DaimlerChrysler optimistic about Indian market with their Mercedes brand

DaimlerChrysler optimistic about Indian market with their Mercedes brand

DaimlerChrysler aims to start rolling out their Mercedes Benz cars from its new Indian plant in 2009. The company is hoping that the Indian market would continue to see solid sales of their luxury cars.

They are already manufacturing their cars at a separate facility leased from Tata Motors Ltd. DaimlerChrysler currently manufactures around 2000 units per annum.

The company added that they sold 2,121 vehicles in 2006 which is an improvement of around 11% compared to the last year.

The sales in the first three months of the year have already seen an improvement of around 17% compared to the last year.

Their upcoming plant in India would have a manufacturing capacity to produce 5,000 cars a year. Joachim Schmidt, chairman of the board of DaimlerChrysler India added: “Today’s entrepreneurs, be it in real estate, diamonds, in IT, (and) very high-level executives are very much aware that they are working at a par with their peers across the globe and they very much want the same kind of perks.”

In India, the company now faces competition from both BMW and Audi both of which have launched their new cars in the Indian market. BMW incidentally is the world’s largest maker of luxury cars.