Audi has it sights set on making money in one of the countries you’d least expect it to invest 10 million Euros in. But thanks to the increase in sales that was generated during the first portion of 2008, this German automaker now feels that this could be a potential long term investment for them. So India, you better get ready because Audi now has you locked in its sights.
As part of the company’s plans, Audi is targeting to sell a total of 1,200 units in India by the end of 2008. This came about after the results of its first quarter sales came in, showing an increase of 80 percent in sales, which translates to 220 units sold. Despite what people may perceive as a small number, Audi feels that the number of units sold is a sign that they could accomplish more in terms of sales. The 220 vehicles sold for the first three months of this year is almost close to the total they sold in the country last year, which totaled to 350 units. So you can’t blame Audi for being so giddy about this recent increase in such a short span of time.
To entice the Indian market, Audi will be launching its Audi A4 in India this July, with its Audi SUV Q5 to probably follow suit (most likely depending on the sales they make this year). Audi also plans to open an assembly plant in Aurangabad to shoulder the production of 800 units. The company also plans to set-up five showrooms in Ludhiana, Chennai, Kolkata, Cochin and Ahemdabad, on top of the showrooms it has in Delhi, Hyderabad, Gurgaon and now Chandigarh.
If this forecast proves to be successful, then it just shows that Audi has that innate ability to find areas with untapped potential and capitalize on them. Now if only I had that same talent.
Sources: Merinews.com, MSN News, Business Standard, CarScoop
