As Maruti Suzuki India Ltd. (MSIL) continues to consolidate its leadership position in the booming Indian car market, it is now focusing more on expanding its service network. In its latest initiative, it has decided to add 200 new service outlets in the next four months, with majority of them coming up in southern States.
In the southern zone, MSIL will be adding 61 new service outlets covering all the major towns and cities. As part of its strategy to expand in the south, the carmaker has already added 744 new outlets by the end of October.
Similarly, in the northern zone, 51 more service outlets will be opened by the end of this fiscal, taking the total number of outlets in the zone to 940; while in the eastern zone 46 additional workshops will be added, to take the number of service touch points to 565. In the western zone, 48 would be added, thus taking the total to 686 outlets by March 2011. The company's present network of 2,834 service outlets covers 1,359 cities.
?To keep pace with scorching service demand, we have drawn up an ambitious plan to scale up and strengthen our after-sales service network,? Executive Officer (Service) Pankaj Narula told The Hindu . The aim behind this expansion is to enhance proximity with the customers.
?This year, we expect to cross 12-lakh sales mark in the domestic market. To service increased volume of cars and take care of existing customers, our service network has to expand accordingly. This year, maximum number of service outlets will come up in southern States,? Mr. Narula said, and pointed out that opening of more service outlets would also create jobs. At present, over 33,000 people are employed at these service centres.
Notably, MSIL has already announced that its third plant will come up at Manesar with an investment of Rs.1,925 crore with a capacity of 2.5-lakh cars annually. By 2013, the company's total capacity will be 17.5-lakh cars annually. The company joined the select list of global carmakers by selling over 10-lakh vehicles in the last fiscal (2009-10), while it is now selling over 1-lakh cars every month.
