Citroen India has signed an MoU with Kamarajar Port Limited in Tamil Nadu to start its export program this March. PAIPL (PCA Automobiles India Pvt Ltd), the Indian subsidiary of Citroën, will export the C3 hatchback made in India as completely built units to countries in ASEAN and Africa.
Roland Buchara, CEO-MD, Stellantis India, says: “In 2019, we started exporting powertrains from our Hosur facility and with the start of new C3 exports as CBUs this year, we mark a significant milestone in our India journey. The stones are marking.”
The French carmaker has been designing and developing a range of cars and SUVs based on its C Cube platform, aimed at emerging markets. The C3 hatchback (and its eC3 EV derivative) is the first of three cars planned on the platform. The company will start retailing the C3 in July 2022. The purpose of introducing exports is to create economies of scale and ensure profitable operations.
Citroën will be launching another model, internally codenamed the CC24, later this year on the same platform, which is likely to be the C3 Aircross SUV, aimed at growing the mid-size SUV market. An EV derivative, which could be called the Citroen eC3 Aircross, is also in the works.