MUMBAI: Volkswagen India on Tuesday announced a restructuring of its management, with Gurpratap Boparai, currently the managing director of SKODA AUTO India Private Ltd, taking over as its managing director of the company from January 2019 “in order to use the exiting synergies more efficiently in the development of this important growth market”.
“In future, all Group brands will continue their operations under the leadership of Mr Gurpratap Boparai with a common strategy in the Indian Market. The restructuring of the Volkswagen Group companies in India is planned for next year, subject to regulatory approvals,” a company release said.
Calling it a part of its strategy for ‘India 2.0’ project, the Volkswagen Group said it wanted it to be in the hands of the newly formed management team. The aim, it said, is to make decision-making quick and flexible. “With the introduction of the new management structure, we are laying the foundations both for the joint implementation of ‘India 2.0’ and for achieving our goals in India,” Boparai said.
Pavel Richter, technical director of production in the ‘India 2.0’ project, will lead production responsibilities for the Group in India and as part of the restructuring, Dr Andreas Lauermann will move to the Volkswagen Group by end of the year.
“India is an important growth market for us. Our goal is clear: In this highly competitive environment, we aim for a combined Volkswagen and SKODA market share of up to 5 per cent by 2025,” said Bernhard Maier, SKODA AUTO CEO.