TABLE OF CONTENTS

Chapter 1 Introduction Jamkash Vehicleades An overview of Automobile Industry Maruti Suzuki Players in Indian Automobile Industry Literature Review

Chapter 2 Research Design & Methodology

Chapter 3 Results & Discussions Data Interpretation Analysis Findings of the study Limitations of the study Suggestions Conclusion

Annexure Bibliography

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CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION JAMKASH VEHICLEADES

Jamkash Vehicleadesis a major dealership organization of Maruti Suzuki. The Vehicleades Group is spread across 4 states (New Delhi, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and J&K) and 17 locations. It sells more than 16,000 cars and services more than 125000 cars annually. Vehicleades is among the Top 5 Maruti dealers in the country. It started Its operations in 1987, with an employee strength of 15, which now stands at 2000 plus. Jamkash Vehicleades Pvt Ltd, is situated on the By Pass opposite Channi Himmat Housing Colony. It commenced business on 28th Nov 2002 and has been providing the best possible services always to its valued customers and consequently the dealership acquired inevitable position amongst contemporary dealers. In order to reach out to the customers in the interior of rural areas, Jamkash has opened its E-outlets(Extension Outlets) at Rajouri and R.S Pura and more such E-outlets are under consideration for future expansion. Jamkash Vehicleades has won numerous prestigious awards from Maruti Suzuki India Ltd. The Outlets of Jamkash are as under: 1 Pathankot Vehicleades
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Pathankot (1997) J&K Vehicleades , 2 Udhampur (2001) Jamkash Vehicleades , 3 Jammu (2002) 4 Jamkash Vehicleades ,

Srinagar (2003) Kangra Vehicleades ,

5 Nagrota Baghwan (2006) AAA Vehicleades , 6 Malviya Nagar, New Delhi (2007) AAA Vehicleades , 7 Naraina, New Delhi (2009)

AWARDS Jamkash has proved its excellence by winning so many awards. Following are the awards won my Jamkash : Best Performance Schemes. Excellence in spare parts highest MGA off take per vehicle (>6000). Best Market share top city category-C. Excellence in Service Lowest Customer Complaints/10000 serviced and lowest resolution time.
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 Best all round performance. Best performance in W/R sales. Best Exchange Performance. Best Service Marketing works managers meet (North 2). Outstanding performance in institutional sales. Dealer spares off take 4 crores-6 crores (Top 2 growth dealers). All model sales award winner D category. Most consistent efforts in rural marketing. All India winners. All India best HR practices winner category B. Best market share award top category C. Star Award for service and repair. Highest MGA off take per vehicle. Best W/R sales and performance. Best government sales. Highest MGA off take per vehicle (>3000 vehicles) Mr. G.S.Bawa Manager Sales has won theBest Sales Manager Award 2007-08. All India winners in most consistent efforts in rural marketing. Recently won 8 awards by Maruti Suzuki India ltd. in a dealers conference held at Bangkok. Apart from awards, the administration is also contributing a lot towards companys excellence. Tha Managing Director Mrs. GUNJAN RANA who is taking care of Jamkash as well as Take One (a Media network). And the General Manager is Col. RATTAN SINGH (retd), who looks after the entire business of Jamkash in Jammu region.

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AN OVERVIEW OF THE AUTOMOBILE INDUSTRY Car manufacturing in India first began in late 1940s. Earlier a couple of cars made by foreign technology were manufactured in India. But now. Cars made by indian car manufacturers dominate the business.The future of car manufacturing in India is bright. Sensing this, foreign car manufacturers like Ford, Toyota, Hyundai, Suzuki, Honda, and Skoda are spreading their base in the country. Domestic car manufacturers have also contributed to the growth of the automobile industry in India.

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Indian automobile industry has grown leaps and bounds since 1898, a time when a car had touched the Indian streets for the first time. At present it holds a promising tenth position in the entire world with being 2 in two wheelers and 4 in commercial vehicles. Withstanding a growth rate of 18% per annum and an annual production of more than 2 million units, it may not be an exaggeration to say that this industry in the coming years will son touch figure of 10 million units per year. REASONS OF GROWTH Economic liberalisation, increase per capita income, various tax relief policies, easy accessibility of finance, launch of new models and exciting discount offers made by dealers all together have resulted into a stupendous growth of Indian automobile industry. MARKET SHARE Automobile industry of India can be broadly classified under passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles, three wheelers and two wheelers, with two wheelers having a maximum share of more than 75%. Automobile companies of India, Korea, Europe and Japan have a significant hold on the Indian market share. Tata Motors produces maximum numbers of mid and large size commercial vehicles, holding more than 60% of the market share. Motorcycles top the cahrts of two wheelers with Hero Honda being the key player. Bajaj by far is the number one manufacturer of three wheelers in India.Passenger vehicle section is majorly ruled by the car manufacturers capturing over 82% of the total market share. Maruti since long has been the biggest car manufacturer and holds more than 50% of the entire market. MARUTI SUZUKI
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Maruti Suzuki India Limited is a subsidiary company of Japanese automaker Suzuki Motor Corporation. It is India's largest passenger car company, accounting for over 45% of the domestic car market. It was the first company in India to mass-produce and sell more than a million cars. It is largely credited for having brought in an automobile revolution to India. It is the market leader in India, and on 17 September 2007, Maruti Udyog Limited was renamed as Maruti Suzuki India Limited. The company's headquarters are located in New Delhi. PROFILE

Maruti Suzuki Plant in Gurgaon Maruti Suzuki is India and Nepal's number one leading automobile manufacturer and the market leader in the car segment, both in terms of volume of vehicles sold and revenue earned. Until recently, 18.28% of the company was owned by the Indian government, and 54.2% by Suzuki of Japan. The BJP-led government held an initial public offering of 25% of the company in June 2003. As of 10 May 2007, the government of India sold its complete share to Indian financial institutions and no longer has any stake in Maruti Udyog.

