BusinessWire India
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], October 5: Škoda Auto India brought its deep-rooted association with cycling to Indian shores with the inaugural L’Étape Mysuru by Tour de France. As the title sponsor, Škoda extended its 23-year association with the Tour de France, while bringing its years of cycling heritage to India. Škoda Auto’s relationship with cycling dates back to 1895, when founders Václav Laurin and Václav Klement began their journey by manufacturing bicycles in Mladá Boleslav. Through L’Étape Mysuru, this global association found a new expression in India, giving cycling enthusiasts an opportunity to experience the spirit of the world’s most iconic cycling event against the backdrop of Mysuru.
Ashish Gupta, Brand Director, Škoda Auto India, said, “Cycling has been part of Škoda Auto’s identity since our founding days, and bringing L’Étape by Tour de France to India is a natural extension of that heritage. What began with a bicycle in 1895 has evolved into a global relationship with cycling that spans professional racing, amateur participation and communities around the sport. L’Étape Mysuru allows us to bring this legacy to India in an experiential and inclusive way, while creating a platform for people to connect with the sport, the community and the spirit of discovery that cycling represents.”
Global legacy, Indian identity
With more than 1,500 participants coming together from across India and international markets, L’Étape Mysuru brought the global spirit of Škoda’s cycling association to a distinctly Indian setting. The event combined the sporting spirit of Tour de France-inspired cycling with Mysuru’s heritage, culture and landscapes, including the iconic Chamundi Hills.
For Škoda Auto India, the association goes beyond the event itself. It reflects the brand’s belief that mobility can enable people to discover new places, connect with communities and experience the world differently. By bringing L’Étape to India, Škoda continues to build on its global cycling legacy while creating new opportunities for Indian audiences to participate in and experience that heritage.
With L’Étape Mysuru, Škoda Auto India adds a new chapter to a relationship with cycling that began more than a century ago, connecting its heritage in Mladá Boleslav with a new generation of cycling enthusiasts in India.
Škoda Auto
* is successfully steering through the new decade with the Next Level Škoda Strategy
* aims to become one of the top three best-selling brands in Europe by the end of the decade by offering its customers the best of both worlds through a range of attractive BEV, hybrid & ICE products
* effectively exploits the potential in important growth markets such as India, Vietnam and the ASEAN region
* currently offers customers 14 passenger car model ranges: Fabia, Scala, Octavia, Superb, Kamiq, Karoq, Kodiaq, Epiq, Elroq, Enyaq, Peaq, Slavia, Kylaq and Kushaq
* delivered more than 1,040,000 vehicles to customers worldwide in 2025
* has been part of the Volkswagen Group, one of the world's most successful car manufacturers, for more than 30 years
* is part of Brand Group CORE, an organisational merger of the Volkswagen Group's volume brands, with the aim of achieving joint growth and significantly increasing the overall efficiency of all five volume brands
* independently develops and produces components such as MEB battery systems, engines and transmissions for other Volkswagen Group brands
* operates three production plants in the Czech Republic; has production capacities in Spain, Slovakia, Kazakhstan and India, mostly through group partnerships, as well as in Vietnam and Ukraine in cooperation with a local partner
* employs around 40,000 people worldwide and is active in almost 100 markets
Škoda Auto India
* has fascinated customers in India since 2001
* offers 5 models in India – Kylaq, Slavia, Kushaq, Kodiaq, and the Octavia RS
* is present in 193 cities across the country with over 345 customer touchpoints
* has recorded a 107% year-on-year growth with 72,665 cars sold in 2025
Škoda Auto India website - www.skoda-auto.co.in
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