Skoda Auto Volkswagen India Pvt Ltd (SAVWIPL) has commenced production of the new Škoda Slavia at its Chakan manufacturing plant in Pune, ahead of the festive season when demand for passenger vehicles typically rises.
The new Slavia builds on a sedan that has sold nearly 80,000 units in India, with upgrades aimed at enhancing design, technology, comfort and safety. Škoda said the model continues its strategy of combining European engineering with products tailored to Indian customer requirements.
New technology and comfort
The new Slavia retains its 5-star Global NCAP safety credentials and introduces an eight-speed torque converter automatic transmission with the 1.0 TSI engine.
The sedan also gets a segment-first rear-seat massage function, a 360-degree Area View camera and next-generation infotainment featuring an AI Companion powered by Google Cloud.
Skoda Auto India Brand Director Ashish Gupta said the Slavia has achieved close to 30% segment share and that the new model builds on its design, safety, driving dynamics and engineering attributes with additional technology and comfort features.
SAVWIPL Managing Director and CEO Piyush Arora said production of the new Slavia demonstrates the company’s development and manufacturing capabilities in India, while allowing it to bring the latest version of the sedan to customers.
India strengthens global manufacturing role
The Slavia production milestone comes as India assumes a larger role in Škoda Auto’s global manufacturing network.
SAVWIPL operates two manufacturing facilities in India with a combined annual production capacity of 315,000 vehicles. The company crossed the 2-million locally produced vehicle milestone in 2025.
Under its “Made in India for India and the World” strategy, SAVWIPL has exported more than 725,000 vehicles to over 40 countries.
The company’s expanded Technology Centre in Pune supports localisation, product development and engineering activities, strengthening its ability to adapt vehicles for Indian as well as international markets.
Skoda Auto Chief Production Officer Andreas Dick said India has become an increasingly important production location for the company and an integral part of its global manufacturing network.
The start of Slavia production therefore comes as both a product refresh and a further expansion of India’s role in the Volkswagen Group’s manufacturing and engineering ecosystem.