NEW BEGINNINGS

Petr Šolc has taken over as the new Brand Director, ŠKODA Auto India. We had a quick chat with him

Motoring World: Firstly, congratulations on being appointed to the top job for the Indian market. Since you were born in Mlada Boleslav, one could almost say that your career path was pre-ordained! What are your thoughts about the Indian automotive market?

Petr Šolc: India has always been a crucial market for the ŠKODA brand. I have experienced the enormity, importance, pace and action of this market in one of my former roles already, which helped me to quickly settle in and get to the driver’s seat with high focus on further enhancing the ŠKODA brand strength in this diverse and challenging automotive market.

My first three months in the role have been extremely busy but exciting as well. The ŠKODA brand has crossed the landmark of the all-time high sales record in India which brought us towards becoming the third largest market for ŠKODA AUTO worldwide. On the model front, KUSHAQ has received a 5-star rating in adult and child safety from the GNCAP, SLAVIA has received multiple awards and positioned well as one of the best sedans in the market. We have been continuing with the extension of our dealer network across India to reduce drive times and support customer satisfaction which is a crucial aspect in our customer-centric approach.

MW: If you were to carry out a SWOT analysis for Skoda in India, what would the results be?

Petr Šolc: ŠKODA is known for cars that offer class-leading safety, driving dynamics, features and comfort, matched by our elegant timeless design. These attributes truly reflect our brand DNA.