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Maruti is India's largest automobile company. The company, a joint venture with Suzuki of Japan, has been a success story like no other in the annals of the Indian automobile industry.Maruti Udyog Limited (MUL) was established in February 1981, though the actual production commenced in 1983 with the Maruti 800, based on the Suzuki Alto kei car which at the time was the only modern car available in India, its only competitors- the Hindustan Ambassador and Premier Padmini were both around 25 years out of date at that point. Through 2004, Maruti Suzuki has produced over 5 Million vehicles. Maruti Suzukis are sold in India and various several other countries, depending upon export orders. Models similar to Maruti Suzukis (but not manufactured by Maruti Udyog) are sold by Suzuki Motor Corporation and manufactured in Pakistan and other South Asian countries. The company annually exports more than 50,000 cars and has an extremely large domestic in India selling over 7,30,000 cars annually. Maruti 800, till 2004, was the Indias largest selling compact car ever since it was launched in 1983. More than a million units of this car have been sold worldwide so far. Currently, Maruti Alto tops the sales charts and Maruti swift is the largest selling in A2 segment. Due to the large number of Maruti 800s sold in the Indian Market, the term Maruti is commonly used to refer to this compact car model. Till recently the term Maruti, in popular Indian culture, was associated to the maruti 800 model. Maruti Suzuki India Limited, a subsidiary of Suzuki Motor Corporation of Japan, has been the leader of the Indian car market for over two decades. Its manufacturing facilities are located at twoplaces Gurgaon and Manesar, south of New Delhi. Marutis Gurgaon facility has an installed capacity of 3,50,000 units per annum. The Manesar facilities, launched in February 2007 comprise a vehicle assembly plant with a capacity of 1,00,000 units per year and a Diesel engine plant
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with an annual capacity of 1,00,000 engines and transmissions. Manesar and Gurgaon facilities have a combined capability to produce over 7,00,000 units annually. More than half the cars sold in India are Maruti cars. The company is a subsidiary of Suzuki Motor Corportion, Japan, which owns 54.2 percent of Maruti. The rest is owned by the public and financial institutions. It is listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange and National Stock exchange in India. During 2007-08, Maruti sold 764,842 cars, of which 53,042 were exported. In all, over six million Maruti cars are on Indian roads since the first car was rolled out on December 14. 1983. Maruti Suzuki offers 13 models, Maruti 800, Omni, Alto, Versa Ritz, Gypsy, A Star, Wagon-R, Zen Estilo, Ritz, Swift, Swift Dzire, SX4, Grand Vitara. Swift, Swift dzire, A Star and SX4 are anufactured in Manesar. Grand Vitara is imported from Japan as a completely built unit (CBU), remaining models are manufactured in Maruti Suzukis Gurgaon plant. Suzuki Motor Corporation, the parent company, is a global leader in mini and compact cars for three decades. Suzukis technical superiority lies in its abil ity to pack power and performance into a compact, lightweight engine that is clean and fuel efficient. Maruti is clearly an Employer of Choice for automotive engineers and young managers from across the country. Nearly 75,000 people are employed directly by Maruti and its partners. The Company vouches for customer satisfaction. For its sincere efforts, it has been rated (by customers) first in customer satisfaction amongall car makers in India for nine years in a row in annual survey by J D Power Asia pacific. THE COMPANY VISION
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Visions of any company are those values on which company works. As the MUL was started by Government initiatives it tends to be more consumer oriented and hence cost effective, but on the other hand Suzukis participation ensures not only need of the profit, but of the need of maximum profit. The only way for this Noras dilemma of selecting principles for companys working vision was to maximize profit and reducing cost by maximizing output and sales. Hence, MUL declared its Vision asThe Leader in the Indian Automobile Industry, Creating Customer Delight1 and Shareholders wealth2; eventually becoming pride of India. Customer Delight1 is making sure that performance, after sales service and customer support are best and beyond expectation. Shareholders wealth2 is the prime concern for running business smoothly. MUL knows this and understands Customer is King, He can change the fortune of any company, hence goes the companys brand line : COUNT ON US!

