Blog The Minister, the Mayor, and the Ambassador visited MOTOR JIKOV

The Indian delegation led by Ambassador Hemant H. Kotalwar visited MOTOR JIKOV GROUP. The primary goal of the ambassador's visit was to strengthen economic ties between the South Bohemian region and India, whose economy is adequately diversified, has immense growth potential, and ranks among the largest economies in the world, according to the Export Credit and Insurance Corporation.

Marian Jurečka, Vice President of the Czech Republic and Minister of Labour and Social Affairs, stated after his visit: “At MOTOR JIKOV, they employ over 800 people, and the majority of the products are exported. We discussed the current situation on our labor market, the challenges they face, and ways we can support companies like this to succeed in fierce international competition.”

Historically, Dagmar Škodová Parmová, the first woman to serve as the mayor of České Budějovice, toured MOTOR JIKOV Group a.s. under the auspices of the South Bohemian Chamber of Commerce (Jhk). During her first mayoral trip, she visited the company, familiarizing herself with its Czech-foundry and engineering operations and product portfolio. MOTOR JIKOV Group focuses on the automotive and consumer industries and has been affected by the energy crisis for over a year. “We strongly feel the rising living costs for our employees in recent months, which is why we are increasing wages regardless of ongoing negotiations with unions and raising most benefits by fifteen percent,” said Miro Dvořák, the company's CEO and chairman of the Jhk board, during the meeting with the mayor.

Since the mayor previously worked in education before her political career, she was particularly interested in MOTOR JIKOV’s apprenticeship center, which she also visited. “During the meeting, we discussed various topics across the labor market, energy situation, corporate investments, and advanced technologies. However, a common theme among all entrepreneurs remains education. In manufacturing and foundry sectors, this issue is focused on supporting the apprenticeship center, which operates within the company, and on enhanced systems to motivate students and future graduates of the field,” said Lenka Hájková, director of the ČB Jhk regional office.