India - Pavel Richter has been named production technical director of the Skoda-led 'India 2.0' project - an initiative launched by the Volkswagen Group back in July 2018 with the primary goal of developing and producing models specifically for the Indian market. Richter will be responsible for production of all the models at the company's plant in Pune, which is located in the western Indian state of Maharashtra.
"I am delighted to welcome Pavel Richter to our team in Pune," commented Andreas Lauermann, managing director and president of Volkswagen India. "With his experience, he will play a crucial role in achieving our common goal of further strengthening the Volkswagen Group’s position in the strategically important Indian market."
Having previously been responsible for production of the Octavia, Rapid and Karoq at Skoda's headquarters in Mladá Boleslav, Richter brings years of experience to the role. He will work under the leadership of Gurpratap Boparai, who was appointed managing director of Skoda Auto India in January 2018.
The first model to be launched as part of VW Group's 'India 2.0' project will be an SUV, and is set for launch in 2020. The OEM will spend €1 billion (US$1.18 billion) on the project between 2019 and 2021, with plans to export vehicles outside of the country.
