Skoda Auto vs TVS Motor: Founders, CEOs and History

Company facts

Founders

CEOs and their tenures

Timeline: Skoda Auto and TVS Motor side by side

1. 1895Skoda Auto

   Laurin & Klement Founded in Mlada Boleslav: Vaclav Laurin and Vaclav Klement established their partnership to manufacture Slavia bicycles after a dispute with a German bicycle maker.

2. 1899Skoda Auto

   First Motorized Bicycle Produced: Introduced the Slavia Type A and B motorcycles, achieving widespread acclaim in international road racing competitions.

3. 1905Skoda Auto

   Launch of Voiturette Type A Motorcar: Unveiled its first automobile, the Voiturette A, featuring a 1.0-liter V-twin engine and establishing the company as an automotive pioneer.

4. 1911TVS Motor

   T.V. Sundaram Iyengar Founds TVS Group: Thirukurungudi Vengaram Sundaram Iyengar founds T.V.

5. 1925Skoda Auto

   Merger with Skoda Works: Following a major fire at the Mlada Boleslav factory, merged with Akciova spolecnost, drive Skodovy zavody v Plzni and adopted the winged arrow logo.

6. 1934Skoda Auto

   Introduction of the Original Superb and Popular: Pioneered backbone chassis technology with the Skoda Popular, driving democratic motorization across Central Europe.

7. 1978TVS Motor

   Establishment of TVS Motor Plant in Hosur: TVS establishes its two-wheeler manufacturing plant in Hosur, Tamil Nadu, producing the well-known TVS 50 2-stroke moped, mobilizing millions of Indian rural…

8. 1980TVS Motor

   TVS 50 Moped Launched

   The TVS 50, a two-seater moped, was launched in 1980.

9. 1982TVS Motor

   TVS Suzuki Joint Venture Established: Partners with Japan's Suzuki Motor Corporation to manufacture modern 100cc Japanese motorcycles in India (TVS-Suzuki AX100 and Samurai).

10. 1991Skoda Auto

    Volkswagen AG Acquisition Commences: Volkswagen acquired an initial 31% stake following the fall of communism, modernizing factories and initiating a complete brand rebirth.

11. 1996Skoda Auto

    First Modern Octavia Debuts: Built on the shared VW Golf platform, the modern Octavia launched to international acclaim for unbeatable interior volume and value.

12. 2000Skoda Auto

    Wholly Owned Subsidiary of Volkswagen Group: Volkswagen AG finalized the purchase of 100% of Skoda Auto shares, completing its corporate integration.

13. 2001TVS Motor

    Amicable Separation from Suzuki & TVS Victor Launch: TVS and Suzuki amicably buy out joint venture shares; TVS launches the 100% indigenously developed TVS Victor 110cc commuter motorcycle, which beco…

14. 2002TVS Motor

    World's First Two-Wheeler Maker to Win the Deming Prize: TVS Motor Company is awarded the Deming Application Prize by the Union of Japanese Scientists and Engineers (JUSE) for total quality management…

15. 2006TVS Motor

    Launch of the TVS Apache Series: Introduces the TVS Apache performance motorcycle, originating from TVS Racing's factory track lineage, which grows into a 5-million-rider global sports franchise.

16. 2013TVS Motor

    BMW Motorrad Strategic Partnership: Signs long-term cooperation agreement with BMW Motorrad to co-develop and manufacture sub-500cc motorcycles (BMW G 310 R, GS, and TVS Apache RR 310) in Hosur.

17. 2013TVS Motor

    Jupiter Scooter Launched

    TVS launched the Jupiter scooter in 2013.

18. 2016Skoda Auto

    SUV Offensive Launched with Kodiaq: Introduced the Kodiaq 7-seater SUV, kickstarting a global SUV expansion that grew to encompass the Karoq and Kamiq.

19. 2020Skoda Auto

    All-Electric Enyaq iV Launch: Debuted the first dedicated electric vehicle on Volkswagen's MEB platform, becoming one of Europe's top-selling electric SUVs.

20. 2020TVS Motor

    Acquisition of Norton Motorcycles (UK): Acquires historic British luxury superbike brand Norton Motorcycles for 16 million, building a modern factory in Solihull, England.

21. 2022Skoda Auto

    Klaus Zellmer Appointed CEO & Modern Solid Rebrand: Klaus Zellmer became CEO on 1 July 2022; Skoda later introduced its Modern Solid design language.

22. 2022TVS Motor

    Sudarshan Venu becomes managing director

    Sudarshan Venu became managing director of TVS Motor in 2022. Under his leadership TVS sold a record 5.89 million vehicles in FY2026 and grew consolidated revenue to ~$6.5 billion (₹56,028 crore).

23. 2024TVS Motor

    Surpassing 300,000 TVS iQube EV Deliveries: TVS iQube crosses 300,000 cumulative electric scooter sales, establishing TVS as India's top 2 electric two-wheeler manufacturer alongside Ola Electric.

24. 2025Skoda Auto

    Record ~$34B (€30.1B) Revenue and 1 Million+ Deliveries: Posted record revenue of ~$34 billion (€30.1 billion), operating profit of ~$2.82 billion (€2.5 billion) (8.3% return on sales) and 1,043,900 d…

25. 2026Skoda Auto

    Epiq and Peaq Launch; Zellmer Departs: Doubled the BEV line-up with the Epiq and Peaq, reached second place in European registrations in H1 2026, and announced CEO Klaus Zellmer's exit; CFO Holger Pet…

Acquisitions

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