BYD may assemble EVs in India to meet rising demand
BYD, the Chinese EV giant, is thinking about assembling its cars in India as demand surges and their inventory keeps selling out.
While India previously said no to a full-scale BYD factory over concerns about Chinese investment, the company might take a shortcut with semi-knocked-down (SKD) assembly—this way, they'd face much lower tariffs.
Why does this matter?
Even with steep import duties, BYD's sales in India jumped 88% last year—they sold 5,500 cars.
Their models like Atto 3 (from ₹25 lakh) and Sealion 7 (₹49-55 lakh) are priced below the Tesla Model Y, while the Seal sedan is also offered; the Atto 3 is positioned alongside models from Tata Motors and Mahindra & Mahindra.
BYD also wants safety certification for more models so they can bring in more cars beyond current limits.
With plans to boost overseas deliveries by nearly 25% this year, it looks like India could become a big deal for BYD's global EV push.