Volkswagen India launched its one-millionth part of its assembly line at its factory in Pune. The celebratory car was none other than the Volkswagen Ameo made for India, which was launched in the presence of Gurpratap Boparai, Executive Director of Volkswagen India Private Limited, Steffen Knapp, Director of Volkswagen Passenger Cars India.
The manufacturing facility began operating in March 2009 with the production of the first car, the Skoda Fabia. Three more models: Volkswagen Polo Price, Vento and Skoda Rapid soon started to leave the production site at the end of 2010 and after that there was no turning back. Now, 10 years later, the company launched its one millionth cars and also the Ameo.
The Ameo was Volkswagen’s first subcompact sedan in the country. Volkswagen began exporting cars from the Pune plant starting in South Africa in 2012. Mexico became one of the most important destinations for automobiles manufactured in India and Vento quickly became the most sold Volkswagen in that market. Today, more than 400,000 cars manufactured from the Volkswagen Pune plant have reached more than 50 different countries on four continents around the world, including Asia, Africa, North America and South America.
Steffen Knapp, director of Volkswagen Passenger Cars, commented: “The number one millionth display of a Volkswagen car line is a testament to our strong brand equity in a dynamic and evolving market like India.” This milestone is dedicated to all our employees, customers and “network that has contributed significantly to the growth of our brand in India. With this achievement, company look forward many more milestones and commit a stronger product portfolio and greater customer experience in the coming years. “
The Volkswagen Group has invested Rs 8,000 million in India under the India 2.0 project. The Volkswagen Group is further strengthening its commitment and participation in the market through its regional project India 2.0. The objective of this project is to develop more cars that are relevant to the requirements of the Indian market in a platform that has been located: the MQB A0. The Volkswagen Group is investing 1,000 million euros (₹ 8,000 crore) in this project and has already established a Technology Center at the Pune plant to initiate local development.
Despite the impact of the financial and economic crisis, the needs for individual mobility in India remain high. Experts predict that the car market in this country will go from 1.2 million vehicles today, to more than 2 million in 2014. Since 2001, the Volkswagen Group has been manufacturing Škoda, Volkswagen and Audi models at its Aurangabad plant. In addition to increasing its production capacity, the Group is investing in an efficient auxiliary industry and expanding its distribution network around the country. The Pune plant is one of the most modern of the Volkswagen Group. It has a high level of vertical integration and has a wide range of local suppliers. It is the only production center of a German manufacturer in India that covers the entire production process, bodywork, painting and final assembly.
Volkswagen plans to employ 2,500 people at the Pune plant by the end of 2010. The investment agreement to build this new production center was signed in November 2006.
In 2008, the Volkswagen Group produced 6.3 million vehicles in all over the world, of which 66.2% (4.2 million) were manufactured outside of Germany. The Pune plant is the 61st plant in the Group’s global production network, which currently has nine brands.
