Gurpratap Boparai resigns as head of Skoda Auto Volkswagen India

Skoda Auto Volkswagen India has announced that Gurpratap Boparai, its current managing director, will resign from his position come January 1, 2022. His replacement hasn't been announced yet but Christian Cahn von Seelen will helm the group's operations in the interim in his position as chairman before a successor is announced.

Boparai joined the Volkswagen group's India operations in April 2018 and led the group through a merger and reorganisation of its various brands in India under the Skoda Auto-Volkwagen India banner. He was also at the head of Skoda-Volkswagen's India 2.0 started which saw the Skoda brand take charge of the Indian market and develop heavily localized products for the Indian market and significantly expand its sales in the Indian market. This push also saw the brand significantly increase its retail presence across the country and expand to new territories within India. The Skoda Kushaq and Volkswagen Taigun have pushed Skoda-Volkswagen to over 5,000 units of monthly sales in India, with the Skoda Slavia and a similar Volkswagen sedan still to launch in 2022.

Speaking of his resignation Boparai said, "It has been my honour and privilege to lead this fantastic team at SAVWIPL. This was a very difficult decision. I am incredibly proud of what we have accomplished together and confident that the team will continue to innovate, excel and deliver beyond its commitments. I would like to thank Thomas Schaefer and Christian Cahn von Seelen and the team at HQ for their support and commitment to the India operations. The INDIA 2.0 project was executed on time thanks to their endeavours, at prioritizing the Indian operations especially in the face of the recent supply chain disruptions."

Thomas Schaefer, chairman of Skoda Auto, said of this development, "It is with deep regret that we accept the resignation of Gurpratap. I would like to thank him for leading the Group's India operations through a complex merger, and for his outstanding role in ensuring that the Group's important INDIA 2.0 project was on schedule with only minimal disruptions, despite the challenges that arose from the pandemic. The seamless execution of the merger and the success of the products launched under the project is a testimony to his leadership and deep understanding of all aspects of the automotive business and of the evolving trends in the auto industry. We thank him for his contribution and wish him all the best in his future endeavours. I am confident that the leadership team that successfully executed the INDIA 2.0 project under him, is well-equipped to take the company to the next level, in line with our India strategy."

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