The year 2021 is extremely critical for Kia in India as the automobile manufacturer expects a more conducive business environment fuelled by recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.

In a conversation with IANS, Kia Motors India’s Executive Director and Chief Sales and Business Strategy Officer Tae-Jin Park said that the immediate goal for the company is to sustain the “brand love by catering to the exceeding demand” for its vehicles. “This year, we are optimistic about further boosting our sales... We aim to produce around 2,30,000–2,50,000 units this year which will cater to domestic and export markets,” he said.

“We are bullish about expanding our network in the country so that the Kia brand becomes more accessible. We are also looking at initiating the third shift in our state-of-art facility at Anantapur, to cater to increasing demand for Kia vehicles.” In January, Kia became the fastest car manufacturer in India to achieve the two lakh sales mark, hitting it within just 17 months of starting operations in the country. The company recorded a sales figure of 100,000 units in July 2020, and subsequently, the brand registered the second off-take of 100,000 units within a record six months time.