Kia India: Facts & Figures

[Akash1886]

Kia Motors Inaugurates BEAT360: a first-of-its-kind brand experience center in India

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● BEAT360 is meant to evangelize Kia’s commitment to customer experience and its brand philosophy ‘The Power to Surprise”
● This three-zone immersive hub houses – Surround media zone, Café and Mixed reality zone for an immersive brand experience

New Delhi, 10th October 2019

- Kia Motors India, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Kia Motors Corporation, the world's 8th largest automaker, today launched ‘BEAT360’, a unique brand experiential center, which offers its visitors an essence of Kia Motors brand philosophy. The newly opened brand experience space is India’s first-of-its-kind innovative and immersive space that features specially curated zones to bring visitors closer to the brand’s futuristic vision and offers a unique insight into Kia’s brand DNA. The first BEAT360 was opened by Kia Motors in its home country in Seoul, South Korea, India is the first overseas market where this center is being launched. BEAT360- Delhi NCR will be followed by similar experience centers in other Indian metros.

Located amidst the busiest hub in Gurugram, BEAT360, and its design will grab the attention of passersby through the grand entrance facade that embodies the rhythmic beat through the red color used amidst three different perforation patterns. The three-zone brand immersion space situated at Cyber Hub, Gurugram, houses Surround media zone, Café and Mixed reality zone spread across 5,280 square feet. All of this is artistically designed to showcase Kia’s journey and help customers understand the brand, products, and philosophy more closely. The Surround zone engages the audience by showcasing Kia’s futuristic vision film through an impressive 11m wide surround screen. Additionally, the visitors will experience a Kia car in motion through the turntable technology. The wooden Café zone provides a comfortable atmosphere to promote creative thinking over a complimentary delectable cup of artisanal coffee, tea and drinks. The visitors will get to experience cutting-edge Mixed Reality technology in the third zone, which will bring the audience closer to the brand and its products. Adding technology from the very beginning, the BEAT360 digital registrations will enable the visitors to easily access the different zones.

Commenting on this occasion, Mr. Kookhyun Shim, MD & CEO, Kia Motors India said, “Kia Motors is here in India to set new standards of brand immersion and consumer engagement. Consumers have been the primary focus for Kia Motors India, and since the beginning, we aimed to connect with them to offer a true Kia experience. Kia BEAT360 is a first-of-its-kind concept in India that envisions our futuristic methods of engaging with consumers, in line with the brand philosophy of ‘The Power to Surprise’. It is about imagination and inspiration– it is a visual representation of Kia’s brand values under one roof and has been curated to bring the customers much closer to the brand DNA.”

Beat in BEAT360 stands for BEATing of heart, 3 means three zones, 6 means six senses and 0 means no boundaries. 360 also represents all directions, meaning that we provide three-dimensional experience. BEAT360 houses engagement arenas like the Surround Media Zone, Mixed Reality Zone, and the Configurator Zone to enable the audience to customize and design a car of their dreams and witness its intricate detailing. The larger idea behind BEAT360 is to enable customers to have experiences that go beyond the boundaries of conventional mobility and which truly resonate with the vision and values of Kia Motors. To bring this immersive hub to life, there is a Café zone at the facility. It is a fully dedicated space, where a variety of cultural events including brand immersion workshops, musical & entertainment gigs, industry expert meets among others, would be held to engage with enthusiasts from various walks of life to provide a pleasant Kia experience.

Owing futuristic products with sharp design elements, hi-tech features, strong consumer connect and widespread network, Kia Motors India has had an immensely successful debut in the market with Seltos emerging as the most preferred mid-SUV within its category.

