A recent social media post by Hyundai Pakistan did not sit well with many in the neighboring country, resulting in outrage and calls to boycott the South Korean automaker.Pakistanis observe 5 February as Kashmir Solidarity Day with Kashmiris who are fighting for independence. Accordingly, Hyundai Pakistan had shared a post on Facebook and Twitter on 5 February that read: “Let us remember the sacrifices of our Kashmiri brothers and stand in support as they continue to struggle for freedom. #HyundaiPakistan #KashmirSolidarityDay”.
Following it, ‘#BoycottHyundai’ trended on Twitter in India, with several individuals suggesting that the company’s products must no longer be purchased in the nation. Several people tagged Hyundai India on Twitter, asking for its opinions on its Pakistani counterpart’s post, and many Indians reportedly canceled their bookings for Hyundai vehicles.
The criticism from Indian social media users led to the removal of the posts by Hyundai Pakistan, and Hyundai India responded with a social media post emphasizing its commitment to the Indian market.
Hyundai Motor India has been committed to the Indian market for more than 25 years now and we stand firmly for our strong ethos of respecting nationalism. The unsolicited social media post linking Hyundai Motor India is offending our unparalleled commitment and service to this great country. India is second home to the Hyundai brand and we have zero-tolerance policy towards insensitive communication and we strongly condemn any such view. As part of our commitment to India, we will continue our efforts towards the betterment of the country as well as its citizens.
Hyundai Motor India Limited (HMIL) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Hyundai Motor Company of South Korea. It was founded in 1996 and is also India’s second-largest automotive manufacturer, with a 17.42 percent market share in FY 2021.
Hyundai Pakistan is a joint venture between the Hyundai Motor Company and the Nishat Group which is the authorized assembler and manufacturer of Hyundai automobiles in Pakistan. It was created in 2017 and initiated production in 2019 as a comeback after the last Hyundai-Dewan Group joint venture was disbanded more than 14 years ago.
