Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal met a delegation led by Piyush Arora, Managing Director and CEO of Škoda Auto Volkswagen India Private Limited (SAVWIPL), to discuss expanding automobile exports, strengthening domestic manufacturing and accelerating electric vehicle (EV) production.
The discussions focused on positioning India as a global automotive manufacturing hub through deeper localisation, innovation and stronger integration into global automotive value chains.
The meeting comes as Volkswagen Group seeks to expand its Indian operations and leverage the country as a strategic manufacturing and export base. In 2025, SAVWIPL recorded domestic sales growth of 36% to around 1.17 lakh vehicles, while total sales, including exports, reached approximately 1.60 lakh units.
Volkswagen–JSW Partnership in Focus
The discussions also come amid Volkswagen Group and JSW Group’s proposed 51:49 joint venture, for which the companies signed a non-binding MoU in September 2026. The proposed partnership aims to combine Volkswagen’s automotive technology and engineering expertise with JSW’s manufacturing capabilities to expand passenger vehicle production in India.
The venture is expected to cover internal combustion engine, hybrid and electric vehicles, with a focus on localisation, shared platforms and expanded manufacturing and R&D capabilities. The companies are in exclusive negotiations, targeting a binding agreement by December 2026.
The proposed partnership could further strengthen India’s role as a global manufacturing and export hub for Volkswagen Group, particularly in the electric vehicle segment.