Stellantis India Plans Faster Vehicle Development and Increased Localisation

Stellantis India is making significant moves to accelerate the development of new vehicles while boosting localisation efforts for select models. The company plans to introduce 12 new products across its Citroen and Jeep brands as part of its FaSTLAne 2030 roadmap, according to Managing Director and CEO Shailesh Hazela.

In an interview with PTI, Hazela revealed that Stellantis has set an ambitious target to reduce the time it takes to develop new vehicles from the current 48 months to approximately 24 months. This represents a 50 percent reduction in the product development cycle, aligning with the automaker's global strategy to speed up innovation and market responsiveness.

"We have announced globally that our goal is to bring down our development time for new products from 48 months to close to two years," Hazela explained. "This is the benchmark we are working towards for our upcoming product launches." Such a reduction could help Stellantis respond more rapidly to changing consumer preferences and competitive pressures within the Indian automotive market.

Stellantis also leverages its engineering and software expertise based out of Bengaluru. The India engineering centre is recognized as one of the company’s four major technology hubs worldwide. It plays a critical role in designing vehicles not only for the Indian market but also for global Jeep and Citroen models.

"Our India tech centre is the largest among the four global tech centres we operate," Hazela said. "They support the same mandate of decreasing product development time, which is a critical focus area for us." This facility’s work spans software, technology, and vehicle engineering, enhancing Stellantis’s ability to innovate and integrate advanced features quickly.

Localisation remains central to Stellantis India’s strategy. Increasing the use of locally sourced components helps the company manage costs while supporting the domestic supplier ecosystem. This approach also aligns with government initiatives encouraging automotive manufacturers to boost local production content.

Stellantis India has maintained a long-term collaboration with Tata Motors Passenger Vehicle to strengthen its localisation efforts further. This partnership helps the company access a robust supply chain and leverage Tata’s established manufacturing capabilities.

The FaSTLAne 2030 roadmap underlines Stellantis’s commitment to achieving sustainable growth in the Indian market by combining faster product rollouts with enhanced local manufacturing. By cutting development time and increasing localisation, the company positions itself to better meet evolving customer demands and regulatory requirements.

The broader Indian automotive sector is undergoing rapid transformation as manufacturers focus on electric vehicles, connected technologies, and stricter emission norms. Stellantis’s moves to speed up innovation and deepen localisation fit within this context, aiming to remain competitive and relevant in a challenging environment.

As the automaker prepares to launch a dozen new models under its Citroen and Jeep brands, these strategic initiatives could help it capture a larger market share. The ability to bring vehicles from concept to showroom faster will allow Stellantis to tap into emerging trends more effectively.

In summary, Stellantis India’s plans to halve vehicle development time and boost localisation mark a significant push towards efficiency and market agility. Supported by a globally integrated technology centre and partnerships with local players, the company’s FaSTLAne 2030 vision reflects a focused effort to expand its footprint and meet the needs of Indian consumers more swiftly.