Penukonda, Andhra Pradesh: Situated in Andhra Pradesh’s Sri Sathya Sai district, Penukonda, the historic town that served as the secondary capital and strategic military stronghold of the Vijayanagara empire after the fall of Hampi, has been the South Korean automobile giant Kia Motors’ India manufacturing headquarters for a while now. More than 8,000 cars roll out on a given day, heading across India and the world.
Amid these architectural remnants, circumferenced by Sri Krishnadevaraya’s fort to the right and the Big Granite Hill (Penukonda in Telugu) to its left, stands Kia Motors and the 25 ancillary units in nearly 1,100 acres of the Gudipalli and Ammavarupalli Industrial Park (AIP).Anchored by Kia which set up its manufacturing plant in 2017, the area has not only drawn an ecosystem of specialised auto-component suppliers but also rapidly transformed the rugged, rocky terrain into an automobile township.
Towering assembly plants and expansive metal-sheet warehouses feature tens of orange and yellow robotic arms moving in perfect, fluid choreography as workers watch over the Seltos, Sonnet, and Karens step onto multi-car carrier trucks, forklifts, and automated guided vehicles (AGVs).But this automobile township is not just a powerhouse of heavy industries. Amidst the robotic synchronicity and the sea of new vehicles, at Penukonda, entire communities, both Indian and Korean, have built their lives around the cars.It is where the layered, vertical, Korean Hangul script blends with the graceful, looping, and circular appearance of the Telugu script. It’s where the fiery aroma of Rayalaseema spice fuses seamlessly with fermenting Kimchi and Guksu and Myeon (Korean noodles) and steaming hot dosas get loaded on food trucks for eat-on-the-go workers.Some other unmissable cultural imports include the K-Beauty phenomenon where brightly lit cosmetic stores such as Seolful and Seoul Centre have become every tourist’s hotspot and K-Pop album postcards that hang at these store entrances.Seoul Store is must-go destination to buy products from South Korea, in Penukonda | Deepika Amirapu | ThePrint