THE COMPANY MISSION Mission is the statement of an organisations purpose, what it wants to accomplish in the larger environment and its goals which are specific, realistic and motivating. Missions are described over visions and visions demand certain objectives. The main Objectives/Missions of MUL are: Modernisation of Indian Automobile Industry. Developing cars faster and selling them for less.
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 Production of fuel-efficient vehicles to conserve scarce resources. Production of large number of motor vehicles which was necessary for economic growth. Market Penetration, market development. Similarly Product Development and Diversification. Partner relationship management, value chain, Value delivery network. THEIR FOCUS Building a continuously improving organisation adaptable to quick changes. Providing value and satisfaction to the customer. Aligning and fully involving all our employees, suppliers and dealers to face competition. Maximising Shareholder's value. Being a responsible corporate citizen. At Maruti, they have a clear perspective on manpower. They see it as a unique resource, in the sense that optimal productivity of other resources depends largely on the way human resources are utilised. The basic philosophy of management that underlies the Maruti culture is that all employees of the company should be moulded into a team which then strives as one, to achieve commonly shared company goals and objectives. To make this philosophy tenable, the Company takes several initiatives. Inputs are sought from employees at all levels. They believe that everyone should contribute to the formulation of company policies, goals and objectives. Secondly, at Maruti, they encourage leadership in the best sense of the word. According to us, a leader is one who must be impartial, must

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have the ability to rise above his own subjectivity, and, most importantly, must practice what he preaches. They understand that the process of creating a sense of belonging that all employees can identify with is a lengthy one. To ensure that this translates into concrete reality, they have taken several simple but specific and well thought out measures. The first step in this direction has been the introduction of a common uniform for all employees. Another measure is the creation of a common canteen where all employees have lunch, stand in common queues, and sit on the same table. Common toilets, common transport and similar facilities for all levels of employees are other measures that reinforce their emphasis on genuine equality in the workplace. Another focus area of the Maruti culture is the maintenance of a smoothly functioning communication network.They have faith in the ability of labour to effectively participate in management and make constructive suggestions. To encourage this, they ensure that there is a thorough dissemination of information at all levels, through newsletters or via a letter from the Chief Executive to all employees. Meetings with the Union are held regularly, and programmes being contemplated by the Company are discussed with the Union. The Sahyog Samiti, a collection of representatives of non-unionised employees, training programmes in Japan, Quality Circles, productivity-linked incentive schemes, and an ethos of discipline and teamwork, all contribute to the Maruti culture. Several measures of performance have made amply clear that Maruti has established a truly healthy work culture. They have met all project and performance targets since inception. Their productivity levels are constantly improving. The Company has had good labour relations with employees from the very beginning, and they have been successful in the export market. Yet, the Maruti culture is one that does not believe
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in resting on its laurels. They adhere to the spirit of Kaizen, which states that constant improvement is always possible. The most basic tenet of productivity that they hold dear is that " Today should be better than Yesterday and Tomorrow should be better than Today".Suzuki Motor Company was chosen from seven prospective partners worldwide. This was due not only to their undisputed leadership in small cars but also to their commitment to actively bring to MUL contemporary technology and Japanese managementpractices (which had catapulted Japan over USA to the status of the top auto manufacturing country in the world).

AWARDS 2005 Number one in JD Power SSI for the second consecutive year. Number one in JD Power CSI for the sixth time in a row - the only car to win it so many times. M800, WagonR and Swift topped their segments in the TNS TotalCustomer Satisfaction Study. Leadership in the JD Power Initial Quality Study - Alto number one in itssegment for the 2nd time in a row, Esteem number one in its segment for the third year in a row. Maruti bagged the "Manufacturer of the year" award from Autocar-CNBC( 2nd time in a row)-Feb 05.

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 First Indian car manufacturer to reach 5 million vehicles salesBusiness World ranks Maruti among top five most respected companies inIndia-Oct 04. 2004 Maruti Suzuki was No. 1 in Customer atisfaction, No. 1 in SalesSatisfaction No.1 in Product Quality (Esteem and Alto) and No. 1 inProduct Appeal (Esteem and Wagon R). No. 1 in Total Customer Satisfaction (Maruti 800, Zen and Alto)Business World ranked us among the country's five most respected companies. Business World ranked us the country's most respected automobile company. Voted Manufacturer of the year by CNBC. Voted one of India's Greenest Companies by Business Today-AC Nielson ORG-MARG. 2003 Maruti 800, Maruti Zen and Maruti Esteem make it to the top 10 automotive brands in "Most Trusted Brand survey 2003". J D Power ranked 3 models of Maruti on top: Wagonr, Zen and EsteemMaruti 800 and Wagonr top in NFO Total Customer Satisfaction Study 2003. MUL tops in J D Power CSI (2001) for 4th time in a row. 2001

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 MUL tops in J D Power CSI (2001) for 2nd time in a row: another international first. 2000 Maruti bags JD Power CSI - 1st rank; unique achievement by marketleader anywhere in the world. 1999 MSM launched as model workshop in India; achieves highest CSI rating. Central Board of Excise & Customs awards Maruti with "Samman Patra", for contribution to exchequer and being an ideal tax assessee. 1998 CII's Business Excellence Award. 1996 Maruti wins INSSAN award for "Excellence in Suggestion Scheme". Awarded the Star Trading House status by Ministry of Commerce. 1994-95 Engineering Exports Promotion Council's award for export performance. 1994 Best Canteen award among Haryana Industries as part of employee welfare. 1992-93 Engineering Exports Promotion Council's award for export performance. THE PLAYERS IN INDIAN AUTOMOBILE INDUSTRY

