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BMW has said that they don’t have any immediate plans to launch the MINI brand in India and the company would revisit its decision by the end of this year.

“The problem with launching the Mini is not lack of interest or consumers but its distinctly separate brand from BMW,” said Peter Kronschnabl, President, BMW India. “We cannot sell the car from existing BMW dealerships and would have to set up separate networks. This has a cost component and the potential is not that big to support an entry into the market.”

MINI will be a direct competitor to the Volkswagen Beetle and the Fiat 500 which is already present in India.

“If it is launched here it will not cost less than Rs 20 Lakh, but there will be 50-80, or in an optimistic scenario, even 100 buyers a year for it,” Kronschnabl said. “Unlike the Mini, however, the Beetle can be sold at any of the Volkswagen dealerships. We will take a re-look at the potential by the end of this year when the economic scenario improves.”

BMW will also launch the BPS (BMW Premium Selection Programme) in India by next year.

“As we and our products were new to the country, it was natural for us to take some time to launch the used-car programme,” he said. “Next year, I think we will have enough customers, who would be looking for an upgrade or a new car and hence the programme would become viable. Pre-owned car programmes are always an additional profitable stream for a company.”

So far, BMW has sold over 5,000 cars in India.

[Source: Hindustan]

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