Jan Frydrych appointed HR director for Skoda’s ‘India 2.0’ project

As part of the ‘India 2.0’ project, Skoda continues to allocate responsibilities at the management level. Jan Frydrych has been appointed the HR director for the Volkswagen Group’s Indian operations, effective as of 1 April 2019. In this role, the 40-year-old will report directly to Gurpratap Boparai, managing director of Škoda Auto India and Volkswagen India.

In this position, the experienced manager will be responsible for human resources management and the implementation of the HR strategy within the framework of the ‘India 2.0’ project, working alongside a newly established management team. He will also be responsible for collaborating with social partners and implementing HR synergies among the Group brands in the Indian market.

Commenting on the appointment, Skoda Auto Board Member for Human Resources, Bohdan Wojnar, said: “Jan Frydrych’s many years of experience in HR will help us introduce a sustainable human resources concept in India. With his expertise, he will ensure that talented new employees are won over to the project and that the potential of the local workforce is utilized optimally.”

Gurpratap Boparai added: “For the India 2.0 project to be implemented successfully, we need a new approach to human resources. The project brings with it new responsibilities as well as a much broader array of activities, and it will develop dynamically. We are currently recruiting a lot of new employees to complete the project in a short time. I am convinced that Mr Frydrych will be a valuable member of our management team in the future.”

Frydrych has worked in various positions for Skoda Auto since 2004. He began his career in sales and marketing. Since 2007, he has held leadership positions in the field of human resources and has worked both in the Czech Republic and abroad since then. After working at Volkswagen China Investment Co., he returned to Skoda, becoming head of Recruiting and HR marketing in 2015. Since September 2016, he has been responsible for HR management at the Kvasiny plant.

As part of the ‘India 2.0’ project, Skoda Auto is in charge of the Volkswagen Group’s planned model campaign on the Indian market and will be producing new models locally based on the sub-compact platform MQB A0, initially focusing on India (MQB-A0-IN). Skoda and Volkswagen will be developing various models on this platform. The model campaign will be launched in 2020 with an SUV.

The second step will involve the manufacturer examining the possibility of exporting the vehicles produced in India. The technical development of the new vehicles will take place primarily in India, for which a new technology centre was opened in January. The car manufacturer plans to gradually create new jobs locally.

Also read: Skoda and Volkswagen Group open new Tech Centre in Pune

VW Group India strengthens service footprint with new customer-centric facilities

Skoda Auto India appoints Zac Hollis as new director for Sales, Service & Marketing