Below are the highlights of Kia Motors’ key achievements in India:

· Garnered record bookings of 6,046 Seltos on the first day of bookings
· Set an unprecedented milestone by crossing 50,000 bookings in just two and a half months
· Already sold 13990 units in Aug-Sept post the launch on 22nd August
· Users exposed to the Kia ad on YouTube reported a 36% lift in Kia brand ad recall (Best in Auto Category)
· The brand launch TVC/video became most-watched ad on YouTube in India, within 8 weeks of launch
· Accumulated video views for Seltos campaign – 422 Mn (till Sep’19), emerged as the highest watched TVC on YouTube in August 2019

Since its arrival in India, Kia Motors has consistently offered an immersive brand experience to the customers to create a unique identity in the Indian market. The brand has been able to connect with its customers through exciting campaigns, initiatives and especially with innovative sporting campaigns, where the brand reignited the passion for two of the most loved sports globally - tennis and football in India, by bringing two of its global assets, the FIFA Official Match ball carrier program (#KiaOMBC), Kia Australian Open International Ballkids Program (#KiaChampsatAO) and Partnership with Bengaluru Football Club (#KiaDrivesBFC), to engage with thousands of sports enthusiasts and potential buyers.

To showcase Kia’s core design DNA, the brand took a never-seen-before approach for its official brand launch campaign ‘Magical Inspirations, Stunning Designs’, that has set a new benchmark in the Indian automobile industry. Conceptualized on the most profound insight that there are unique inspirations behind every Kia design, Kia Motors India created a stir in the industry and most importantly, showcased the brand philosophy of ‘The Power to Surprise’. To further bring the true brand experience to its potential buyers, Kia Motors India conducted the second phase of its Design Tour in 26 cities over a span of two months covering 15,000 kms distance to showcase of Kia’s long-term commitment and dedication to the Indian market.

About Kia Motors India (KMI)
In April 2017, Kia Motors signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the State Government of Andhra Pradesh, India, to build a new manufacturing facility in Anantapur District. Construction of Kia Motors’ first manufacturing facility in India has been completed and commenced the mass production in August 2019. The manufacturing facility has an annual production capacity of approximately 300,000 units. Kia Motors has made a mark in India with its first product – the Seltos establishing itself as a trusted brand with record bookings of 6,046 on the first day of bookings. Kia Motors India has the widespread network of 265 customers touchpoints, in 160 cities across Tier 1, 2 and 3 cities in India.

For more information about Kia Motors India, please visit www.kia.com/in

About Kia Motors Corporation
Kia Motors Corporation (www.kia.com) - a maker of world-class quality vehicles for the young-at-heart – was founded in 1944 and is Korea's oldest manufacturer of motor vehicles. About 3 million Kia vehicles a year are produced at 14 manufacturing and assembly operations in five countries which are then sold and serviced through a network of distributors and dealers covering around 180 countries. Kia today has over 51,000 employees worldwide and annual revenues of over US$47 billion. It is the major sponsor of the Australian Open, official automotive partner of FIFA – the governing body of the FIFA World Cup™ – and official partner of the UEFA Europa League – the world’s largest professional club football competition. Kia Motors Corporation's brand slogan – "The Power to Surprise" – represents the company's global commitment to surprise the world by providing exciting and inspiring experiences that go beyond expectations.

Regards

Akash

 

[Nairrk]

Two Kia Models Confirmed For 2020: Carnival MPV and Venue/Vitara Brezza Rival

Kia Motors India is on a roll. With over 50,000 bookings under its belt for the hot-selling new Kia Seltos compact SUV, the Korean car maker has got off to a great start in India. As has been previously reported, Kia will not waste any time in expanding its product offering for India. And in line with some of those reports, we can now confirm that the Kia Carnival premium MPV will be the second model from Kia in India. The large and well-appointed MPV model is a direct rival to the Toyota Innova Crysta which enjoys sales leadership and benchmark status in India at present, in the full-size MPV segment. The Carnival will be made at Kia's Anantapur plant in Andhra Pradesh. It will make its market debut at the February 2020 Delhi Auto Expo, with deliveries commencing within the same month. Contrary to some media reports, we can confirm that it is the current generation car coming to us, and not a new generation.

