On a state visit to India, Prof. Dr. Horst Köhler, President of the Federal Republic of Germany, has toured Volkswagen’s Pune plant to mark the celebrations of the 11,111,111th Polo ever produced.

Pictured above, the President joined Prof. Dr. Jochem Heizmann, Member of the Board of Management of Volkswagen AG with responsibility for ‘Group Production’, and Jörg Müller, President and Managing Director of Volkswagen Group India.

The Pune plant, which was opened in 2009, is a key element in Volkswagen’s growth in the Indian subcontinent.

“The scale of investment to date and the sustainable employment opportunities for people from the region underscore Volkswagen’s long-term commitment to India,” said Prof. Dr Heizmann.

“The Polo built at the Pune plant demonstrates that excellent vehicles are created when German engineering prowess interacts perfectly with Indian skills.”

“We are determined to bring the Polo’s European success story to India. Volkswagen will tap its opportunities in India with vehicles like the Polo, our modern plant in Pune and a highly-motivated workforce.”

The Volkswagen Polo, which was recently named Car of the Year  in Europe, is specially designed and built in Pune for the Indian market.VW began building the model here in December 2009.

The Pune plant, one of the most modern in the Volkswagen Group, covers all stages of production from body stamping through to final assembly. It boasts an annual capacity of 110,000 units and also produces the Škoda Fabia.

With a total financial commitment of 580 million euros, the Pune plant represents the largest investment to date by a German company in India. The plant will employ some 2,500 local people by the end of this year.