Nissan to enhance sales network, line up to reach 5% mkt share

Terming its aim of achieving 5 per cent market share in Indian market by 2020 as "very ambitious", Japanese carmaker Nissan today said it has lined up new products and enhanced sales network for Datsun brand to meet the target.
"The objective is very ambitious, we take this market very seriously. Yes this is a challenge (raising market share to 5 per cent)" Datsun's global head and Corporate Vice President Vincent Cobee told reporters here.
He added that to take combined market share of Nissan and Datsun to 5 per cent by 2020 the company would focus on new products, expanding outlets in smaller cities and communications strategy.

Nissan and Datsun currently have a combined market share of around 1-1.5 per cent in the Indian market.
Elaborating on the network expansion, Cobee said the sales network will grow by about 50 per cent to around 300 by mid-2017.
Nissan currently has around 200 dealerships across the country, out of which 42 are dedicated point of sales for Datsun, he said.

When asked about the timeframe of Datsun having separate sales network in country, Cobee said: "This is key question on our growth....As both brands grow, there will be progressive exit from that scheme.
"We obviously hope that both Datsun and Nissan brands grow and we will make these common shops ineffective and then we will have dedicated treatment for both the brands."

Cobee said the company this year has introduced Datsun specific sales points in tier 2 and tier 3 cities.
However he did not give any specific timeframe for the separation of sales network for the two brands.
"We today have 42 dedicated Datsun sales of points in tier 2 and tier 3 cities. And this will continue to grow as we move forward," Cobee said.
"We are starting this transition phase and will progressively separate more and more with brand treatment of Datsun and Nissan as both brands grow in India," he added.
The Datsun brand had made a global comeback after more than three decades in March 2014 when the company launched 'Datsun Go'.

Nissan, which had sold its vehicles through Hover Automotive India, terminated their agreement ahead of the launch of Datsun and decided to sell all its vehicles on its own in India.
At present, all the Nissan and Datsun brands are sold through the company's showrooms across the country.