Overview
Skoda Auto India announced that it will be the title sponsor of the inaugural L’Étape Mysuru, a cycling event organised in partnership with the Tour de France. The sponsorship extends Skoda’s 23‑year global association with the Tour de France to the Indian market, marking a new chapter in the brand’s 130‑year cycling heritage that began in 1895 when founders Václav Laurin and Václav Klement manufactured bicycles in Mladá Boleslav.
Event Details
L’Étape Mysuru attracted more than 1,500 cycling enthusiasts from across India and international regions. The race combined the spirit of Tour de France‑inspired cycling with Mysuru’s cultural landmarks, notably the iconic Chamundi Hills, offering participants an experiential blend of global cycling legacy and Indian heritage.
Brand Commentary
Ashish Gupta, Brand Director of Skoda Auto India, stated that cycling has been integral to Skoda’s identity since its founding and that bringing L’Étape to India provides an inclusive platform for people to connect with the sport, the community, and the spirit of discovery that mobility enables.
Skoda’s Global and Indian Business Context
Skoda Auto operates under the Next Level strategy, aiming to become one of the top three best‑selling brands in Europe by the end of the decade through a portfolio of battery‑electric, hybrid, and internal‑combustion‑engine vehicles. The company exploits growth opportunities in key markets such as India, Vietnam, and the ASEAN region. Globally, Skoda offers 14 passenger‑car model ranges—including Fabia, Scala, Octavia, Superb, Kamiq, Karoq, Kodiaq, Epiq, Elroq, Enyaq, Peaq, Slavia, Kylaq and Kushaq—and delivered more than 1,040,000 vehicles worldwide in 2025. Skoda has been part of the Volkswagen Group for over 30 years and belongs to Brand Group CORE, an organisational merger of the Group’s volume brands aimed at joint growth and efficiency. The company independently develops components such as MEB battery systems, engines and transmissions for other Volkswagen Group brands, operates three production plants in the Czech Republic and maintains production capacities in Spain, Slovakia, Kazakhstan, India (through group partnerships), Vietnam and Ukraine, employs around 40,000 people and is active in almost 100 markets.
Skoda Auto India Performance
Since entering the Indian market in 2001, Skoda Auto India offers five models—Kylaq, Slavia, Kushaq, Kodiaq and Octavia RS—and maintains a presence in 193 cities with over 345 customer touchpoints. In 2025 the Indian subsidiary recorded a 107% year‑on‑year growth, selling 72,665 cars.