BYD is working on an India-specific model

Stella Li, BYD’s Executive Vice President, revealed the new development during a recent interview with Agence France-Presse (AFP) at the World Government Summit in Dubai, UAE. She said BYD has begun design work on the India-specific vehicle at its headquarters in Shenzhen (Guangdong Province), China.

“My team is working on this, but there is still work to be done,” Li said, without sharing a specific launch timeline. She also revealed that, in line with the new vehicle safety regulations in China, BYD will use mechanical door handles on the cars it exports to India in the future. “India is a market for us, but we need to make more of an effort,” Li said, highlighting the country’s significance in its global strategy.

Li did not talk about the body style or technical specifications of the future model. Designing and engineering a new vehicle from the ground up would require a significant investment, which is unlikely to be recoverable without extensive localisation. As BYD has no plans to set up a full-fledged manufacturing facility in India, the company is likely to adapt an existing model.

It has been known that the carmaker is considering increasing localisation. BYD has been testing the Atto 2 on Indian roads since mid-2025, and that could be the model Li was referring to. Based on its dimensions, the Atto 2 would slot into India’s so-called mid-size SUV segment, which is extremely popular and continues to grow, while also offering strong profit margins. The company produces this model in plug-in hybrid and pure electric variants, but it may bring only the latter to India, as the country does not incentivise the former.

The Chinese automaker has a factory in India, located in Sriperumbudur (Tamil Nadu), but has equipped it only to handle SKD and CKD assembly. The company could import CKD kits of the future market-specific model from China and assemble them locally, a move that could help it save around 95% in tariffs.

france24.com