Nissan is planning to set up two new regional distribution centres. At present, it has a lone distribution centre in Chennai.
With a view to increasing delivery efficiency, Nissan has now decided to set up a regional distribution centre each in the North and West.
Addressing a media round-table here on Tuesday, Toru Hasegawa, Corporate Vice-President, Africa, the Middle East and India, Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., indicated that these centres would come up before the first quarter of 2014.
He said Nissan had lined up 10 new models to be launched between now and 2016. Out of which, seven would be Nissan brands and the rest Datsun, he added. Nissan would also beef up its dealer network to 300 by 2016 from 145 now, he pointed out. He saw big opportunity for Nissan in B, B plus, B Sedan and SUV segments, which formed 90 per cent of the TIV (total industry value), as these were growing at 30 per cent. Mr. Hasegawa also indicated that Nissan would aim to reach a localisation level of 97 per cent by 2014.
Renault roadmap
Renault has asserted that it is keen to ensure that India is among the top five global markets for it “as quickly as possible”.
Stating this at the round-table, Gilles Normand, Senior Vice-President and Chairman of Asia-Pacific Region of Renault SAS, said India at present ranked 11 in terms of market for the car major.
Fielding a range of questions, he said that the new platform Renault-Nissan Alliance was developing in India “is a significant” initiative. “We are not bringing something outside to compete in India,” he said. “Everything (about the platform) is different, and it is the culmination of many years of work,” he added.
To a question on tumbling rupee, he said this could be an opportunity for Renault which laid much store by localisation. “That is why we are hastening localisation. We should be more Indian every day to protect us from this (rupee fall),” he added.
Mr. Normand said the way forward for Renault in India was to introduce more affordable products for first-time buyers, and expand the dealer network.
