Kia India plans to invest about $2 billion, or around Rs 17,000 crore, in Andhra Pradesh.
The money will go into an additional manufacturing plant in the state.
The company expects the new plant to create about 12,000 jobs.
Graphic: News Anek, from the facts in this report
Gwanggu Lee, Managing Director and CEO of Kia India, announced the plan on 12 November.
He spoke at the inaugural session of the 31st CII Partnership Summit in Visakhapatnam.
Key points
- Kia India plans a $2 billion investment in Andhra Pradesh.
- The new plant is expected to create about 12,000 jobs.
- Yearly production capacity will rise from 4.3 lakh to 6.3 lakh vehicles.
- The announcement was made in Visakhapatnam on 12 November.
So what will change at the plant?
A lakh is one hundred thousand, and a crore is ten million. So 4.3 lakh means 430,000 vehicles a year.
The expansion will raise the company's annual capacity to 6.3 lakh vehicles. That is about two lakh more vehicles every year.
Lee said the investment shows the company's confidence in Andhra Pradesh.
How did Kia's work in the state begin?
Kia began manufacturing in Andhra Pradesh in 2017.
The company signed an agreement with the state government in April 2017 for its first plant in India.
Mass production at the Anantapur plant started in August 2019. The existing plant has become an export hub.
Kia has exported more than 4.1 lakh vehicles and kits from the state to nearly 100 countries.
The company also says it reached one million vehicles within four years of starting work in India.
It reached two million within seven years, which it calls one of the fastest benchmarks among car makers.
So why does this matter for people in India?
The plan could bring about 12,000 jobs to the region.
It could also grow the supply chain that feeds the automotive industry in the state.
Lee credited Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu for promoting industrial growth.
The state government wants to strengthen Andhra Pradesh as a manufacturing and innovation hub.
Kia also runs social programmes in education, healthcare, skill development and community welfare.
Explainer
What happened before
- Kia India began manufacturing in Andhra Pradesh in 2017, after signing an agreement with the state government in April 2017.
- Its Anantapur plant started mass production in August 2019.
Why it matters
The new plant could add about 12,000 jobs and strengthen the state's automotive manufacturing base.
What to watch next
- The sources do not give a start date or timeline for the new plant.
