Carlos Tavares, the CEO of
Stellantis, recently outlined the strategic importance of India for the company, and his vision to evolve ‘its operations as part of the
Dare Forward 2030 global strategic plan’.
The merged companies that formed Stellantis have invested over 1 billion euros since 2015 in developing a sustainable footprint in the country and grow its brands, in line with the Government of India’s plan to develop the automotive industry through its ‘Make in India’ initiative. India is already a major sourcing hub for vehicles, components and mobility technologies and hosts the heart of Stellantis ICT ‘while strongly contributing to global software development’.
Global ambitionMr Tavares said: “With its diverse talent base and its demonstrated R&D and engineering expertise, Stellantis India is at the core of Stellantis. We are committed to growing and strengthening our presence in India, making this country a key pillar of our global ambition under the
Dare Forward 2030 plan. I am proud of our 2,500 employees in India who are working every day to make Stellantis a key contributor, offering clean, safe and affordable mobility solutions for its Indian customers.”
Stellantis operates three manufacturing plants (Ranjangaon, Hosur, Thiruvallur), an ICT Hub (Hyderabad) and software centre (Bengaluru), and two R&D centres in Chennai and Pune. The Digital Hub in India has grown into one of the largest in-house ICT (information and communications technology) and digital organisations within Stellantis, while the manufacturing and R&D bases are already producing and exporting components and vehicles for markets outside India. They will increasingly become the source for engines, gearboxes, and components for other global markets.
Stellantis’s ‘Make in India’ offensive is ongoing with India being the only country to locally produce four Jeep ‘nameplates’ outside North America (Wrangler, Compass, Meridian and Grand Cherokee), and the Citroen C5 Aircross outside France.
In 2022, Indian customers will benefit from the new launches of the Jeep Meridian, the Jeep Grand Cherokee and the new Citroën C3, which was designed, developed and is being manufactured in India for domestic and export markets.