Exclusive | Aiming to bag 10% marketshare by 2016: Hover's Nitish Tipnis

Nissan Motor India Private Ltd. (NMIPL) a 100% subsidiary of Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. Japan  incorporated in 2005, offers innovative and exciting products across hatchback, sports, SUV and sedan segments in India. 20th August 2013 saw the company unveil it’s latest model, the all-new Terrano premium compact SUV, at a blockbuster action packed showcase event held at a film studio in Mumbai. It is the fourth vehicle to be produced locally in Nissan’s Oragadam Plant alongside Micra, Sunny and Evalia.

The Terrano has been developed specifically for the Indian market keeping the lineage of Nissan’s advantage of a large assortment of SUV’s. It boasts of a bold, distinctive styling and is due to go on sale across India in October this year. It is also expected to play a key role in boosting Nissan’s sales volume in India and mark the company’s entry into the expanding compact SUV segment.

We at Adgully spoke to Nitish Tipnis Director – Sales & Marketing, Hover Automotive India, Nissan India (NSC) to gain insights and also a better understanding with regard to the growth of the SUV segment and the all-new Terrano premium compact SUV which was unveiled in Mumbai.

Giving us a sense of where the SUV market is heading today, he said, "Well the market is under a lot of pressure these days but under the tough market conditions also we see out all the categories under automobiles, the SUV segment is the only one growing. The inclination towards comfortable and luxurious SUVs is quite evident. With this we see a bright future for this segment henceforth."

When asked how their new product will fit in the market, Tipnis said, "The new car is designed keeping in mind the need and demand of today's consumer. It is a compact SUV. The car continues this long-standing tradition for excellence by offering consumers luxurious interiors and distinct premium exterior styling along with standard safety features."

Pre-bookings for the Terrano will commence from September 1, 2013 at select Nissan dealerships throughout India. The Terrano will sport a starting price tag of sub-Rs 10 lakh.

Terrano has not been launched as of now, but only showcased since the marketing and communication strategies are still under discussion. Tipnis shares that there will be a lot of buzz on digital and the medium will be used extensively for marketing. The focus will be on other mediums too and will basically be a mix of all the mediums. He further adds, "We strongly believe in cost affordability and catering to the needs of our TG in what ever way we can. We want to reach out to all our consumers not only deeply but effectively too."

The car will be available in different variants. Given the tough economic situation wherein petrol prices are hitting the roof and with a downslide in the economy , what would their strategy be in terms of boosting sales volume of their products in the country. Expressing his view on this Tipnis said, "Our strategy is to have a wider dealer network and we have added more that 100 dealers in our kitty now and our focus is to add 200 more dealers by year 2016."

In terms of growth, Tipnis elaborated that recently when the automobile market saw a decline Nissan registered growth which was commendable.

Speaking about the mid term plans in India, Tipnis said that they plan to acquire 10% market share by 2016  for which they are working hard on their strategies.

Sharing some of the key high points of his journey with Hover Automative, he proudly said, "Well I would say ever since I have come on board we have launched a lot of products, we reached a mark of 100 dealers and we have successfully offered unique products to our consumers."

The news and buzz on Terrano has already got consumers excited. Terrano is set to venture into a new segment of its own; that of a premium compact SUV with sedan like comfort at an affordable price and best-in-class fuel efficiency. On a concluding note Tipnis says, “We are confident this new vehicle from Nissan will meet consumer aspirations and set new benchmarks in India’s SUV segment.”