Audi aims 55 pc growth this fiscal from India

Though luxury car sales in various countries was showing a dip following the global meltdown, the Indian market was buoyant, Audi India Managing Director Benoit Tiers told reporters here.

While in Europe, the US, Japan and Spain, about 25-50 per cent market had declined, Indian market was growing, he said. The company saw growth of 200 per cent in 2008. Already in the first four months of this fiscal there was 55 per cent growth and the same was expected for the rest of the months, he said.

Despite recession, Audi delivered over one million cars worldwide and this year was targetting sale of nine lakh units. From the Kerala market, it expects to sell 80 cars till December and 25 had already been sold.
About 1,000 cars are being manufactured at Audi's Aurangabad plant, where it has invested about 30 million euros. The production capacity can be extended to 3,000 cars here, he said.

With Kerala showing a growing luxury car market potential, Audi today opened the country's first terminal showroom in the city, exemplifying the latest and exclusive terminal architecture of Audi.

The aim of such a terminal is to increase the visibility of the brand through a design that is instantly recognizable in the metropolises around the world. Such terminals are located presently at Tokyo, Geneva, Sydney and Munich. By end of 2012, more than 350 Audi terminals are to be created worldwide, Tiers said.

Audi has nine dealerships in India and three -- at Ludhiana, Chennai and Delhi -- would be added by the year end.