The company has engaged and interacted with more than 200 suppliers from across the country as a part of their search for component supply partners
Kia Motors officially announced its India entry at the 2018 Auto Expo. The company revealed SP Concept at the Auto Expo and along with this concept the company had showcased its entire portfolio for the visitors. The Korean manufacturer is taking India as a very important market as they want to replicate the success story of its sister brand Hyundai.
The company will invest more than $2 Billion in India and the new plant is coming up in Anantapur in Andhra Pradesh. Earlier Kia was planning to introduce its first model by Diwali of 2019, but the company has changed its decision and they have fast tracked the plans as they want to launch its first model by the middle of next year.
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The construction of new plant is two months ahead of the schedule which will help the company to achieve the target of middle of 2019 for the launch of first model in India. The upcoming plant has a production capacity of 3 lakh units per annum and it will be one of the advanced plants of the company as India will be a key export hub also.
Kia recently organized a supplier conference in Delhi. The company has engaged and interacted with more than 200 suppliers from across the country as a part of their search for component supply partners. The Korean manufacturer wants to localize its components which will help the company to competitively price them against the competitors.
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Kia will be shortlisting from the 200 suppliers who has attended the event and they will undergo a systematic and comprehensive evaluation on basis of quality, management, past performance, and development capabilities over the next three months. Once the suppliers are shortlisted their nomination as Kia partners would conclude soon in close consultation with the R&D and quality teams.
Mr. Kookhyun Shim, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Kia Motors India, says, “Kia today is selling 2.8 million cars to over 180 countries, and our edge lies in providing world class design, quality, and innovative technology across the globe consistently. We are going to take our success story forward in India with our first car, the SP Concept, in the second half of 2019. This will be achieved with cooperation of some of the finest local Indian suppliers identified at the earliest stage. It’s a great opportunity as the Indian automobile supplier community across cities has evolved, and will fulfil our objective to offer world class components at competitive pricing.”