(The sliding doors on the Kia Carnival make ingress and egress easy)

(New Kia Stonic compact crossover )

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(The Venue will be taller and will have a more SUV like design than the QYI subcomapct SUV)

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[Nairrk]

Kia Motors Announces Lucky Drive To Seoul Contest For K-Pop Fans In India

South Korean carmaker Kia Motors made its way to the Indian market this year, and the automaker's first-ever offering, the Kia Seltos is off to a good start in terms of sales. The manufacturer is now offering fans of the brand a chance to see its home market Korea and meet K-Pop (Korean Pop) girl band BLACKPINK as part of its 'Lucky Drive to Seoul' contest. Kia Motors India will sponsor an all-expenses-paid trip to Seoul for 10 lucky winners to witness the K-Pop cultural event with one companion each. BLACKPINK is the most popular K-Pop girl band and the most subscribed girl band on YouTube.

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[Akash1886]

Kia Motors India enters top 5 carmakers list; sells record 12,850 Seltos in October 2019​

• Seltos maintains its position as the highest selling SUV in the segment with sales of 12,850 units in October 2019
• Kia has sold 26,840 units of Seltos in less than 70 days since its launch on August 22, 2019 with over 60,000 bookings till now

New Delhi, 5th November 2019

: Kia Motors India, wholly owned subsidiary of Kia Motors Corporation, the world’s 8th largest automaker, posted its healthy festive month sales figures. Company’s maiden product for India, the Seltos saw sales of 12,850 units in the month of October 2019 amid the overall industry slowdown. Since its launch in August 2019, Kia has sold 26,840 units of Seltos in less than 70 days. With just a single product in the market, the company became India’s 5th largest auto manufacturer.

In achieving this feat the Seltos has not only overtaken many established and newly launched SUVs in different segments but also led the way in addressing the unmet needs of the Indian car-buying customers by surpassing customers’ expectations in all areas. Kia Motors India has already received over 60,000 bookings for the Seltos till now and to ensure the timely and seamless delivery Kia has started the 2nd shift to ramp up the production at its state-of-the-art production facility in Anantapur. The company also shared that it will not close the bookings as the brand’s plant is fully capable of meeting the rising demand for the Seltos. The Korean automaker is elated to see such a strong demand for its product and has ambitious plans for the Indian market going forward.

About Kia Motors India (KMI)
In April 2017, Kia Motors signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the State Government of Andhra Pradesh, India, to build a new manufacturing facility in Anantapur District. Construction of Kia Motors’ first manufacturing facility in India has been completed and commenced the mass production in August 2019. The manufacturing facility has an annual production capacity of approximately 300,000 units. Kia Motors has made a mark in India with its first product – the Seltos establishing itself as a trusted brand with record bookings of 6,046 on the first day of bookings. Kia Motors India has a widespread network of 265 customers touchpoints, in 160 cities across Tier 1, 2 and 3 cities in India.
For more information about Kia Motors India, please visit www.kia.com/in

About Kia Motors Corporation
Kia Motors Corporation (www.kia.com) a maker of world-class quality vehicles for the young-at-heart – was founded in 1944 and is Korea's oldest manufacturer of motor vehicles. About 3 million Kia vehicles a year are produced at 14 manufacturing and assembly operations in five countries which are then sold and serviced through a network of distributors and dealers covering around 180 countries. Kia today has over 51,000 employees worldwide and annual revenues of over US$47 billion. It is the major sponsor of the Australian Open, official automotive partner of FIFA – the governing body of the FIFA World Cup™ – and official partner of the UEFA Europa League – the world’s largest professional club football competition. Kia Motors Corporation's brand slogan – "The Power to Surprise" – represents the company's global commitment to surprise the world by providing exciting and inspiring experiences that go beyond expectations.
For more information about Kia Motors and our products, please visit our Global Media Center at www.kianewscenter.com

Regards
Akash

 

[Nairrk]

Kia Motors To Expand Sales Network To 300 Touchpoints By March 2020: Report

Kia Motors India is on a roll with the strong response received by the Seltos and the automaker is looking at aggressively expanding its operations in India including its sales network. A report by PTI now states that the company plans to expands its sales outlets to over 300 touchpoints in the country by the end of the current financial year. The aim to enforce presence in areas where it is not well represented. The Korean auto giant is currently the fifth-largest carmaker in terms of sales in India's domestic passenger vehicles segment with just one offering in its product line-up.

