The
Volkswagen Group has announced its intent to merge its three Indian
subsidiaries: Volkswagen India Private Ltd (VWIPL), Volkswagen Group Sales
India Private Ltd (NSC) and Skoda Auto India Private Ltd (SAIPL). The merger
has been considered and approved by the Boards of the three companies in India
and is now subject to the necessary regulatory and statutory approvals.
The
restructuring of the Volkswagen Group companies in India is an important
milestone in the Skoda--led ‘INDIA 2.0’ project of the Volkswagen Group. The
proposed merger of the three companies will make more efficient use of the
existing synergies in developing this important growth market. The Volkswagen
Group brands: Volkswagen, Skoda, Audi, Porsche and Lamborghini, will maintain
their individual identities, dealer network and customer experience
initiatives. However, the brands will work under the leadership of Gurpratap
Boparai with a common strategy for the Indian market.
Gurpratap
Boparai, Managing Director, Volkswagen India Private Ltd and Skoda Auto India
Private Ltd commented, “India is an important and an attractive growth market
for the Volkswagen Group. With the proposed merger, we intend to combine the
technical and managerial expertise of the three companies to unlock the Volkswagen
Group’s true potential in India’s competitive automotive market. The
integration will lead to coordinated and faster decision making and increased
efficiency using existing synergies.”
In
July 2018, the Volkswagen Group confirmed investments of Rs 8,000 crore (EUR 1
billion) in the ‘INDIA 2.0’ project. In January 2019 the Technology Center was
opened in Pune, laying the foundation for the development of products based on
the localised sub-compact MQB-A0-IN platform tailored to the needs of customers
in the Indian subcontinent. In the second phase of the project, Volkswagen
Group will be examining the possibility of exporting vehicles built in India.