Auto Expo 2016: Audi to open more showrooms, touch points in India this year

Greater Noida: German luxury car maker Audi plans to expand its footprint in India by adding more showrooms and 'touch points' in non-metro places this year.

"We are taking care of the customers. We are building the network," said Joe King, Head Audi India.

Audi, this year, would add three showrooms to its network of 42 showrooms, at present, in the country, he said, adding that the company has "identified the locations".

He further said the company has 90 touch points and they would continue to grow. "We would add another 15 percent in it (touch points) this year. It would have used care facilities and service facilities," he said.

On company's growth in India, King said there is lot of potential as the premium luxury car segment contribute only one percent in India while it is around 10 percent in China.

"India is a strategic market for Audi for global prospective because we think that premium in India would grow at much higher percentage. We are positioning ourselves to have a sustainable, solid and profitable growth for a long term," he said. He, however said in India Audi has 33 percent market share in the premium segment.

"I think that numbers may change here and there. I think positively. We want to keep growing and we have been able to do that...As long as we take care of our new customers, the numbers would be there where they are. January has started well," King said.

When asked whether Audi would catch up its German rival Mercedes in sales this year, King said: "I think that would be our expectation".

Audi reported sales of 11,192 units in India for 2015 with 3.14 percent growth over the previous year. Mercedes-Benz sold 13,502 units in India last year.

On India leapfrogging to BS VI emission norms directly from BS IV by April 2020, Head of Sales Overseas AUDI AG Terence Bryce Johnsson said its a big step forward.

"It's a great way to go and ultimately the consumer would be benefited. We waste a lot of money on maintaining and developing engine for variety of standards around the world.

The more we can simplify and quicker we can bring the emission to the best level of technology, then we have better environmental conditions for the consumers. I think its a great move," he said.

In a bid to curb vehicular pollution, the government has decided to implement stricter emission norms of Bharat Stage (BS) VI from April 1, 2020, by skipping BS-V altogether.