Renault to export Kwid to Saarc countries, Africa

French car major Renault today said it will develop India into a exports hub and start shipping its small car Kwid to Saarc countries in the coming months.
Besides, the company will also export the auto parts of Kwid to Brazil by the end of the month.
"After that we will export Kwid to the Saarc countries such as Bhutan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka. If the demand is right then we will also export the car to Africa," Renault's Chairman of Africa-Middle East-India Region Bernard Cambier told PTI.
When asked about the time frame, he said the export to the Saarc countries will start in the coming months, while export of auto parts to Brazil will begin by the end of this month.

To gear up for the demand, Renault is expanding its facility for Kwid and will increase the capacity from the present 8,000 units per month to 10,000 units, Renault's India Country CEO and Managing Director Sumit Sawhney said.
"KWID is a great success and has revolutionised the compact hatchback segment, living true to our promise of creating a new era in automotive history. It has generated unprecedented success in its category," he added.

Renault today said it has sold more than 100,000 units of the small car in the next two months.
On the success of Kwid, he said: "I think for Kwid we should not see the success here. Renault is trying to understand the Indian market. So the first thing it has done is build a strong foundation in India. We have a technology centre, which has over 5,000 people, two design centres and a large facility."

Kwid is the first product developed on Renault-Nissan alliance's global CMF-A platform, he added.
"In fact, Renault is the first foreign carmaker to develop a car (Kwid) with over 98 per cent localisation. This is our way of contributing to 'Make in India'," he said.
Sumit Sawhney said Renault wants to replicate the success of Kwid with the current assets it has in India.
On Indian market, Cambier said India market is one of the biggest in the world. The market is three million, which will grow to five million by 2020 and the long-term forecast is eight million by 2025.

"It will also be one of the biggest markets in the world like China and it is key for global manufacturers, like us, to be successful in India to be successful globally," he added.
On the design and requirements for the Indian market, Renault Senior Vice President (Corporate Design) Laurens van den Aacker said: I think India for us is a very challenging market. Customers have big aspirations and for us in design terms and it is important for us to create a aspirational product, and the price has to be right."
The idea of Kwid is a "game changer" he said adding that by bringing in the concept of a small SUV, Renault created an aspirational product. In India, at the moment, a SUV is the most aspirational vehicle.

"In the small segment there was no such car and I think, we could create a new concept in the small car segment," Aacker said.