Nissan is planning to set up two new regional distribution centres to supplement its current single operation in Chennai.
To increase delivery efficiency, its has now decided to set up regional distribution centres in the north and west, the Hindu Business Line reported.
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Toru Hasegawa, Nissan Motor’s head of, Africa, Middle East and India, told reporters these centres would be built before the first quarter of 2014.
He said Nissan had 10 new models to launch between now and 2016. Seven would be branded Nissan and the rest Datsun.
Nissan would also boost its dealer network to 300 by 2016 from 145 now, he added.
He saw big opportunity in B, B plus, B Sedan and SUV segments, which formed 90% of the TIV (total industry value) as these were growing at 30%. Hasegawa also said Nissan would aim for 97% localisation by 2014.
Alliance partner Renault, meanwhile, has said it is keen to ensure that India is among the top five global markets for it “as quickly as possible”.
Gilles Normand, who heads the Asia-Pacific region for Renault, said India was not the automaker’s 11th largest market.
He said the new platform the alliance was developing in India “is a significant” initiative.
“We are not bringing something outside to compete in India,” he said. “Everything (about the platform) is different, and it is the culmination of many years of work.”
The tumbling rupee could be an opportunity for Renault which saw localisation as a priority.
“That is why we are hastening localisation. We should be more Indian every day to protect us from this [rupee fall].”
Normand said the future for Renault in India was to introduce more affordable products for first time buyers and expand the dealer network.
