Toyota, whose market share in India remains below expectations, sees lot of opportunities to improve over the medium and long term. For this, it intends to adopt a strategy focussed on better understanding of customers and spreading wings to smaller cities.
“Putting a big figure target and going [after it] is not our way. We want to go carefully, breaking down the market into pieces like mega city, non-mega city, segment-wise,” said Naomi Ishii, Managing Director, Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM), India subsidiary of the Japanese company.
Behind the confidence was the relatively better showing in certain markets, like the 14 per cent market share in Karnataka as against a pan-India share of 4-5 per cent, he said. With the new government, the sentiments were also expected to improve, he added. The car maker looks forward to the Centre continuing with the reduced rate of excise duty announced this February.
On the impact of labour problems witnessed at the Bidadi plants, near here, for over a month from mid-March, he said the company was on track to normality and receiving lot of good and positive response from customers.
Mr. Ishii, who was speaking to presspersons at the launch of new Corolla Altis here on Monday, however, declined to share information on the sales targets and new launches ahead.
On measures to increase localisation, especially in the backdrop of the impact last year due to rupee depreciation, he said: “In a step by step manner, we will promote localisation as much as possible taking the opportunity of upcoming new model introduction. On an average, it is 50 per cent.”