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[Nairrk]

Kia Motors India To Commence Carnival MPV Production By Early 2020

Kia Motors India entered India with a bang with the launch of the Seltos compact SUV and the automaker's next product for the Indian market will be the Carnival MPV. The Kia Carnival is a Toyota Innova Crysta rival and we already told you that the model is slated to make its way to the Indian market next year. Now, Kia India has confirmed that production of the upcoming MPV will begin by early 2020 at the Anantapur facility in Andhra Pradesh. The plant built with an investment of $1.1 billion is now fully operational and already produces the Seltos for domestic and export markets. The Kia Carnival will be the second offering to be manufactured at the facility and will be showcased at the 2020 Auto Expo.

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[Nairrk]

Kia Motors’ maintenance advice for Seltos & Carnival during the Corona Lockdown [Video]

We are all aware of the current situation in the country. The country is currently going through a lockdown and most of us are working from home. What this also means is that most of us are not driving our cars during this period. Some of us are aware about what all things need to be done to your if your car is not being used for such a long period of time. For those who are still not that aware about this procedure, no need to worry. Kia Motors has come up with a video that list all the things need to be done to keep the Seltos and Carnival in top shape.

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[Nairrk]

Kia Motors exploring second plant in India

Kia Motors India, which in its first year of commercial operations has turned into a challenger brand with robust sales of 84,903 units in just eight months, is pulling out all stops to be future-ready in terms of manufacturing capacity. This means, in addition to its existing 3,00,000 units-per-annum-capacity plant at Anantapur in Andhra Pradesh, the Korean carmaker is already scouting for a new site to set up its second manufacturing facility in the country. While the US$ 1.1 billion (around Rs 8,400 crore) Anantapur plant, contrary to rumours, will continue to play a leading role in the company's India growth strategy, the new production hub will not only expand overall capacity but will also help de-risk operations.

It is understood that of the multiple Indian states that Kia is exploring, Maharashtra looks to be a frontrunner. A source, aware of the development, said that while “Kia Motors India has got an attractive deal from the Andhra Pradesh government, it may look at having its second plant in another state.” With the Covid-19 outbreak badly disrupting the manufacturing and services sector, having plants in different states in India could act as a buffer in these uncertain times.

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[Nairrk]

Kia Care program launched for Seltos, Carnival owners in India

Kia Care from Kia Motors India outlines advanced hygiene levels in vehicle servicing. Owners of Seltos and Carnival in India will receive top notch levels of safety and hygiene under the CARE program. This includes a 3-step extensive vehicle hygiene and sanitisation protocol on all fronts – vehicles, service centres, dealer staff, and customers.

Kia Care is designed to ensure high safety standards through vehicle servicing processes. Cars will be sanitised for free on first come, first serve basis across 192 service touch points in 160 cities in India. Dealerships are now operating as per necessary protocol in safe zones determined by government and local authorities.

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[Nairrk]

All future Kia models in India to get connected car tech

• Over half of Kia owners have purchased variants with connected car features
• Geo-fencing, remote engine start are some of the most commonly used functions
• High-end trims of all upcoming Kia vehicles to pack in connectivity tech

Having made its entry into our market almost a year ago, Kia has become an automaker known to equip its cars rather well. It was one of the early players to introduce connected car technology in India with the debut of the UVO Connect functionality on the Seltos, which was later extended to the Carnival MPV. Building on the momentum, the automaker has confirmed that Indian buyers can expect smart connectivity features on every new model to come out of its stable moving forward.

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[350Z]

Kia Motors India has been renamed to “Kia India” as a part of its rebranding strategy (Kia Motors Unveils New Logo, Slogan & Strategy). Sharing more details below.

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Kia India, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Kia Corporation, has announced its new corporate name - ‘Kia India’ as a part of its new brand identity and brand purpose of ‘Movement that Inspires’. The name change which symbolises Kia becoming an enterprise that invests in and produces more than just vehicles to offer a long-range of sustainable mobility solutions. The brand has removed the word ‘Motors’ from its earlier name after ratification by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs and will now function under the corporate identity of Kia India Private Limited. The company has changed its logo and name at its Anantapur manufacturing facility and will carry out the same at its dealership in a phase-wise manner.

