WebinarsNew
Deep DiveNew
Explore Business Standard
Automaker Volkswagen posted a 5.8 billion euro (USD 6.5 billion) after-tax loss for the July-September quarter as large one-time charges piled on top of weak demand in China, US tariffs and lower profits from electric vehicles. The results announced Thursday underline the challenges facing the company as it seeks to cut costs through a restructuring that could mean the loss of up to 100,000 jobs and the closure of four German plants. Chief financial officer Arno Antlitz said in a statement that the company's results so far this year mean that "we cannot afford to lose any time and must act quickly and decisively." Sales revenue decreased 6.3 per cent to 80.3 billion euros from the year-earlier quarter. Earnings also suffered from a 6.4 billion euro reduction to account for the fallen value of Volkswagen's stake in luxury carmaker Porsche. China was once a key profit centre for Volkswagen, but now the company faces declining demand for cars there on top of fierce price competition f
Volkswagen's board of directors on Thursday approved a sweeping cost-cutting plan that would see 50,000 jobs cuts, slim its model line by half and end auto production at four German plants. On top of 50,000 job losses already previously agreed, the company would lose 100,000 positions. The plan put forward by CEO Oliver Blume to counter low-cost competition in China and headwinds from US tariffs overcame resistance from employee representatives and the regional government, which holds a stake in the company.
Volkswagen's CEO indicated in comments published Sunday that he's trying to avoid closing plants as he seeks to turn around the automaker's performance. The Wolfsburg, Germany-based company faces pressure to cut costs at home and increasingly intense competition in the lucrative Chinese market, in particular. Last week, Volkswagen said its "fundamental realignment" over the past three years had reached its next phase, announcing plans to streamline the model lineup by up to half. It didn't provide specifics, and questions remain over how else it will cut costs. There has been renewed speculation about the future of several plants in Germany. "There are more intelligent solutions than closing plants," CEO Oliver Blume told the Bild am Sonntag newspaper. He added that a cost-cutting program in Germany already is producing effects. "We were able to improve our factory costs in Germany by an average 20 per cent last year alone," he said, describing that as "strong progress." Blume ar
Czech carmaker Skoda plans to bring more of its global nameplates into the Indian market as it looks to cater to a diverse set of customers, according to a senior company executive. The company, which now sells products in India ranging from over Rs 7 lakh to upwards of Rs 40 lakh, however, has no immediate plans to introduce electric cars in the country. "For the next year, the basic portfolio, which is the locally produced cars, remains the same. However, to excite the market, as we did with Octavia this year, we are also planning to get some more global, iconic cars into India next year," Skoda Auto India Brand Director Ashish Gupta told PTI in an interaction. He, however, did not disclose the names of the models the company is looking to import into the country next year. Skoda currently sells locally-produced models like Kylaq, Kushaq and Slavia and imported ones like Octavia and Kodiaq in the Indian market. The company, which is witnessing its strongest-ever year in India, .