#MILD HYBRID VEHICLES MARKET CRACK#

We evaluate the strategies and commitment of the Giant Players in the market towards creating products and services that customers value and rely on. Whereas, GCC is estimated to observe low investments due to the sliding prices of crude oil. So, I think we will have to be very careful about diesel as we go forward and we will have more hybrid and electric vehicles compared to diesel-run products but in some segments, if diesel is required, we will have the option.Being the biggest market in Eastern Europe, Russia is estimated to take the lowest hit, offering a sigh of relief to the businesses operating in the country.

ItвЂ™s a judgement call now and, given the trend currently, after BS-VI comes into effect, diesel vehicles will be even more expensive. To what extent will be the exposure to diesel for the company in India? We will also launch the Hector with an automatic transmission. It will be a petrol hybrid and will bridge the gap between petrol and diesel as the price gap will be significantly lower. We are going to be the first company to offer an affordable mild hybrid in a mass market vehicle. Then, with technology, expect us to be a disruptive force and we will try to introduce different ways of selling cars and will experiment with technology. Very few people know MG the brand in our country, so we need to spread awareness to start with. When it comes to future mobility solutions, what will MG offer the Indian customer? We have told our dealers that they should take care of customer satisfaction and we will take care of their viability. So, if we get the fundamentals right, then we can lead this segment. When we looked at this particular segment, it was just one product and now another couple of products have been launched. In our first product, we donвЂ™t foresee any competition from Maruti and Hyundai, and it has been very strategically done. How will you tackle competition from Maruti Suzuki and Hyundai in the initial years?

Also, we will always talk about retail sales and not wholesales, and dealer partners are enthused by this decision. That means we are selecting dealers carefully and they do have the financial strength to invest in the future. In Bengaluru, MG will have five outlets but with just one dealer. So we may start with 40-45 dealers, but in a number of locations and after five years, this may increase to 60, not 300 or 400. Our policy is that we are going to grow with only a few dealers, though we will give them many outlets. We have got probably the best dealers in the country and the best team for sales, service and marketing for our products. Most of the manufacturers did not invest much in dealer processes, customer systems and cost of ownership issues. What will be the strategy regarding setting up dealerships and maintaining their profitability? For both SAIC and MG, this is one of the few global markets and success here will lead to entry in many other markets. They have worked a lot with the local people to understand the local market.

#MILD HYBRID VEHICLES MARKET CRACK#

Only two companies have managed to crack the Indian market and if you look at their history, it has taken more than just investments to get the strategy right. For a company like MG though, the first solution is to ask the local management what they want to resolve an adverse situation, rather than offering a global solution. How will you ensure that MG becomes one of the very few foreign brands that will get the India strategy right?ДЇor most of the global players here in India, the first solution for any problem is a global one. So, all these resources are available to MG Motor as well. The good thing about the ownership is that SAIC is the biggest Chinese (car) manufacturer and it has got huge resources, is highly profitable and is one of the future-ready companies in the globe in terms of developing technologies required for electric, hybrid and fuel cell vehicles. That means a lot of people donвЂ™t know about the brand we have to start from scratch. Here, the brand MG Motor is British but in terms of scale (compared to GM), it is much smaller. I was a part of Opel as well when it was launched in India. I learnt a lot from General Motors (GM) and the company gave me a lot of exposure in different roles across countries.

Mild hybrid vehicles market