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Fiat India Pvt Ltd: The Fiat India that belongs to the Fiat Auto Spa group Italy gives world-class cars to the country. Besides Uno, which has been Europes favourite car for the last two decades, the brands like Palio, Petra, and Adventure have also become famous. Ford India Pvt Ltd:Ford was originally an American company. It entered the Indian market in the year 1988 and launched Ford escort. The Ford Ikon launched in 2001 was a successful car in India. Other brands of Ford like Ford Fusion, Ford Fiesta, Ford Mondeo and Ford Endeavour also gained popularity in India. General Motors India:This Global leader entered the Indian market as a joint venture with the C.K. Now it is a fully owned subsidiary of the Birla Group. This group has also introduced cars like Chevrolet Optra and Chevrolet Tavera (MUV) in India. Hindustan Motors:This flagship of the C.K. Birla Group was established by Mr. B.M. Birla. Some of the most popular brands of this car manufacturer are Ambassador, Contessa etc. Hyundai Motors:Hyundai Motor India Limited (HMIL) is not only the second largest manufacturer in India, but is also the fastest growing among the car manufacturers in India. The popularity of Santro, getz, Accent, elantra, Sonata Embera and Tuscon is proof of its success. The company is an ISO 14001. Maruti Suzuki India Ltd.: This is the first automobile company in the world to have an ISO 2000 certificate. It has a joint venture with Suzuki Motor

Corporation. The popular models of this group are Alto, Baleno, Swift, Wagon-R, and Zen.

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Tata Motors Ltd:It is Indias largest automobile company, the largest commercial vehicle manufacturer, the second largest passenger car manufacturer in India and the fifth largest medium and heavy commercial vehicle manufacturer in the world. Toyota Kirloskar Motor Ltd:With a joint venture with Toyota Motor Corporation Japan, the Kirloskar Group of India holds 89% equity of the company. The most popular brands of this group in India are Camry, Corolla. MODELS OFFERED BY MARUTI

MARUTI 800 1. Performance Most fuel efficient car of the country. Highly efficient Engine with very low maintenance.

2. Economy Best value for money car. Easy to own and easy to run and very low cost of ownership.

3. Assurance Preferred by more than 24 lakh people across the country.

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4. Comfort Comfortable AC Easy to drive on buzy Indian roads and narrow lanes.

5. Elegance Sleek and slim dimensions with short turning radius. Double tone interior. Clear multi focal reflector headlights and attractive tail lamps.

OMNI 1. Safety assured Booster assisted front disc brakes. Radial tyres clear lens headlamps. Front safety rod. 2. Most versatile Fits all family and fits all luggage. Multi fuel options. Sliding doors. 3. Interiors that rejuvenate Two tone upholstery.
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 Sporty new instrument cluster. New shape dashboard and ergonomically designed controls. 4. Lowest turning radius The best in class turning radius 4.1 m. Easy to park even in cramped areas. Trouble free maneuverability in narrow lanes. 5. Economy Excellent value for money. Most fuel efficient utility vehicle in the country with cost of ownership. The least expensive spare parts. Available in dual fuel (LPG) option, running costs matches the running cost of a scooter.

ALTO 1. Unmatched mileage Alto has unmatched mileage of 17.6 km/ltr. 32 bit microprocessor for great pick-up. 4 valves per cylinder( burns fuel effeciently)

2. Low running cost

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 More features for less price. In 5 years- savings of over Rs. 1 lakh vis a visSantro. In 5 years- savings of over Rs. 0.60 lakh vis a visXeta.

3. Easy to drive Electronic power steering. Easy City drive. Ease of parking in crowded city roads.

4. Comfort factor All weather Air conditioner with heater. 5 seater Car.

5. Price wise- as a Maruti Model Most economical to buy. Most economical to operate. Most resale value.

ZEN ESTILO

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1. Sleek & Stylish Monoform Aerodynamic design. Swept back clear Headlamps. Smiley Front.

2. High on Luxury Two- tone Dashboard & Plush Beige. Electronic ORVM (Outside Rear View Mirror).

3. Advanced technology 32X4 Hypertech Engine. DDLI (Dual Coil Distributor Less).

4. Power packed Performance 64 BHP @ 6200 rpm. 74.9 BHP @ Ton s Ignition.

5. Enhanced safety ABS, Air Bag & Brake Boosters.

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VERSA 1. Comfort Flexi Seating with 1st , 2nd& 3rd row options. 2. All round Cooling Powerful air condition system with 130 cc compressor. Single or twin AC option. 3. Technology Metatech engine. Smooth and quiet. Higher power to weight ratio, than any MUV, resulting in superior pick up & acceleration. 4. Electronic Power Steering Lesser Load on engine. Computer controlled self diagnosis. 5. Safety Dynamic safety surround system.

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SWIFT 1. Great Looks- Style European design. Shapely hatch. Curvy Bumper Lamps extended from shoulder line 2. Sportiness Three Spoke steering wheel. Spehirical shift knob. Easy to read instrument panel 3. Driving Comfort Extensive seat adjustability. Automatic Climate Control 4. Safety 5. Winner all the way

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SWIFT DZIRE 1. New Generation Sedan 2. International Style Muscular Wheel arches, Chrome grille pinch rear boot lid. 3. State of the Art Technology Fully Auto Climate Control, Steering mounted audio controls, ABS, EBD, Dual air bags, EPS. 4. Choice of Petrol or Diesel 5. Comfort- Luxurious Interiors

WAGON R DUO 1. Easy driving in city, less gear shifting.

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2. Faster acceleration. 3. Tested and trusted, full safety. 4. Fire extinguisher & manual shut off valve. 5. Clean performance, Less Pollution

GRAND VITARA

1. High Power and Torque Safer overtaking. Effortless city driving and less frequent gear changes. 2. All time4wd Better cornering control. Better grip on slippery surfaces. 3. High ground clearance and large tyres Clears potholes with ease, keeping occupants comfortable. 4. Low Turning radius Easy maneuverability in tight spots. 5. New urban styling
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 Clam shell bonnet. Flared wheel arches.

