Maruti to tap premium buyers with Nexa stores

RS Kalsi

Executive Director, Maruti Suzuki India

Talks to Girja Shankar Kaura

Having established itself as the market leader in the small car segment, Maruti Suzuki India Ltd (MSIL) is now gearing up to repeat the same success in the premium car segment as well. RS Kalsi, Executive Director (sales & marketing), Maruti Suzuki India, talks about the company’s plans to launch new sales channel ‘Nexa’ to tap premium buyers.

Q. What is idea behind Nexa?

A. Indian automobile industry has come a long way and today it isn’t just about delivering cars but it is about delivering enhanced experiences. Much of this mirrors the rising aspirations of emerging Indians.

With customers today having a taste for great service, professionalism, convenience and above all a personal touch, it is all about delivering something special to them. It is in this regard that Nexa will set new benchmarks for the automobile industry and we are confident about this new experiment.

Q. What is Nexa and how did it come about?

A. The genesis of Nexa lies in Maruti Suzuki being always close to its customers. What came across from customer surveys was that in an evolving India, there is a set of customers that expect a different experience when it comes to buying a car. While the existing retail channel of Maruti Suzuki is a benchmark of customer satisfaction and a source of competitive advantage, there is a different set of aspirational customers who are accustomed to a finer experience in buying a car of their choice.

Nexa is being launched with this express goal of providing a different and exciting experience to a demanding set of customers. These new customers have new expectations and the only way to meet their aspirations is to deliver an entirely new experience which not only delights them but is also an industry first.

Q. What is Nexa expected to deliver?

A. Nexa will deliver a ‘new premium’ automotive experience for its discerning customers on the pillars of pampering, innovation, global standards and reliability. At Nexa, the customer will have the right to expect better.

Nexa is the first-of-its-kind breakthrough modern retail channel being launched by MSIL and will have an exclusive network of new age automotive showrooms across India. These showrooms will offer a new range of premium vehicles separate from the existing sales channel of Maruti Suzuki.

Q. Who are these customers for whom Nexa is being launched?

A. The clientele at Nexa will be digitally savvy and avid users of contemporary technologies, including social media, comprising young Indians who are increasingly global citizens and have achieved success early in life. They are well travelled, well read and have bought a car before — their aspirations and expectations mirror their rising success in life.

Each customer at a Nexa store will be aided by a personal relationship manager who will aid in the buying process and ensure a smooth experience.

At Nexa, technology will be the other name of convenience. If upon entering a NEXA store a customer wishes to view competition models, a touch on an iPad connected to a wall-mounted display enables an informed buying decision.

The great experience doesn’t end with the customer driving out of a Nexa store. The same high quality of services will be extended for the entire duration of the relationship with the customer. This is especially true of after-sales support where the customer has the choice of either a mobile workshop van visiting his or her home, a pick and drop service or the visit to a service centre.

Q. Is Nexa new sales channel or will it work through the existing ones?

A. Nexa would be completely new sales channels and are being launched with this desire to deliver a superb and industry first experience to a demanding set of customers. It is not just a metro story – by the close of the financial year, more than 100 Nexa dealerships will be opened in more than 30 cities.