Skoda Auto plans exports to south-east Asia

The company will initially export 100-200 cars by 2008. Skoda Auto India, the Indian subsidiary of the Czech auto maker Skoda, has plans to export locally assembled cars to the south-east Asian markets.

To begin with, it would export 100-200 cars by 2008. "We have plans to export to markets in south-east Asia including Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia, once our existing plan to enter the neighboring markets like Bangladesh and Sri Lanka becomes functional. It is logistically advantageous for the company to export cars from India rather than exporting completely built units from Europe to these countries," said a Skoda Auto senior official.

The company is currently appointing dealers in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka for the exports of its cars assembled in the country to Bangladesh, said Lukas Folc, the newly appointed managing director of Skoda Auto.

Skoda Auto India has a capacity to manufacture 30,000 cars every year. On the Indian domestic front, it is aiming to increase its dealership to 51 by the end of this year from the current 41. The company sold 13,500 sedans in 2006 good growth over 9,000 in 2005.

The company will launch a hatchback called Fabia and is also geared to launch Roomster in two years.