Rolls-Royce, the British ultra luxury car maker, is foreseeing the Indian auto sector as its one of the prominent markets in the world with its annual sales reaching out to 150 units. Reportedly, the BMW-owned car maker has been witnessing an overwhelming demand from the Indian auto market since 2010 and therefore, has framed some aggressive plans for the same. Presently, the Indian portfolio of Rolls-Royce consist six versions of its flagship Ghost and Phantom models, which are offered within a price bracket of Rs. 3 to Rs. 5 crore.
The auto maker is currently selling around 100 units in the market and now plans to surpass this number by a mile before the end of 2014. Reportedly, Rolls-Royce is of a view that the country has an increasing number of ultra-rich people and the Indian auto market is an untapped sector for the sale of luxury cars.
Expressing his views on the sales projection of the auto maker, the General Manager of Rolls-Royce (Asia), Herfried Hasenoehrl was quoted as saying, “I am convinced the yearly potential in this market is easily 130 to 150 cars based on the number of ultra high net worth individuals you have in this country. The number is really high. It is a very strong four digit number.”
Referring to Union Budget, he further said although the economy has witnessed some unwanted changes, the demand for super rich models will not decrease significantly in the Indian auto market. “There are signs that it is still growing in India. However, it is overshadowed by so many different aspects of economic and political life. In the Asia Pacific region, with the set-up with which we are planning to go ahead, India will remain a major market. Last year it was the third largest market. I know it could be number one,” he added later.
It must be noted that since 2005, the luxury auto maker has delivered mere 250 units in the country, whereas its sales in China are more than 1000 units per year. In China, the auto maker has maintained 22 outlets, whereas India has just 3 with the last one inaugurated recently in Hyderabad. Therefore, as the auto maker is expecting a boost in the country, it will surely open the doors of new showrooms and service centres, which presently have a limited reach in the country.
