The deputy prime minister who oversees the Ministry of Industry and Trade in Russia confirmed that a government commission has given its approval for the sale of the former Volkswagen plant in Kaluga to the Avilon dealership group. The move is viewed as a strategic step toward reshaping the plant’s future, with potential industrial partners from Southeast Asia being considered as part of a broader manufacturing ecosystem. The update was reported by TASS.
According to the deputy premier, the transaction with Avilon has cleared the required governmental hurdle, and the project is now entering a critical design phase. While the sale progresses, efforts are underway to identify a technological partner capable of supporting a rapid restart of production at the Kaluga site. Authorities are actively exploring collaboration with southeastern partners, aiming to combine Avilon’s distribution strength with local manufacturing capabilities. This joint approach would help accelerate the plant’s return to operations while aligning with regional economic objectives.
Separately, Gorky Automobile Plant has filed a third claim against Volkswagen for 15.6 billion rubles in the Arbitration Court of the Nizhny Novgorod Region. Court documents show that GAZ is seeking compensation from Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft and Volkswagen Group Rus. The case, which was opened on May 5, contains limited publicly available details at this time, as the filing systems provide only basic case information pending further proceedings.