Stellantis India has marked a key milestone in its export journey with the rollout of the 10,000th Citroën vehicle from India to South Africa.
The company flagged off its first shipment of the Citroën Basalt from its Chennai manufacturing facility, further strengthening its export momentum. This achievement reflects Stellantis India’s growing role as a global production hub and its commitment to the “Make in India, Make for the World” vision.
The milestone also underscores the success of Stellantis’ Smart Car platform, which has been conceived, developed, and industrialised in India by local R&D teams. Designed for both domestic and international markets, the platform highlights India’s rising engineering capabilities and its strategic importance in Stellantis’ global manufacturing and product development network.
The export achievement further underlines the export‑grade quality of vehicles manufactured at Stellantis’ Indian facilities, reaffirming the company’s commitment to delivering the same global standards to domestic customers. The shipment represents a key step in Stellantis India’s structured and phased export strategy, which complements its domestic business. With increasing volumes and entry into new international markets, Stellantis India continues to strengthen its export footprint, reflecting growing global confidence in India’s manufacturing quality, process discipline and cost competitiveness.
The inclusion of the Citroën Basalt in Stellantis’ export programme marks a significant milestone for the brand in India, reinforcing the country’s role as a strategic manufacturing and export hub within Stellantis’ global network. India’s first mainstream SUV coupé, developed with a strong focus on emerging markets, the Citroën Basalt is now set to go global, representing the next phase of Citroën’s international growth from India. Built on a highly localised platform of up to 95 percent, the model has been engineered to meet both domestic and global customer expectations, underscoring Stellantis’ commitment to developing scalable, relevant and export‑ready products from India.
Commenting on the milestone, Shailesh Hazela, CEO and Managing Director, Stellantis India, said, “Commencing Citroën Basalt exports to South Africa strengthens Stellantis India’s position as a competitive manufacturing, quality‑driven and sourcing base. As our export volumes grow, our focus remains on building a resilient and integrated ecosystem, from vehicles to components, delivered through a consistent and high‑quality supply cadence. This milestone reinforces India’s expanding contribution to our global operations.”
Guided by its focus on sustainability, localisation and innovation, Stellantis India’s export growth remains aligned with the national vision of ‘Make in India, Make for the World’. Exports from India continue to support employment generation, skill development and the long‑term growth of the country’s automotive manufacturing ecosystem.