In line with its brand re-launch, Kia India is breaking away from its traditional manufacturing-driven structure to a more purpose-driven business. The new brand purpose - “Movement that inspires” signifies Kia’s ambitious plans of leading the future mobility revolution in India with premium products equipped with unique design and segment-first features, digitized services and complemented by one of the largest networks. As part of its new brand identity, Kia India has also changed the brand logo to compliment the new brand name, which signifies Kia’s bold and innovative approach and underscores the brand’s commitment to driving the change in the Indian automotive industry.

Drive Safe,
350Z

 

[Nairrk]

Kia India Launches A Live Interaction App Called 'Kia Digi-Connect'

Digitalisation has picked up the pace significantly in the last few years and has become the need of the hour during the pandemic as most of us have resorted to online buying during the lockdown period or even beyond in a bid to avoid physical interaction. Since last year, we have been observing a paradigm shift towards digitalisation even in the auto market and automakers incorporating even the buying procedures on their digital platforms. Kia India too has been functional digitally, but now has taken a step ahead with the launch of its 'Kia Digi-Connect' app. The Korean carmaker claims that this is an industry-first video-based live sales consultation solution which is offered through website scheduling and integration with company's CRM system.

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[350Z]

Kia Motors has inaugurated its first digital showroom in India located in Prabhadevi (Mumbai). It’s equipped with 3D configurators with digital catalogue, heritage wall, digital spec walls, media wall etc.

The brand is planning to introduce three more showrooms based on this concept in Delhi, Chennai and Bangalore by end-2021.​

Press Release:

Accelerating its efforts towards offering advanced digitized services to its customers, Kia India today inaugurates its first digital showroom in Mumbai. Located in Prabhadevi – one of the busiest hubs of Mumbai, the showroom is an effort towards digitizing the consumer experience within the select traditional 1S and 3S facilities of Kia India. The newly launched digital showroom is equipped with 3D configurators with a digital catalogue, a Heritage Wall, Digital Spec Boards and a media wall. The content displayed in the showroom is controlled directly by Kia India, providing greater transparency, a sense of security and reliability to the customers. On the other hand, the newly inaugurated facility is also an effort towards minimizing the investment and operational challenges of the dealership by rightsizing the infrastructure. Kia India is planning to introduce three more showrooms based on the same concept in Delhi, Chennai and Bangalore by end of this year.

Speaking about Kia India’s first digital showroom launch, Mr. Tae-Jin Park, Executive Director & CSBO, Kia India, said, “In today’s tech-savvy world, digitalisation is inevitable and businesses cannot ignore it. Since its debut in India, Kia has always prioritized digitisation in our services to enhance the customer experience- we strongly believe in leveraging the power of digital to make vehicle purchase and ownership convenient. After the successful introduction of Kia Digi-Connect, our new digital showroom in Mumbai is another move towards providing a matchless customer experience.”

He further added, “Our new digital showroom is a democratic solution, designed keeping customer centricity and dealer profitability in mind. An optimal business model for the dealership is the requirement of today’s era owing to the rapid transitions towards digitalisation in the automotive business. Introduction of this facility is a step aligned towards this paradigm shift in the automotive retail.”

Spread across 606 sq. mtr., the showroom will have five vehicles on display. Customers can witness the digitization from their first step in the showroom by digitized registration desk. The showroom is artistically designed to display Kia’s current product portfolio coupled with the heritage of the brand and its vision towards to the future. The 3D configurator zone in the facility enables the customers to customise and design their favourite Kia cars and witness their intricate details. All the showcased vehicles will be equipped with digital spec boards to share all the relevant information about the product.

