"We are not selling cars...We are selling dreams"

Lamborghini Chairman & CEO Stephan Winkelmann on the Indian luxury car market, selling dreams to customers, and the way ahead

- Krishna Gopalan

It is obvious that Stephan Winkelmann, 59, likes India. Its clear growth story can only lead to more demand for the luxury cars. As Chairman & CEO of Italian luxury sports carmaker Automobili Lamborghini, the auto industry veteran runs a company-owned by Volkswagen Group through subsidiary Audi-famous for its supercars. Sitting in a luxury car showroom in central Mumbai, a cheerful Winkelmann sounds optimistic about India and not without reason. Last year, his company got past the three-digit mark in sales volumes. It sells three models here-sports car Huracán, sports utility vehicle Urus, and Revuelto, a hybrid sports car. It is not easy to push luxury cars in India, though the numbers are now encouraging. In an interview with Business Today's Krishna Gopalan, Winkelmann speaks about India, the need to have a specific strategy for the market, and what it means to sell dreams, among other things. Edited excerpts:

Q: What makes India an interesting market for you?

A: I have been to India five or six times. The first time was in 2005 and since then there have been dramatic changes-in terms of infrastructure, markets, [and] competition. Just look at the car market or, more specifically, the high-end car market. I think the economy looks very strong today and it's the fifth largest globally. That is a very striking fact from our point of view.