Piyush Goyal Talks With Skoda Volkswagen for EV Manufacturing
Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal engaged in talks with a delegation headed by Piyush Arora, Managing Director and CEO of Škoda Auto Volkswagen India Private Limited (SAVWIPL), regarding strategies to enhance India's automobile sector. The meeting centered on enhancing car exports, strengthening local manufacturing, and augmenting electric vehicle (EV) production within the nation.
On X, Piyush Goyal’s Office stated, "Minister @PiyushGoyal met with a delegation headed by Mr. Piyush Arora, the MD & CEO of Škoda Auto Volkswagen India Private Limited (SAVWIPL)."
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Talks centered on boosting car exports, strengthening India’s role as a worldwide automotive production center, and promoting electric vehicle production. Additionally examined prospects for enhancing localization, fostering innovation, and reinforcing India’s connection to global automotive value chains.
The meeting takes place as Škoda Auto India keeps growing its sales and service network throughout the nation. The organization currently boasts over 350 customer interaction points located in 193 cities.
Škoda reached the milestone of 350 touchpoints on October 30, 2026, by launching a new outlet in Imphal. The launch also signified the company's debut in Manipur and the first appearance of any SAVWIPL Group brand within the state. This expansion gives Škoda the broadest reach among the brands in the group in Northeast India.
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The network of the company has expanded consistently in recent years, increasing from 191 touchpoints in 2021 to 325 in 2025, and surpassing 350 in October 2026. Its presence has grown from 156 cities in 25 states and Union Territories in 2024 to 193 cities in 29 states and Union Territories.
With the backing of 79 dealer partners, the network presently encompasses 270 sales points and 203 after-sales points, incorporating various sales and service formats. From January 2025 to October 2026, Škoda launched 58 showrooms in 38 different cities. In that same timeframe, it expanded by incorporating 45 workshops in 34 additional cities, enhancing its service network throughout India.
In October 2026, automobile retail sales achieved their second-best performance for the month, with total vehicle registrations hitting 31.72 lakh units. The October sales report published by the Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA) on Friday, November 6, indicated that retail sales rose 25.05 percent month-on-month (MoM) in comparison to September. Nonetheless, sales fell by 23.80 percent compared to the previous year.
FADA stated that the year-over-year drop was mainly attributed to a high base in October 2025, when both Navratri and Diwali occurred in the same month, coupled with the effects of GST rate reductions.
This year, the key festivals moved to November, impacting sales performance in October.
In October, the retail sales of two-wheelers reached 23,21,419 units. This represented a decrease of 28.35 percent in comparison to the same month the previous year. Nonetheless, monthly sales rose by 29.67 percent.
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Retail sales of passenger vehicles (PV) fell by 14.23 percent compared to the previous year, totaling 5,07,768 units. Even with the yearly decrease, October saw the third-largest sales of passenger vehicles for that month. Retail sales of commercial vehicles (CV) rose by 2.29 percent compared to the previous year, reaching 1,15,140 units. The sector achieved its peak sales for October on record.