Kia Motors officially inaugurate their Anantapur production facility
Kia Motors Corporation has officially opened its new Indian production facility today in Anantapur district, Andhra Pradesh. Following a USD 1.1 billion investment by Kia, the new Kia Motors India (KMI) manufacturing plant is now fully operational.
The event witnessed presence of Honorable Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh Shri Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy and His Excellency, Mr. Bongkil Shin, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to India. The ceremony was led by Mr. Han-Woo Park, President and CEO of Kia Motors Corporation, Mr. Kookhyun Shim, Managing Director and CEO of Kia Motors India, and key leaders from Kia Motors India.
Kia has also stated that they would expand the product portfolio in 2020 with premium MPV and sub-compact SUV, one of the best-selling segment in India. As of now the Kia Seltos has achieved early success with record-breaking sales results of 40,649 units in the last four months.
Kia Motors Corporation has officially opened its new Indian production facility today in Anantapur district, Andhra Pradesh. Following a USD 1.1 billion investment by Kia, the new Kia Motors India (KMI) manufacturing plant is now fully operational.
The grand opening ceremony takes place just two years after construction began in the fourth quarter of 2017. The KMI plant is the production home for Kia’s first ‘made in India’ product, the Seltos compact SUV, with other models to follow in the future.
“We are proud to open our new production facility in Anantapur today,” said Mr. Han-Woo Park. “Now fully in operation, our new plant allows us to serve the growing Indian car market, and export models like the Seltos to markets across the world in major regions. In the longer-term, it will also become a vital part of our global production network.”
New KMI facility creates jobs and boosts global production capacity. The Anantapur production facility is capable of producing up to around 300,000 units each year, boosting Kia’s total global manufacturing volume as it entered the world’s fourth-largest new car market. The plant occupies around 23 million square feet (2.16 km2 / 536 acres) and incorporates facilities for stamping, welding, painting and assembly. In addition to petrol and diesel variants of the Seltos, production of future electric and hybrid vehicles was put into consideration when designing the KMI plant production lines.
Kia’s plans for the Indian new car market include the production of additional models at KMI and an expanded product portfolio. Kia will commence production of its premium MPV model at KMI in early 2020. The brand also plans to introduce a new sub-compact SUV model to the market later that year, strengthening its Utility Vehicle brand image in India.
