Both Václav Laurin and Václav Klement formed their firm to make Slavia bicycles in the undivided Czechoslovakia in 1895. They later started making motorcycles with their L&K logo.
After 30 years they sold their brand to an arms manufacturer who want to diversify. That company was called Skoda Works and since then cars produced under their wing started to have the famed winged-arrow symbol as their logo. Soon after the break-up of communist Czechoslovakia, the German automobile maker Volkswagen purchased this firm in 2001 and continues to own it.
In India Skoda has a factory manufacturing most of the popular models.