Škoda Auto India Opens First Dealership in Shillong

Škoda Auto India inaugurated its first dealership in Shillong on March 9, 2026, marking the brand's entry into Meghalaya. The Sales, Service and Spares (3S) facility, located in Laitkor Rngi, was launched in partnership with SSB Automobiles Pvt. Ltd., operating under the name Lai Jong Škoda. The opening represents the brand's continued push into regions that have historically had limited access to European automotive brands.

The facility spans a 3,000 sq. ft. showroom with space for four vehicles on display, alongside a 7,250 sq. ft. service area with three bays. The dealership follows Škoda's Modern Solid global design standard, a philosophy the company applies uniformly across its international network to ensure a consistent customer experience regardless of location.

Ashish Gupta, Brand Director at Škoda Auto India, described the North-East as "an emerging and promising market," and said expanding the network in the region reflects the company's broader goal of making the brand accessible across the country. He added that network strengthening remains a key focus following what the company called its biggest year in India in 2025. The new facility carries the full India model lineup — the Kylaq, Kushaq, Slavia, and Kodiaq — alongside the after-sales and service infrastructure that the brand considers central to its ownership proposition.

Dealer Principal Rakesh Kumar Singh of SSB Automobiles said the facility had been designed to deliver a seamless customer experience from the point of purchase through to ongoing service. He expressed confidence that customers in the region would respond to the combination of Škoda's product range and the dealership's customer-first approach.

The Shillong opening is the latest step in a network expansion that has seen Škoda grow from 120 touchpoints in 2021 to over 325 across 184 cities. The pace of that growth reflects a deliberate strategy to move beyond metro and Tier-1 markets and reach customers in smaller cities and previously underserved regions, including the North-East.

That strategy appears to be producing results. Škoda Auto India recorded sales of 72,665 vehicles in 2025, a 107% year-on-year increase, making it the brand's strongest performance since entering the Indian market in 2001. The company has attributed part of that growth to the expanded network, which has brought the brand within reach of a larger pool of buyers.

Globally, Škoda Auto delivered over 1,040,000 vehicles in 2025 and operates across nearly 100 markets. The company, which has been part of the Volkswagen Group for more than 30 years, employs around 40,000 people worldwide and currently offers 12 passenger car model ranges internationally. In India, the lineup remains focused on four models positioned across the mid-size sedan and SUV segments. Škoda also independently develops and produces components including MEB battery systems, engines, and transmissions for other Volkswagen Group brands, underlining its role within the wider group structure.