Skoda Auto Volkswagen India (SAVWI) on Tuesday announced the appointment of Piyush Arora as the new Managing Director of the company effective March 1, 2022. Arora succeeds Gurpratap Boparai.
A press release from the company said that in this role, Arora will be responsible for expanding the Volkswagen Group’s business in India, including the recent India 2.0 project of the brands Volkswagen and Skoda. SAVWI oversees the India operations of five Volkswagen Group brands – Skoda, Volkswagen, Audi, Porsche and Lamborghini.
After studying mechanical engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology in Kanpur and obtaining an International Business Diploma from Symbiosis International University in Pune, Arora began his career at Tata Motors. He later joined Mercedes-Benz India, where he held several senior positions, including the Supervisory Board positions at Mercedes-Benz Indonesia and Mercedes-Benz Vietnam, while overseeing their operations. Most recently, he oversaw the Operations business for Mercedes-Benz India as its Executive Director and Head of Operations.
Thanking Gurpratap Boparai for his performance as Managing Director of SAVWI, Thomas Schäfer, CEO, Skoda Auto, extended a warm welcome to Piyush Arora. “I am delighted that we have found a highly experienced professional to lead the India business. His task will be to advance and sustainably expand the Volkswagen Group’s business in India. I am convinced that he will succeed in this endeavour and wish him every success,” Schafer added.
The year 2022 will see significant events for all Volkswagen Group brands. Volkswagen and Skoda will finalise the rollout of the India 2.0 project with the Skoda Slavia and the notchback from Volkswagen, including commencing exports of the India 2.0 vehicles across the globe.
Christian Cahn von Seelen, Chairman, SAVWI, said 2021 has been a year of growth for the company. Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic and the global chip shortage, the company recorded a 76% growth across five brands. “I am confident
that Piyush Arora’s proven leadership will help us further build on this strong momentum and continue on a sustainable growth path in 2022 and the years ahead,” Seelen added.