While many manufacturers are closing down plants to stop piling up inventory, BMW has defied the downturn, at least not in India. BMW's specialist 'M' or the 'Motorsport' division has improved on sales internationally, the BMW brand as a whole has posted impressive sales in India. The Bavarians say they have recorded a 100% growth in the sales of their cars here in 2008. BMW, which had already delivered 2,700 cars in India by the end of November this year, plans to get to the 2,800 figure by the end of this month.
Given that BMW had only sold 1,387 cars in India last year, the above figures are certainly commendable. And while the company does expect sales to dip in 2009, it still plans to increase its dealership network, spreading to relatively smaller tier 2 cities like Ludhiana, Bhubaneshwar, Jaipur and Coimbatore. This should balance the sales and keep it stable.
BMW’s Chennai plant runs on a single shift producing 3000 cars a year but expect it to run in two shifts if the demand increases.
Source : India Automotive
