Auto Invasion ; with 11 Companies Offering Over a 100 Models and the Buzz That Another 30 Will Be Hitting the Road This Year, the Auto Customer's Choice Is Bound to Expand. The Reason for the Surfeit: Carmakers Are Zooming in On India Which Is Poised to Become a Three-Million Passenger Car Market by 2010.

Summary

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Nitin Chaudhary is caught in a bind. In the market for a new car, the 25-year-old chief executive of a travel and placement firm is faced with a plethora of choices. What's more, his choice is all set to expand further. As of now, there are 11 companies offering over a 100 models, including the numerous variants like petrol/diesel et al, of which 10 models were introduced just last year.

This year, the Rs 1,44,000-crore automobile industry is abuzz with suggestions of another 30 hitting the road, ranging from high- end beauties like the Porsche 911 Turbo to smaller cars like the Aveo UVA to utility vehicles like the Audi Q7. The reason all these carmakers are racing to drive into India is because the country is one of the world's fastest-growing markets. Sale of passenger vehicles grew from 6,75,116 in 2001 to 11,43,037 last year. By 2010, India will be a three-million car market. As Ford's vice-president for marketing, sales and service Scott McCormack puts it, "If you want to make it big in the global market, you have to be a player in India."

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Auto Invasion ; with 11 Companies Offering Over a 100 Models and the Buzz That Another 30 Will Be Hitting the Road This Year, the Auto Customer's Choice Is Bound to Expand. The Reason for the Surfeit: Carmakers Are Zooming in On India Which Is Poised to Become a Three-Million Passenger Car Market by 2010.

The year got off to a flying start with the launch of big names like the Honda Civic, the Chevrolet Aveo and the Lamborghini Gallardo. Whichever way we look at it, 2006 is the most happening year since India hit the big league three years back aided by rising disposable incomes and lucrative financing options. Dilip Chenoy, director-general of the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers, says, "In the f...

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