VW India opens Components Business Unit, begins export of Vento and Polo parts to Malaysia

Pune, April 18, 2013: Volkswagen India has taken a new step in its export business. The company inaugurated its Parts and Components Business Unit at its Pune plant today. Present at the event were Dr Hubert Waltl, Member of the Board of Management of Volkswagen Passenger Cars Brand with the responsibility for ‘Production and Logistics’, Mahesh Kodumudi, president and MD, Volkswagen India and Andreas Lauenroth, executive director (Technical), Volkswagen India.

As a part of its growth strategy, Volkswagen India will now export body parts and assembly parts of the Vento saloon and in the near future of the Polo hatchback to Malaysia where the cars will be assembled at the DRB Hicom Plant for the local market. The Indian export parts contribute to approximately 70 percent of the car and will be manufactured and packaged at the Pune plant. Volkswagen India has invested around Rs 56 crore in the new business unit which sees 215 new jobs being created at the company and its suppliers.

The company has been exporting cars from its Pune plant since last year as fully built units to markets such as South Africa, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Malaysia and the left-hand-drive version of the Vento to the Middle East countries. Congratulating Volkswagen India, Dr Hubert Waltl said, “Malaysia is a key market for Volkswagen in the South East Asia region. Volkswagen Pune Plant has the quality competence and perfectly fulfils the requirements to successfully export parts and components to Malaysia. German engineering with the highest quality made by Volkswagen in India will be the unit’s key to success.”

“The Parts and Components Business Unit is the next important strategic step for us to grow beyond the domestic market and contribute towards the growth strategy of Volkswagen AG in South East Asia region,” added Mahesh Kodumudi.

“For our production plant, this is the next level of growth. Export is a future-orientated business unit and it is our task to ensure that we fulfil the demand of the Malaysian market. It is a challenge for both, the production as well as the logistics departments. Apart from the Malaysian market, if there is a demand from any other region for parts and components, we are on the pole position to support,” concluded Andreas Lauenroth.

Photograph (L-R): Gerasimos Dorizas, Chief Representative of the VW Group in India, Andreas Lauenroth, executive director (Technical), VW India, Dr. Hubert Waltl, Member of the Board of Management of VW Passenger Cars Brand with the responsibility for ‘Production and Logistics’ and Mahesh Kodumudi, president and MD, Volkswagen India at the inauguration of the Parts and Components Business Unit at the Volkswagen Pune Plant. ¬