SX4 1. Extra Large and Safe Car Tallest and Longest Largest tyres and highest ground clearance ABS, EDB Dual Air bags 2. Extra Luxurious Integrated Stereo with Steering mounted controls Auto temp. 3. Extra powerful engine DOHC with 4 valves per cylinder

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 Power 102 bhp, Torque 145nm 4. Extra Fuel Efficient Best in class mileage

A STAR 1. Fuel mileage of 19.6 kmpl 2. KB series engine Euro 5 ready 3. International aero dynamic styling 4. Refined driving pleasures 5. High degree of safety

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GYPSY 1. Better acceleration. 2. Faster engine response 3. Less emission 4. More power 5. Lesser chances of underbody damage & better off road capability.

KIZASHI

The Suzuki Kizashi sedan is the first of its kind for the Japanese automaker, Offering all- wheel drive and a large passenger area. The kizashi features bold and sporty styling inside out, and delivers a fantastic value compared to other sedans in the class. Kizashi is a Japanese word which means "something great is coming", "omen", "sign", or "warning", so it is possible Suzuki means to suggest to other automobile manufacturers that its Kizashi is an example of Suzuki's
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future products. The Kizashi aspires to be Suzuki's flagship sedan and currently exceeds Japanese government regulationsconcerning exterior dimensions and engine displacement for cars classified as "compact".

LITERATURE REVIEW What is a Strategy? Strategy, a word of military origin, refers to a plan of action designed to achieve a particular goal. In military usage strategy is distinct fromtactics, which are concerned with the conduct of an engagement, while strategy is concerned with how different engagements are linked. How a battle is fought is a matter of tactics: the terms and conditions that it is fought on and whether it should be fought at all is a matter of strategy, which is part of the four levels of warfare: political goals or grand strategy, strategy, operations, and tactics. Building on the work of many thinkers on the subject, one can define strategy as "a comprehensive way to try to
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pursue political ends, including the threat or actual use of force, in a dialectic of wills there have to be at least two sides to a conflict. These sides interact, and thus a Strategy will rarely be successful if it shows no adaptability." What is a Marketing Strategy? Marketing strategyis the total and unbeatable instrumental or a plan shaped and designed specifically for attaining the marketing objectives of a firm. A marketing mission and objectives tell us as to where we want to go and marketing strategy provides us with the grand design for reaching out there. Marketing strategy is a process that can allow an organization to concentrate its limited resources on the greatest opportunities to increase sales and achieve a sustainable competitive advantage. TYPES OF STRATEGIES Marketing strategies may differ depending on the unique situation of the individual business. However there are a number of ways of categorizing some generic strategies. A brief description of the most common categorizing schemes is presented below:

Strategies based on market dominance - In this scheme, firms are classified based on their market share or dominance of an industry. Typically there are four types of market dominance strategies:

Leader Challenger Follower Nicher

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Porter generic strategies - Strategy on the dimensions of strategic scope and strategic strength. Strategic scope refers to the market penetration while strategic strength refers to the firms sustainable competitive advantage.

Innovation strategies - This deals with the firm's rate of the new product development and business model innovation. It asks whether the company is on the cutting edge of technology and business innovation. Growth strategies - In this scheme we ask the question, How should the firm grow? There are a number of different ways of answering that question, but the most common gives four answers:

Horizontal integration Vertical integration Diversification Intensification

Customerisstrictly, the ultimate consumer of a product, the ultimate user of a product; the person who derives the satisfaction or the benefit offered. The 'consumer' is not necessarily the customer, since there are often 'customers' in the buying/ distribution chain; moreover, the consumer is frequently not the person who makes the buying decision; for instance, in the case of many household products, where the housewife may make the purchase but consumption or use is by the whole family.. THE BUYING PROCESS The complexity inherent in understanding consumer behaviour has led to
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the construction of models of the buying process which indicate the stages through which the consumer passes from the time he or she first becomes aware of a need for a product or service to the time when a product is purchased, a brand selected, and the consumer evaluates the success of his purchase decides whether to buy that particular product and / or brand again. It the same time, such models usually indicate the social and psychological forces which shape the potential buyer's action at each stage in the process. The two principal aims of such model building are the prediction of future behavior based on measurement of relevant variable and the explanation of this behavior in terms of theoretically relevant constructs. The starting point for understanding the buyer is the stimulus-response model shown below Marketi Other stimuli ng stimuli Product Economic Buyers Buyers Buyers Decisions

character Decision istics Cultural Process Problem recognition

Product choice Brand choice Dealer choice

Price

Technological

Social

Information search

Place

Political

Personal

Evaluation decision

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Promoti on

Cultural

Psycholog Postical Purchase behaviour

Purchase Timing

Purchase amount Stages in Buying Decision Process Need Recognition Information Search Evaluation alternatives of Post purchase behaviour The consumer passes through five stages : Problem recognition information search, evaluation of alternatives purchase decision and post-purchase behavior. Clearly the buying process starts long before the actual purchase and has consequences long after the purchase. This model implies that consumers pass through all five stages in buying a product. But this is not the case, especially in low-involvement purchase. Consumers may skip or reverse some stages. Thus a woman buying her regular brand of toothpaste goes directly from the need for toothpaste to the purchase decision, skipping information search and evaluation. However, we have already used the model in above, because it captures the full range of consideration that arise when a consumer faces a highly involving new purchase.

