Tesla-rival Fisker sets up HQ in Hyderabad, likely to launch EV in India

An America-based EV manufacturer named Fisker has set up its new headquarters in Telangana India by the name of Fisker Vigyan which indicates its possibility of entering the Indian EV market.

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Fisker Inc has set up its India headquarters in Hyderabad, Telangana. It is an NYSE-listed electric car company located in California. KT Rama Rao (Telangana’s IT & Industries Minister) recently paid a visit to Fisker’s headquarters in Manhattan Beach, California, ahead of the deal’s completion. As per the reports, the company's India branch will be named ‘Fisker Vigyan India Pvt Ltd'.

Fisker Vigyan will collaborate with Fisker’s California engineering and product development centres. It will also focus on software development, embedded electronics, support functions for virtual vehicle development, data analytics, and machine learning.

"Our expansion into India represents both a strategic market opportunity and a significant boost to our global engineering capabilities," the company's Chairman and CEO Henrik Fisker said.

Fisker hopes to expand its worldwide workforce from over 450 employees now to over 800 personnel by the end of this year, thanks to the expansion into India and new hires in the United States and Europe. This expansion is expected to create around 200 potential jobs, with local staff recruitment and hiring already beginning.

On November 17, 2022, production of the all-electric Fisker Ocean SUV will begin at Fisker’s manufacturing partner Magna Steyr’s site in Graz, Austria.

"In the global race for leading technical talent, we see our new operation in Hyderabad as a major strategic advantage. I would also like to thank the state of Telangana for their support and for enabling us to make a fast start as we set up our initial operations. We are excited to tap into the growing talent pool in India," Fisker said.

Currently, the company has a global team of over 450 employees. New hiring in the US, Europe and India is projected to boost the headcount to over 800 by the end of 2022.

The Fisker Ocean is a competitor to the Tesla Model Y, with a stated range of up to 440 kilometres (WLTP test cycle) in Sport trim and up to 630 kilometres in Extreme trim. Fisker had previously considered introducing the Ocean SUV in India, but the company has yet to make an official announcement on the matter.

With inputs from PTI