Hinduja Group might enter the passenger car segment

India is a hot market when it comes to auto sector. Maruti is selling more cars than ever, Fiat is making huge losses but cannot take the chance to say adios, Audi is setting up plants, GM is planning to launch a mini car, and a lot more is happening here. The latest news is that the owners of the Ashok Leyland brand, the Hinduja Group are also considering entering the passenger car segment!

They are exploring this market along with possible investments in the roads and power sectors. They are also planning a Rs 4800 crore expansion of the commercial vehicle major Ashok Leyland and have more plans to expand their base. In addition, they want to enter the passenger car segment by launching vehicles but under a different brand name.

Dheeraj Hinduja, vice chairperson of Ashok Leyland said in a recent interview to the media: “We are open at getting into this segment but it will have to be under a different brand name. Passenger car segment is a competitive segment, and we won’t use Ashok Leyland’s name if we get into this area”.

An auto magazine in the market recently talked about the possible steps struggling Fiat might consider taking to revive in the Indian market. And collaborating with Ashok Leyland was one of the suggestions! One of the companies of the Fiat Group, Iveco owns a 30% stake in the Ashok Leyland and maybe, Hinduja would be giving it a thought. Fiat have got an amazing range of vehicles with incredible potential in the Indian market. They just need to get the basics of marketing and management right.