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MAJOR FACTORS INFLUENCING BUYING BEHAVIOUR

Cultural Social Culture Subculture Social Class Reference group Family Roles and statuses Personal Age and life-cycle stage Occupation Economic circumstanc es Lifestyle Personality and selfconcept Psychologic al Motivation Perception Learning Beliefs and attitudes Buyer

Rogers model for the adoption and diffusion of innovation Innovation Adoption CURVE

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The Innovation Adoption Curve of Rogers is a model that classifies adopters of innovations into various categories, based on the idea that certain individuals are inevitably more open to adaptation than others is also referred to as Multi-Step Flow Theory or Diffusion of Innovation Theory. Innovators Brave People, Pulling the change. Innovators are very important communicators. Early Adopters Respectablepeople, Opinion leaders, Try out new ideas, but in a carefulway. Early Majority Thoughtful people, careful but accepting change more quickly than the average.
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Late Majority Skeptics, will use new ideas or products only when the majority is using it. Laggards Traditional people, caring for the old ways , are critical towards new ideas, will only accept it if the new idea has become or even tradition. The Diffusion of Innovations Curve(Innovation of adoption curve) of Rogers is useful to remember that trying to quickly and massively convince the mass of a new controversial idea is useless. It makes more sense in these circumstances to start with convincing innovators and early adopters first. Also the categories and percentages can be used as a first draft to estimate target groups for communication purposes. Diffusion research focus was on five elements: 1) the characteristics of an innovation which may influence its adoption; 2) the decision-making process that occurs when individuals consider adopting a new idea, product or practice; 3) the characteristics of individuals that make them likely to adopt an innovation. TARGET MARKETING Target Marketing involves breaking a market into segments and then concentrating your marketing efforts on one or a few key segments. The beauty of target marketing is that it makes the promotion, pricing and distribution of your products and/or services easier and more cost36 | P a g e

effective. Target marketing is the selection of customers you wish to service. The decisions involved in it are Which segments to target How many products to offer Which products to offer in which segments There are three steps to targeting: Market segmentation Target choice Product positioning One of the first things you need to do is to refine your product or service so that you are NOT trying to be 'all things to all people.Next, you need to understand that people purchase products or services for three basic reasons: To satisfy basic needs To solve problems To make themselves feel good The next step in creating an effective marketing strategy is to zero in on your target market.Target marketing is one of corporate America's most effective business strategies. Four Ways to Identify Target Markets 1. Geographic: The location, size of the area, density, and climate

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zone of your customers. 2. Demographics: The age, gender, income, family composition and size, occupation, and education of your customers. 3. Psychographics: The general personality, behavior, life-style, rate of use, repetition of need, benefits sought, and loyalty characteristics of your customers. 4. Behaviour: The needs they seek to fulfill, the level of knowledge, information sources, attitude, use or response to a product of your customers. One of the best ways to identify your target market is to look at your existing customer base. Who are your ideal clients? What do they have in common? If you do not have an existing customer base, or if you are targeting a completely new audience, speculate on who they might be, based on their needs and the benefits they will receive. Investigate competitors or similar businesses in other markets to gain insight.

TARGET MARKETING Who are your best customers? Where should you direct your marketing activities? Where and how should you allocate your advertising and promotional efforts? Target Marketing, provides Focus for your business. It helps to establish

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critical Operational goals and defines what must be done to achieve them What Customers Want? Marketing is more than an activity, it is an attitude Instead of trying to get customers to buy what the firm likes to make, or happens to have on hand, the marketing oriented firm tries to produce or sell what its customers want which can be sold at a profit. Do not simply throw out everything that you now have and replace goods or production machinery with completely new items. However, as you analyze your market and customer profiles, and so gain an understanding of their wants, desires, and perceived needs, you can begin to reorient your business over time to take best advantage of these new insights. Consider both the short term and long-term implications of developing and implementing the right Target Marketing strategy for your business. Customer Attitudes For a long time, people have believed that advertising can be used to change people's minds about what they want. This is an incredibly difficult process and an extremely expensive. Because of these two factors, it is a process that smaller firms simply cannot afford to pursue. Instead, it is much more productive for any size firm to tune in to target customer attitudes as they currently exist. Once they have identified the actual prevailing attitudes, they can begin to organize company resourcesneeded to constructively
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address and satisfy these attitudes the key question is, "What are the existing customer attitudes?"With this as an objective, developing an understanding of existing customer attitudes becomes essential, and their identification becomes an important part of the marketing process. Once these customer attitudes, needs or preferences are identified, the entire firm can then organize itself to satisfy these needs as completely and efficiently as possible Target Marketing

COMPARISON

OF

AUTOMOBILE

AND

CONSUMER

DURABLES (At dealership level) S.N o 1 2 Turnover Margin High 8-12%

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Attributes

Automobile

Consumer Durables Low 2-4%

Penetration level

More in small, large More in rural in towns or cities and cities get As such no

Training of sales Executives executive

training after every training specific period

Supplychain

Co-> Customer

Dealer-> Co>Distributor>Dealer-> Customer

Discount Margin

Cartel

Depends

on

dealer to dealer 7 CSR Proper organised well Only Sales

man is there to serve customer the

ASS

Customer get 3free Customer have service to go at

manufactured level 9 Brand Association Customer first choice Customer can is more pertinent change his or her choice 10 Payment Instantaneous Payment 11 Post-Sales Follow More
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More focus on Finance Instalment Less &

