Audi aims 30% market share in India by 2011

Audi, a subsidiary of Germany carmaker Volkswagen group, is aiming to acquire a market share of as much as 30 per cent in the Indian market by year 2011. The company is also planning to expand its dealership base to 18 dealers in the country from the existing 10 dealers so that it can enhance its market reach among the buyers in the country ahead of the launch of its much anticipated A8 model at the end of this year. At present, the market share of the company is about 24 percent in the Indian market at 15,000 to 20,000 units.

According to a statement given by Mr Micheal Perschke, Audi India Head, to a leading news agency in the country, the company is looking at increasing its market share as well as focusing on profitability. He added that by next year, the company targets around 30 per cent share in the Indian market and expects a huge growth coming from the metros as well as Tier II cities. Audi India, is currently the third largest car maker in the Indian market following Mercedes Benz and BMW on the first and second spot respectively. So far, in the first eight months of this year, the company has sold 1,876 units of its cars in the Indian market as compared to the 1,128 units sold in the same period last year. While in the month of August 2010, the company sold 250 cars as against 171 units in the same period last year, accounting for a massive growth of 46 percent.

Further elaborating the expansion plans of the company, Mr Perschke said that Audi is looking at increasing its distribution network as India is a strategic market and is growing as demand is coming from smaller cities such as Bhubaneswar and Patna in the Eastern region. He added that the company is looking at a 45 per cent growth by next year and planning to open more showrooms in cities such as Ludhiana, Surat, Lucknow, Coimbatore and Indore.