Volkswagen, the German luxury car maker, announced on 11th April 2011 that the company will establish four centres for distribution of components in the Indian market. These centres will supply genuine parts to the dealers and service centres of the company. These distribution units will cover all the models, which are included in the Indian car portfolio of Volkswagen Group. As a part of strategy, the company organised a ceremony on 11th April for the inauguration of its first local Parts Distribution Centre (PDC) in Gurgaon.
In a statement, the company said, “The Volkswagen Group India is planning to set up four such depots across four regions of India which will provide a combined storage space of approximately 43,000 sq metres.”
Moreover the company did not mention the amount of investment, which is expected to be spent by the company in setting up these four centres. Volkswagen’s Gurgaon unit will be assisted by the company’s main warehouse, which is based in Mumbai for the Western section. However, the warehouses for the Eastern and Southern regions will be based in Kolkata and Bangalore, respectively.
Expressing his views over development, Dietmar Hildebrandt, Director Sales, Volkswagen Group India, said, “We have just 'raised the bar' for the passenger car industry and set a trend for the after sales services market in India. The PDC is expected to start operations by end of 2012.”
In order to acquire a large share in the Indian auto market, Volkswagen Group has also introduced most of its brands in the market. These brands include, Audi, Bentley, Lamborghini, Bugatti, Skoda and Porsche. However, the company is also planning to launch its SEAT brand in the Indian market soon. Under the name of Volkswagen, the company currently offers models like Volkswagen Polo, Volkswagen Vento, Volkswagen New Jetta, Volkswagen New Beetle, Volkswagen New Passat, Volkswagen Touareg and Volkswagen Phaeton.
The company made its debut in country by introducing its Skoda brand in 2001. However, Audi and Volkswagen were brought to the market in 2007. In addition, the company has maintained around 60 manufacturing facilities throughout the world.
