Stellantis India announced the start of exports for the Citroen Basalt on April 30, 2026, with the first shipment departing from its Chennai manufacturing plant to South Africa. With this latest consignment, the automaker reached a cumulative export milestone of 10,000 Citroen vehicles shipped from India to the South African market.
The Citroen Basalt is based on Stellantis' Smart Car platform, which was designed and industrialized by Indian research and development teams for both domestic and global applications. The mainstream SUV coupe is built on a highly localized platform, utilizing up to 95 percent local content.
Shailesh Hazela, CEO and Managing Director of Stellantis India, stated that the commencement of Basalt exports strengthens the country's role as a competitive manufacturing and sourcing base for the company. The automaker noted that the inclusion of the Basalt in its export program represents the next phase of Citroen's international growth originating from its Indian operations.