Skoda Auto India has witnessed a remarkable turnaround, climbing from 11th to 7th place in the passenger vehicle segment. Under new Brand Director Ashish Gupta, the company aims to grow its market share to 2.5–3% in FY2026, driven by a strategy focused on relevance, differentiation, and trust. Based on the company’s growth strategy, Relevance, Differentiation and Trust — Skoda plans to launch products that offer strong value and stand out from competitors, with a particular focus on the automatic transmission market.
In a conversation with Express Drives, Gupta highlighted the company’s commitment to dispelling myths about automatics, noting that nearly half of Skoda’s Indian lineup now features automatic options, one of the highest ratios in the industry.
Skoda targets ‘real’ automatic transmission market
Skoda sees a significant opportunity to expand the adoption of automatic transmissions in India, where they currently account for just 25% of the market, much lower than the 90% seen globally. Gupta highlighted the appeal of ‘real’ automatics, such as the 6-speed torque converter in the Kushaq, priced from Rs 10.95 lakh (ex-showroom). This pricing undercuts rivals like the Maruti Suzuki Brezza, which starts at Rs 11.15 lakh, and the Mahindra XUV3X0 at Rs 12.69 lakh, making Skoda’s automatic offering a competitive choice for Indian buyers.
Gupta further explained that automatics have an image of being an expensive option in the Indian market. Skoda wants to change that outlook and get rid of ‘myths surrounding automatic transmissions’. With new-age technology, he said that automatics are not expensive to maintain and as fuel efficient like the manual option. Gupta said, “By offering value-for-money products that are affordable and fuel-efficient, Skoda can be a strong player in the automatic segment.”
