VW: Keeping road to India open

Friday, January 13, 2006

VW is keeping the road to India open, but there is no final decision yet.

Volkswagen AG, the leading German carmaker, will decide within the next year whether to go ahead with plans for a new large assembly plant in India.

In an interview at the North American International Auto Show, Bernd Pischetsrieder, chairman of the board of management of Volkswagen AG, said India was an important market for Volkswagen.

Pischetsrieder’s statement is the first clear comment from a top Volkswagen executive indicating that the German carmaker is still seriously considering plans to enter India.

“If Volkswagen were to build a new plant it would be full-size with the capacity to make anywhere from 2,50,000 to 3,00,000 units per year at full production,” Pischetsrieder said.