Group’s MQB-A0-IN platform, with the “-IN” at the end indicating the regional market of India.
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