Hyundai Motor Group’s Executive Chair, Euisun Chung visited India to review the group’s mid-to-long-term future mobility strategies. The first overseas town hall meeting with the Executive Chair was also held with Hyundai Motor India employees.
Amid the growing strategic importance of India, Executive Chair Chung’s visit to the country is aimed at solidifying the group’s position as a leading mobility provider in India, while exploring various business opportunities in the rapidly evolving Indian market.
Celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2026, Hyundai Motor India is developing its 2030 strategy under the slogan ‘Innovator in Mobility and Beyond’. Kia India, which has also quickly grown into a major Indian automobile brand, is also promoting quantitative and qualitative growth through its ‘Kia 2.0’ strategy.
Hyundai Motor Group is delivering a major manufacturing advance in the Indian region with the establishment of an annual production system of 1.5 million vehicle units for Hyundai Motor India and Kia India combined.
The Group will expand its EV lineup and create an EV ecosystem to accelerate customer uptake and expand charging infrastructure. It will also strengthen its SUV sales leadership and promote social responsibility activities in consideration of Indian culture.
Executive Chair Chung conducted an in-depth review of and engaged in detailed discussions on Hyundai Motor Group’s mid-to-long-term strategies in India at the new Hyundai Motor India Headquarters Delhi office, situated in Gurugram.
A town hall meeting was also held on April 23 to communicate in person with Hyundai Motor India employees. The purpose of the meeting was to share the group’s vision and engage with colleagues ahead of new opportunities such as the establishment of an annual production system of one million units and promotion of the Group’s electrification strategy.
The event marked the first time that Executive Chair Chung held a town hall meeting outside of Korea. He has previously conducted two town hall meetings in Korea and last year led Hyundai Motor Group’s New Year’s event in the form of a town hall meeting.
Mid-to long-term strategies to solidify HMG’s position
Hyundai has set its mid-to-long-term strategies to proactively respond to the Indian automotive market. Key to this is the laying of groundwork to expand production. Hyundai Motor India will start operating its Pune plant in the second half of next year.
Located in Maharashtra, western India, the production facility was acquired from GM last year. Hyundai Motor is currently making improvements to the facility to create a production hub capable of building more than 2,00,000 units annually, using smart manufacturing technology and systems.
With the addition of the Chennai plant’s production capacity of 8,24,000 units, Hyundai Motor will have an annual production capacity of over one million units when combined with the Pune plant.
Kia India’s yearly production capacity will also be expanded to 4,31,000 units within the first half of this year. Combined, Hyundai Motor Group will have the ability to produce approximately 1.5 million units annually in India.
Hyundai’s electrification strategy
Hyundai Motor Group also plans to strengthen its EV leadership in the Indian EV market through a new strategy. Hyundai plans to unveil its first locally produced EV in India next year and proactively respond to the growth of the Indian EV market.
Starting with the mass production of its first electric SUV model at the Chennai plant at the end of 2024, the company plans to further produce five EV models by 2030. Hyundai Motor India will also utilize its sales network hubs, expanding the number of EV charging stations to 485 by 2030.
Kia India will also start production of its local EV model in 2025 and plans to further expand its EV models. The company will also focus on building EV charging infrastructure.
Hyundai Motor and Kia recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Exide Energy and are pursuing the local production of batteries for dedicated Indian EV models.
The group aims to expand its presence in the local EV market, by localizing the production of EV batteries, which account for a significant portion of EV cost. This strategy will ensure price competitiveness in the price-sensitive Indian market.
The town hall meeting
During the meeting, Executive Chair Chung emphasized the strategic importance of the Indian region. “Hyundai Motor India has been pivotal in driving the growth of the Hyundai Motor Group, having navigated through numerous challenges including the COVID-19 pandemic, global economic crises, and supply chain disruptions due to semiconductor shortages. We take pride in consistently securing the second-largest market share in this vibrant market and will continue to elevate Hyundai as a premium brand.”
He added, “India is among the fastest-growing economies globally, and as this growth continues, the strategic importance of Hyundai Motor India will only increase. By leveraging our strong reputation and competitive quality in India, we aim to expand exports to neighbouring countries, making India the global export hub to boost our regional market competitiveness.”
