BS People: Peter Honegg

Its own league

Mercedes Benz believes India would, in the foreseeable future, join the premium league to become one of the the top-five markets in the world for luxury cars. At present, though the segment is small in the country, it is growing at double the rate of the overall automobile sector.

So, when the company’s India MD Wilfried Aulbur resigned, Peter Honegg, who had grown with the company for over 35 years, was brought in to replace him. Honegg’s responsibilities at the company involved initiatives in strategic planning, marketing, network management, business development and sales across diverse markets like Germany, Poland, Yugoslavia, eastern Europe and Iran, as well as Southeast Asia.

His stint at the company includes five years of heading operations in China – an experience he says is helping him understand dynamics in emerging markets like India. “The markets are fundamentally similar, and developmental traits India is exhibiting are in line with what happened in China.” The challenge for Honegg lies — he admits — in being able to gauge customer perception to reclaim the top slot in the luxury segment from compatriot BMW.

Honegg has a plan for the Indian market. A classic car enthusiast, he wants to retain the exclusivity of the brand and simultaneously bring it closer to consumers. “Mercedes would not play the price war. We would be aggressive in marketing our products and bringing it closer to our customers. Ventures like the pre-owned car business in itself is intended to bring more people to our brand,” he says.