India EV policy to help global car companies expedite investment decisions: Skoda senior executive
electric vehicle policy will help global carmakers expedite decisions on investing in manufacturing EVs in the country besides allowing brands gauge customer response to premium EV models in a value conscious market, said a senior executive at the local arm of Czech carmaker Skoda Auto.
Speaking to ET, Petr Janeba, brand director, Škoda Auto India said the policy will make high-end EVs more popular in the Indian market as there will be a lot of variety to choose from.
“The Volkswagen (VW) Group is committed to invest in India, so any such policy will help in expediting the decisions. We are now in the middle of calculations. With the new policy, it looks more positive than before,” said Janeba, who joined the Indian operations in January. He did not elaborate.
His comments come at a time when Skoda Auto Volkswagen India is in the process of finalising its next phase of investment. Skoda leads the Volkswagen Group’s strategy in India. The VW Group comprises Skoda, VW, Porsche, and Audi, among other brands.
India is currently the third largest market by sales volume for Skoda. The company is targeting 5% share of the Indian passenger vehicle market by 2030-end backed by launches of multiple fossil fuel and battery electric vehicles. It currently has less than 2% share.
Last month, India announced lowering import taxes on specified volume of EVs by automakers who commit to invest at least $500 million and start domestic manufacturing within three years.
The move is primarily aimed at wooing global EV makers like