UP 12 Buying Procedure Customer can wait Instant buying for new model 13 14 15 Database Brand Transition Advertisement Large Single-Tier Few Multi-Tier from

Parent Company & Only dealer both give Parent Company No Defined & None

advertisement 16 17 Loyalty Programs Customer Satisfaction Index 18 19 Promotion Customer Retention Yes Well-

Organized Free Service Camps More None Very Less

OBJECTIVES OF THE COMPANY Marutis marketing objective is to continually offer the customer new products and services that: Reduce the customers cost of ownership of their cars; and aspects and stages of car ownership, to provide what they refer to as the 360 degree customer experience. They sell ten models with more than 50 variants in segments A, B, C, and
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utility vehicle segment of the Indian passenger car market. Of these, they manufacture nine models and import the Grand Vitara as a completely built unit from Suzuki in Japan. Their models and variants are designed to address the changing demands of the market and are periodically upgraded in technology, styling and features. To take advantage of the brand recognition associated with their products, they retain the brand name of the product through various stages of product upgrades over time. For example, the version of the Maruti 800 brand currently sold in the market is a significantly upgraded version, in terms of technology, design and styling, of the Maruti 800 launched in 1983. A A B B B C C C C Utility Vehicle Maruti 800 OMNI Zen Wagon-R Alto Esteem Baleno Versa SWIFT Gypsy King

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Utility Vehicle

Grand Vitara

CHAPTER 2 RESEARCH DESIGN &METHODOLOGY The nature of the project work has been exploratory as no hypothesis is taken to be tested. Though the conclusions drawn could be taken as hypothesis and further tested. The reason for choosing exploratory research design is the fact that project

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report has been primarily based on the secondary sources of data, whose authenticity could be assured of. The reluctance of the companys personnel in parting with much of information led the project report to be based substantially on the secondary source of data. The sources of data collection: Primary Sources In order to gather information about the various products, I personally visited a number of retail markets and collected data pertaining to the prices of the products offered. The market visits were useful in knowing the comparative prices and quality of the offered brands. Details regarding the packaging were collected and I also inquired about the various sales promotion schemes, distribution strategies followed by the companies. Secondary Sources Information was collected from sources such as public libraries, newspapers, business magazines. Besides these, use of internet was also made in collecting information. The data collected from internet has been adequately structured and used at appropriate places in the report. This particular way of data collection was used because of its low cost and less time. The information gathered included : Induction book of Maruti Suzuki. Press clippings. Pictures Newsletters.
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CHAPTER 3 RESULTS & DISCUSSIONS

FINDINGS FROM SURVEY

Total Number of Respondents: 15 Officials

Number of Respondents Jamkash Vehicleades Pvt Ltd Hyundai Motors India Ltd General Motors Tata Motors Ford India Limited 5 2 2 5 1

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 Do you face problems in maintaining good relationship with customers?

Quite Frequently Jamkash Vehicleades Hyundai India General Motors Tata Motors Ford India Limited 3 Motors 2

Frequently

Average

Rarely

2 2 1

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Quite frequently, 33

Frequently Rarely

Averag e, 0 Rarely, 0

Average Quite frequently Frequently, 67%

Findings:According to the responses of the respondents it can be concluded that all the respondents face problems in maintaining good and effective relationships with customers. With changing customer needs its quite obvious that maintaining good relations with customers need an effort on part of the Dealers and Manufacturers.

How well can your company identify its end user customers?

Jamkash Vehicleades Pvt Ltd:The companys endeavour is to be close to the customer, to anticipate and fulfil their needs. Maruti offers auto insurance, auto finance, corporate lease and fleet management and resale of pre-owned cars in partnership with its dealers. For the first time, car customers in India are able to access these services through a one-stop shop, backed by the leader brand. Hyundai Motors India Ltd:Hyundai Motor India is at a very exciting stage in India today. They are experiencing tremendous growth, which is a true sign of enjoying customer confidence. In order to strengthen their position further in
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the Indian market, they need to continuously work on building their corporate reputation while aggressively positioning their products. General Motors:General Motors is positioned as a mature and responsible car manufacturer, which offers great value-for-money products to its customers. The company leverages its global expertise to manufacture and market well engineered and safe products through its well-established retail network that provide an excellent ownership experience to its customers. Tata Motors:The foundation of the companys growth over the last 50 years is a deep understanding of economic stimuli and customer needs, and the ability to translate them into customer-desired offerings through leading edge R&D. Ford India Ltd: Ford India has reaffirmed its commitment to enhance the purchase and ownership experience for its customers with the rollout of Ford Brand@Retail concept across the country.

Can your company differentiate its customers based on their value to you and their needs from you? Yes Jamkash Vehicleades Hyundai Motors India Ltd 5 2 No -

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General Motors Tata Motors Ford India Limited

2 5 1

No 0%

Yes Yes 100% No

Findings: According to the respondents (officials) at all the Five Automobile Majors their company was able to differentiate its customers based on their value to them and their needs from the company. This is important for the automobile industry because the dynamics of selling cars is changing and manufacturers and dealers who fail to meet the rising needs and expectations of their customers will lose out to those who can. Buying a new car is an experience customer will remember for a long time and ensuring that this experience is a satisfactory one, is essential in building brand loyalty and customer advocacy. How well do you interact with your customers?

