The carmaker is targeting sales of 75,000 cars by 2018 globally

Italian luxury carmaker Maserati India has finally made a comeback after terminating its marketing agreement with its India importer two years ago. Maserati has plans to open two more dealerships in the major cities, after its recent Delhi launch – in Mumbai and in Bengaluru.
The company will bring its entire product range to India. Besides offering the popular Ghibli and Quattroporte, customers will be offered the GranTurismo and GranCabrio, Maserati’s sports coupe cabriolet. AMP Supercars Pvt. Ltd., Bagga Luxury Motorcars LLP and Jubilant Autoworks Pvt. Ltd. will represent Maserati in the respective areas of New Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru. Bojan Jankulovski, Head of Operations for India spoke to Retailer media on Maserati’s plans to sell luxury cars in India, synergised dealership networks and future (growth) plans.

Tell us about your role as Head of Operations for India.
In the past two years I have led the establishment of the Maserati network in the Middle East and South East Asia & Pacific. India is a very important market for Maserati with a strong demand for Maserati cars. We have therefore decided to re-enter this market as a commitment to our customers. For this, I have been entrusted with the responsibility of setting up Maserati’s dealer network across India and took on the role as the Head of Operations for Maserati in India under Fiat Chrysler Automobiles India (FCAI).

What are the sales targets you are pursuing for Maserati in India?
Maserati has an ambitious global growth target of 75,000 units sold annually by 2018. India is an important contribution to this target. Having said that, in an overall market of 70 million cars worldwide this of course is still a drop in the ocean. Owning a Maserati is like wearing a tailor-made suit in a world of uniforms. So our target is as such not only based on sales volume. We are planning with a two digit number. However, as a luxury brand it is equally important to provide our clients with the ultimate Maserati experience.

Have you entered India through a partnership or have come here in an independent setup?
Maserati has entered the Indian market using the synergies of the group and operating under the umbrella of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles India (FCAI). We are selecting and appointing our representatives in the market as dealers rather than as importers. This allows us to have closer control in order to ensure Maserati is represented as per the global standards in terms of sales and after sales service excellence, network infrastructure and brand representation.

Are there any more countries in Asia you are targeting to open dealerships/ showrooms in?
Aspart of Maserati’s continuous efforts to further develop its network, we are looking for opportunities in all the countries where we are not present yet.  We have already built and established our presence in five new markets in the Middle East and South East Asia in the past two years and we believe that the African Continent has potential over the mid to long-term.

Is the choice of coming to India and selling luxury cars a wise decision? Why?
There is a definite demand for exclusive luxury products, including cars in the Indian market. We see a lot of potential in the market here and hence have brought our entire fleet and dedicated Maserati after sales service facilities for our Indian customers this time.

How many cars did you sell worldwide in the last fiscal, what number are you looking at in the current fiscal?
Maserati has grown its worldwide annual sales to 36,500 units in 2014 through entering new markets and new additions to its product portfolio. The results for 2015 will be announced in early 2016. The Maserati Levante, our first luxury SUV, will be launched in 2016 and we expect further growth from this new addition to our model range.

What steps would you undertake to boost your sales in the country?
We are bringing our entire product range to India. Besides offering the popular Ghibli and Quattroporte, we are also bringing in the GranTurismo and GranCabrio, our sports coupe cabriolet. Besides our products, we are focussed on delivering world class services to our existing and new customers. Our dealers have started reaching out to our existing clients already. Our dealerships have been equipped with all the latest facilities to ensure that every Maserati client has a rewarding experience – right from sales to after sales and servicing.

Considering the competitive Indian car market, would you, like others such as Volkwagen, BMW and AUDI in the luxury cars segment have, localise the content in cars to increase sales?
We are not planning any production outside of Italy. It is part of the allure of Maserati.

Which all cities would you spread your dealerships in to start with? Who will represent you in these cities?
We have already announced the opening of our dealership in New Delhi with AMP Supercars. Bagga Luxury Motorcars LLP and Jubilant Autoworks Pvt. Ltd. will be representing Maserati in Mumbai and Bangalore, respectively. Besides providing sales support, these dealerships are equipped with after sales and servicing facilities, which are in line with Maserati global standards. To ensure that we are taking care of our customers in the best possible manner, we have made sure that all showroom and service personnel have been trained by authorised Maserati trainers.

What will the average pricing of a car launched here? Which all cars from your portfolio are you planning to sell here?The complete fleet of Maserati comprising the Ghibli, the Quattroporte, the GranCabrio and the GranTurismo will be available to customers here. The price is not really something we focus on in the super luxury segment, but our cars are priced between Rs 1.1 crore to Rs 2.2 crore.

How and by whom will the cars be imported to India?
Maserati has entered the Indian market using the synergies of the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles India (FCAI). As a National Sales Company, FCAI is the sole importer of Maserati cars into India.

Are you geared up for India’s Auto Expo in 2016?
We are concentrating our activities mainly on one-on-one engagement with the customers. In the start phase of course we are having the launches of our new dealerships in New Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore. The initial focus is on the key metro cities, developing the brand, as well as one-on-one communication with our clients.

What are you future (expansion) plans?
Our first dealership, represented by AMP Supercars, in New Delhi has opened recently. Bagga Luxury Motorcars LLP and Jubilant AutoworksPvt. Ltd. will be representing Maserati in Mumbai and Bangalore, respectively. We are planning to develop the network further in the tier 2 cities based on the market requirements over the medium term.