Industry veteran, Kookhyun Shim appointed as the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Kia Motors India. Shim has over 30 years experience in the automotive industry and was the Head of Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia Plant Coordination Group. Prior to this, he was responsible for the head coordinator of Kia production in Slovakia. (Also read: Kia Motors To Enter India)
Kia, a Hyundai subsidiary, was founded in 1944 and is Korea’s oldest manufacturer of motor vehicles, and will be making its official Indian debut at the on-coming 2018 Auto Expo. 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. The company plans to invest US$ 1.1 billion and the ground-breaking ceremony of Kia Motors’ first manufacturing facility in India is under consideration to commence in the first quarter of 2018. The manufacturing facility is expected to begin production in the second half of 2019 and produce approximately 3 lakh units annually.
“Kia has big plans for India,” commented Kookhyun Shim, new MD & CEO of KMI. “The Indian economy is at an inflection point, and I am excited to work in an emerging market that’s forecasted to become the third largest globally by 2021. India is a crucial market for all global automotive brands, and I aim to replicate the success that Kia has seen in many other major markets. Kia’s brand slogan, ‘The Power to Surprise’, will be present in everything we do here.”
