Renault and Nissan Think Big in India

After China, India has slowly became one of the key markets for many carmakers that are trying to benefit from the growing auto sector that could boost their revenues on the short term. Renault and Nissan for example are both hoping to achieve a 5 percent market share with their new launches in the upcoming years, both companies sketching investment plans that could bring them in the elite of the local auto industry.

Renault will begin producing the Fluence in India in April, with the first units to be delivered to local customers in May 2011. The company's second offering, the Koleos SUV, will debut in India later next year in October, BSMotoring wrote.

Three other models will follow in 2012, all of them supposed to compete against local leaders manufactured by Honda and Hyundai. In addition, Renault wants to boost its dealership network and operate 70 stores by 2013. Nissan plans to do the same thing but has more optimistic intentions, aiming to exceed 100 dealerships by 2013. It currently has 22 showrooms across India.

“We are looking at selling 70,000 to 75,000 vehicles in 2013-14 by then our slated models will be in the Indian market. Beyond that, we intend to account for five per cent of car sales in the country," Ashish Sinharoy, vice-president corporate affairs, Renault India, was quoted as saying.

Nissan in its turn will introduce the Sunny sedan next year in India, but using a different name than for the rest of the markets. An MPV is also in the works, but a decision is yet to be made.

“We will have nine products in the country by 2012. With that we intend to firmly establish ourselves among the top five brands in the country," Dinesh Jain, chief executive officer, Hover Automotive India, the company that's now in charge with Nissan's sales operations in India, said in a statement.