Kia has spearheaded the digital transformation in the Indian automotive industry and pioneered an Omni channel PHYGITAL process with end-to-end digitization of its sales management by seamlessly aligning with its dealer partners. The company recently introduced a unique phygital initiative via an integrated solution application called ‘Kia Digi-Connect’ to offer customized virtual consultation for customers via video conferencing with the nearest dealerships along with a plethora of other options to further enrich the digital buying experience for its customers. Since its entry in the Indian market, digital innovation has been at the core of Kia’s business strategy. Kia India has also focused on digitizing its customer experience at all interactions, providing a consistent integrated user experience across Kia’s website, physical dealerships, and the unique brand experience centre called Kia360. With changing times, Kia has evolved to offer experiences that are not only safe and secure but also cater to the evolving needs of today’s customers. Kia India was the first OEM to introduce an end-to-end online sales platform even before its debut product; the Seltos had its market introduction. The brand’s aim is to attract its customers with a personalised and innovative customer experience that compliments the class-leading Kia cars and strengthens its unique brand identity in the country.

Drive Safe,
350Z

 

[350Z]

Kia India has crossed sales of 1,00,000 in CY2021. Figures for July 2021 are 15,016. It includes 7,675 units of Sonet, 6,983 Seltos and 358 Carnival.​

Press Release:

Kia India, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Kia Corporation, recorded healthy sales of 15016 units in July 2021. The company registered over 76% Y-o-Y growth, as against the industry Y-o-Y growth of 49%. Sonet emerged as the highest contributor to KIN’s July sales with 7,675 units, followed by Seltos and Carnival with 6,983 and 358 units, respectively. The brand also crossed the one lakh sales mark in the CY2021, indicating an improving market sentiment.

Commenting on the sales performance, Mr. Tae-Jin Park, Chief Sales and Business Strategy Officer, Kia India said, “In these tough times, the relentless efforts of our teams and partners have enabled Kia India to achieve a healthy sales momentum in 2021. We are optimistic that the future will witness an uptick in demand for personal mobility with the ease in Covid-19 curbs and heightened vaccination drive across the country. We are also hopeful that the supply chain of the auto industry will be further streamlined in the upcoming weeks and we will be able to make mobility more accessible to our customers. In line with this commitment, we have recently announced a wave of finance schemes for our customers to make their Kia ownership experience seamless, hassle-free and we remain focused to provide the best customer experience with futuristic mobility services.”

Despite the challenges caused by the pandemic, Kia's sales performance reflects customers’ appetite and demand for the right products, catering to their needs. Recently, the brand has introduced attractive finance schemes for its customers, offering multiple flexible repayment options and other convenience benefits across its entire product portfolio. Kia's exclusive finance options will be instrumental in empowering customers to choose their desired Kia vehicle. With the industry first and newly introduced 'Peace of mind' value-added product, Kia India is extending the best-in-class experience to the new Kia Carnival customers. Apart from the customer-centric initiatives, Kia is also working prominently with its dealer network to make them future-ready, which further helps to enable greater customer loyalty and brand engagement. Recently, the brand topped the Dealer Satisfaction Study 2021 by FADA in association with PremonAsia with 879 points, exceeding the nearest OEM by 101 points.

Drive Safe,
350Z

 

[Nairrk]

Kia installs India’s fastest 150 kW DC EV charger in Gurgaon

Kia has installed India’s fastest electric vehicle charger in Gurgaon, Haryana. It has been set up at Kia’s official dealership, Dhingra Kia, in Gurgaon. The company claims to install 15 such superfast electric vehicle chargers across 12 Indian cities by August 2022. With a capacity of 150 kW, this DC EV charger can juice up the Kia EV6 from 10 to 80 per cent in less than 42 minutes.

Speaking on the occasion, Myung-sik Sohn, Chief Sales Officer, Kia India said, “We started with the ambition of making EV ownership aspirational and launched our global best EV – the Kia EV6 in India, earlier this year. To take things further, we’re now incredibly excited to inaugurate the first DC fast charger for passenger vehicles with a 150 kW charging capacity, playing our role in India’s EV growth story.”

He further added, “At Kia India, it is our constant endeavour to provide a superior customer experience and we believe that such fast-charging solutions will take away issues of range anxiety & charging time that EV owners face. We shall be installing a total of 15 such chargers across 12 cities by August 2022, and are hopeful that such small steps will go a long way in fostering EV adoption in the country.”
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