Given the nebulous conditions regarding India's EV import policy and global trade tariff scenarios, Skoda Auto India has now decided to defer the launch of its first-ever electric the Enyaq. The plans for a 2025 launch with local assembly (CKD) to take place in the brand's Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar plant have been shelved recently, with Skoda reworking its EV roadmap.
Expected to be Skoda's entry into the Indian electric passenger vehicles market, the Enyaq, currently available in both SUV and coupe versions internationally, was long-awaited.
Elroq EV debuted at Auto Expo 2025, showcasing Skoda's growing EV ambition, but investment plans are blocked due to the delay in the rollout of the Scheme to Promote Manufacturing of Electric Passenger Cars in India (SPMEPCI).
The SPMEPCI guaranteed reduced duty on imports from 110 percent to only 15 percent for EVs costing above USD 35,000 under the announcement in March 2024 and conditioned a minimum investment of ₹4,150 crore by automakers, the start of local manufacturing in three years and increased domestic value addition targets.
Despite the incentive framework against policy ambiguity, planners find it quite risky even for a global automaker. "Of course, we're committed to EVs," states Brand Director Skoda. But the current state of affairs in policy makes it difficult to commit to CKD operations. We're now evaluating whether to bring the Enyaq as a CBU if duties are relaxed." The uncertainty isn't restricted to the electric vehicle category. It also delays imported petrol and diesel units like the Octavia RS and new-generation Superb, both of which were supposed to enter India through the CBU route. Superb, manufactured in Slovakia, has no CKD production setup, thus, imports become inevitable.
Skoda, on the other hand, continues with the local assembly of the second-generation Kodiaq, showing its long-term commitment to the Indian market. However, until the policy gets clear, its broader expansion, especially into EVs, remains cautiously on hold.
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