Hyundai Pivots to India Amid Sales Drop in China, Russia; Acquires GM Plant

Facing declining sales in China and Russia, Hyundai Motor shifted its strategic focus towards the booming automobile market in India, acquiring a GM plant in Talegaon to amplify its presence.

In a bid to downsize operations in China, Hyundai Motor has decided to close its idle plant in Chongqing, which has been dormant for the past year. Reports suggest the company plans to sell another plant in Changzhou due to sluggish sales. Furthermore, its Russian plant in St. Petersburg, which has been shut since Russia invaded Ukraine in early 2022, is expected to face a similar fate.

Hyundai Motor has strategically expanded its presence in India to compensate for these production losses. The Korean automaker acquired a General Motors (GM) plant in Talegaon. This move aims to strengthen Hyundai's position in the Indian auto market, which proved to be the world's third-largest automobile market, with sales of new cars reaching 4.76 million units last year.

The Chongqing plant, established by Hyundai in 2017 with an investment of $1.21 billion, had an annual production capacity of 300,000 vehicles. However, due to poor sales, it ceased operations in December 2021.

Looking at India as a land of opportunity, Hyundai aims to offset its challenges in China and Russia by capitalizing on its growing automobile market. In 2025, subject to Indian government approval and other procedures, full-scale production at the Talegaon plant, with an annual production capacity of around 130,000 vehicles, is set to commence.

With 552,511 vehicles sold last year, Hyundai's market share in India stood at 14.5%, ranking it second in the country. The acquisition of the Talegaon plant will enable Hyundai to actively respond to local demand by introducing various vehicle models promptly.

In other news, Hyundai Motor Company recently received six prestigious accolades at the International Design Excellence Awards (IDEA) 2023.

Among its notable victories was the Gold Award in the Automotive and Transportation category for its N Vision 74 high-performance hydrogen hybrid 'Rolling Lab.' Additionally, Hyundai's IONIQ 6 all-electric sedan, GRANDEUR flagship model, all-new KONA SUV, and two Plug and Drive (PnD) robotic mobility concepts were featured as finalists in the competition.

Photo: Hyundai Motor Group/Unsplash