Delphi eyes big push into Indian market
biz.yahoo.com
BANGALORE, India, Oct 3 (Reuters) -Delphi Automotive Systems Corp (NYSE:DPH), the world's largest auto parts maker, said on Wednesday that it planned a big push into aftermarket sales in India, directly addressing car owners looking for replacements.
Delphi officials told a news conference that the firm planned to cover 16 cities across the country over nine months with free car service check-ups for some 50,000 car owners, aiming to win brand-loyal customers and hit unorganised ``grey market'' firms by emphaising on quality.
Worldwide, aftermarket sales totalled $2.1 billion for Delphi last year, while India's share remained insignificant, they said.
The aftermarket plan aims at selling products like airconditioning parts, batteries, filters and shock absorbers made by the company, which was spun off in 1998 by General Motors Corp (NYSE:GM - news).
Company officials also said they planned to launch automobile-linked electronic goods such as MP3 music players, DVD players and hands-free cellphones in India if market feedback to an initial test proved positive.
Delphi sold products worth 3.28 billion rupees ($68.5 million) in India last year, mostly involving sales to auto makers. |
