Volkswagen Group
officially opened its new plant in India, on March 31 in the
presence of some 500 international guests. For Volkswagen, the new
production facility in Pune is a major stepping stone towards
achieving its ambitious growth targets on the Indian subcontinent.
The Pune plant
will begin building the Skoda Fabia compact car in May 2009.
Production of a hatchback version of the Volkswagen Polo specially
developed for the Indian market will be added from 2010. With a
total financial commitment in India amounting to 580 million euros,
the Pune plant represents the largest investment to date by a German
company in the country. The facility has a maximum annual production
capacity of 110,000 vehicles destined for delivery to the Indian
market.
Despite the
impact of the financial and economic crisis the desire for
individual mobility in India remains high. Experts predict that the
Indian automobile market will grow from the present 1.2 million
vehicles to over 2 million vehicles by 2014. The Volkswagen Group
has already been building Skoda, Volkswagen and Audi models at its
plant in Aurangabad since 2001. In addition to expanding production
capacity, the Group is also investing in an efficient Indian
supplier industry and in expanding its dealer network across the
country.
The Pune plant
is one of the most modern in the Volkswagen Group. It has a high
level of vertical integration and a large share of local suppliers.
The facility is the only production plant operated by a German
automaker in India that covers the entire production process from
press shop through body shop and paint shop to final assembly.
Volkswagen plans
to employ some 2,500 people at the Pune plant by the end of 2010. In
2008, the Volkswagen Group produced 6.347 million vehicles
worldwide, some 66.2 percent (4.201 million) of which were built
outside Germany. The Pune plant is the 61st in the worldwide
production network of the nine-brand Group.
For more
information, visit
www.volkswagen.com.