Kia India Aims To Double CKD Exports By 2030, Eyes On Middle East And Africa

Exports of Kia India: Kia India on Monday said it is eyeing markets in the Middle East and Africa as it aims to double the export of completely knocked down (CKD) units by 2030.

To date, the automaker has exported one lakh units of CKD vehicles since it began shipments in June 2020 from its manufacturing facility at Anantapur in Andhra Pradesh.

Kia India is one of the key export hubs for the South Korea-based Kia corporation, accounting for 50 per cent of the its CKD exports worldwide.

In a statement, Kia India Chief Sales Officer Joonsu Cho said the automaker is grateful for the government's export-friendly policies, which have played a crucial role in strengthening country's position within the global automotive value chain.  

"Looking ahead, we aim to expand our CKD footprint to the Middle East and Africa, to double our export volume by 2030," he noted.  

The company is looking to export over 38,000 CKD units across Uzbekistan, Ecuador, and Vietnam markets this year, the automaker said.

Cumulatively, the company has exported 3.67 lakh units so far from the country.

This development comes shortly after the company launched the Carnival and the EV9 in India. The Carnival received a facelift and it is the fourth generation available in India. The Kia Carnival offers features such as dual electric sunroofs, front and middle-row ventilated seats, electrically adjustable powered seats for the front and the middle row, a wireless charger, and more.

The price of the Kia Carnival starts at Rs 63.90 lakh (ex-showroom).

The EV9 is the flagship electric SUV from Kia and it has a claimed range of 561km on a single charge. It is based on the E-GMP platform. The EV9 comes via the CBU route and is loaded with a bunch of features such as Level-2 ADAS, massage seats in the middle row with ventilation function, driving modes, and others. 

The price of the Kia EV9 starts at Rs 1.3 crore (ex-showroom).