Anantapur: Kia India, a leading premium carmaker, has surpassed a milestone of exporting 1,00,000 units of CKD vehicles since it began shipment in June 2020 from its manufacturing facility here.
The South Korean automobiles firm is keen on seeing India as a key export hub apart from production of cars for domestic use.
Kia India as one of the key export hubs for the parent company accounts for 50 per cent of its CKD exports worldwide. Kia India expects to export over 38,000 CKD units across the Uzbekistan, Ecuador and Vietnam markets in 2024.
The company maintains that its success is a testament to the marketability and competitive pricing of Kia India’s lineup, which boasts Seltos, Sonet and Carens.
Chief sales officer Joonsu Cho said: “India is a key market for Kia Corporation, serving not only as a strong sales driver but also as an emerging export hub. This milestone highlights Kia India’s commitment to its manufacturing excellence, innovation, and delivering value to global customers. We are proud to see models like Seltos, Sonet and Carens perform strongly in international markets. The government’s export-friendly policies have helped strengthen India’s position within the global automotive value chain. Looking ahead, we aim to expand our CKD footprint to the Middle East and Africa, so as to double our export volume by 2030.”
The cumulative export figure of 3.67 lakh units underscores the strong global demand for Kia’s 'Make in India' products delivering high-quality vehicles designed to meet the diverse needs of international markets, it was stated.
In April 2017, Kia India signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the AP government to establish a manufacturing facility near Penukonda in Satya Sai district. It commenced mass production in August 2019 and has an installed annual production capacity of 300,000 units.
