Poised For Potential

We sat down with Rahil Ansari, Head of Audi India, to talk about the challenge of operating in an ever-changing policy environment, the shift in customer preference towards petrol vehicles and Audi India’s plan for EVs.

The past couple of years have been a challenging time for the Indian automotive industry, given the lack of a clear roadmap. How are things looking for you now?

Well, you’re right! The past couple of years have been challenging in terms of timing, for there have been lots of policy changes in the past 12 months. The GST implementation was a very good move, but, unfortunately, the tax increases on luxury cars made things challenging – so it’s become difficult for us to fully exploit the potential of the luxury car market. What challenges us the most is that we don’t have planning security. What I mean by that is the fact that, in the past, many of our long-term plans were compromised because of frequent changes. I think a smart move would be to make luxury cars more affordable in India, as this will help with increased sales in the luxury market – which in turn will generate more tax revenue for the government. And more sales mean more investment in new and innovative products. Of course, with more sales, we’ll also have to expand our sales infrastructure to cater to the demand, which in effect will also generate more employment.