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 JamkashVehicleadesPvtLtd:Their overall strength lies in building an organization that is sharply focused on the voice of the customer. As a major step in this direction they have started Call Center service with toll-free number for the people of National Capital Region in year 2000. This service, named Anytime Maruti, is now available nation-wide. Customers in over 700 cities/towns across India can contact them any time during the day and all days of the week. The toll-free service is 1800 1800 180, it is accessible from any fixed-line or mobile phone of BSNL/MTNL network across the nation. Hyundai Motors India Ltd: The Company has set up more than 70 dealer workshops that are equipped with the latest technology, machinery, and international quality press, across the country, thereby providing a one-stop shop for a Hyundai customer. Hyundai also has a fleet of 78 emergency road service cars -specially equipped Santro that can provide emergency service to all its customers anytime, anywhere. General Motors:To bring greater value and service to customers, they have introduced the GM Service Plus a unique cluster of services, designed to compliment every aspect of owning a car and ensuring complete peace of mind. Tata Motors: The company has strengthened its distribution and customer care network and today has 77 dealers and 230 authorized service outlets spread across 119 locations in India. Ford India Ltd: Ford solutions aims to provide quality, peace-of-mind products for the customer and embodies a brand synonymous with its ability to provide products that can be tailored to suit one's individual needs. Customers can place a online service request at Ford.

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 How well does your company customize its products and services based on what it knows about its customers? Highly Customer centric Jamkash Vehicleades Hyundai Motors India Ltd General Motors Tata Motors Ford India Ltd 2 5 1 2 5 Somewhat Customer centric Not Customer centric

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Not customer centric 0%

Somewhat customer centric 0% 0%

Somewhat customer centric Highly customer centric 100% Not customer centric Highly customer centric

Findings: All the officials of the Automobile Majors agree that all products and services are highly customer centric and based on the information they know about the customers.

Has the company established quality assurance processes?

Yes Jamkash Vehicleades Hyundai Motors India Ltd General Motors Tata Motors 2 5 5 2

No -

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Ford India Limited

No 0%

Yes Yes 100% No

Findings: According to all the respondents their respective companies have established quality assurance processes.

Does the company take customers' needs into consideration when selecting and implementing technology? Yes Jamkash Vehicleades Hyundai Motors India Ltd 5 2 No -

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General Motors Tata Motors Ford India Limited

2 5 1
No 0%

Yes Yes 100% No

Findings: According to all the respondents their respective companies take customers' needs into consideration when selecting and implementing technology. As per officials of GM the Tavera is a classic case of an India-specific product. Though it is an international product, the car has been totally re-engineered for Indian market requirements. At Hyundai Segment-needs and budgets are specific and a suitable variant strategy is inevitably required to meet different segment-needs and to be a volume player in the segment. The variants are decided after considerable research. They have been targeted at different segments and they presently witness a healthy mix. As this segment evolves they rationalise the variant strategy and add or delete variants to meet market requirements. They have put in place a customer contact programme where they interact with customers in groups as well at an individual level at regular intervals to assess their needs and overall experience with their product. Does the company provide its employees with technology that enables them to help customers?
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Yes Jamkash Vehicleades Hyundai Motors India Ltd General Motors Tata Motors Ford India Limited 2 5 1 5 2

No -

No 0%

Yes Yes 100% No

Findings: According to all the respondents the company provides its employees with technology that enables them to help customers. Employee and Dealer Training is a part of every company Customer Service Initiative. This enables them to provide the customers with state of art products and service to customers.

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 Does the company maintain a strategy for collecting and using information about customers? Yes Jamkash Vehicleades Hyundai Motors India Ltd General Motors Tata Motors Ford India Limited 2 5 1 5 2 No -

No 0%

Yes Yes 100% No

Findings: According to all the respondents they have proper information about their most profitable customers. Companies use Informal Meetings, Sales

Interaction and calls to collect relevant information needed to maintain good customer relationship. The most effective companies like Tata Motors use all the above while most of other track the data during sales interaction. All the
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Automobile majors surveyed used CRM software for tracking Customer Information. According to the officials Customer and Supplier Feedback are gathered through Call Centers, Mails and Direct Interviews. There are other methods too but the above three are the most cost effective. How effectively does the company combine information on customers with its experiences to generate knowledge about its customers?

Highly Effective

Somewhat Effective

Not Effective

Jamkash Vehicleades Hyundai Motors Ltd General Motors Tata Motors Ford India Ltd India

2 3 1

2 -

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0%

Somewhat effective 20%

Not effective 0%

Somewhat effective Not effective Highly effective

Highly effective 80%

Findings: All the 80% officials of the Automobile Majors their company highly effective in combining information on customers with its experiences to generate knowledge about its customers while 20% said that the company was somewhat effective. What steps has the company taken to improve the total experience of its customers? According to the Jamkash Vehicleades Pvt Ltd Officials: Sales experience is the most important factor, accounting for 37 per cent of the SSI score, and includes issues such as fulfilment of commitments and lack of hassles during the sales process, overall honesty and integrity of the dealership personnel and sufficient time to make the decision. Maruti entered the Indian car market, to provide fuel efficient, low-cost vehicles, which were reliable and of high quality. It also offered customers a friendly sales and after sales service. According to Hyundai Motors (India) Officials: Hyundai's big hit was its compact family car named Santro which became a huge hit with its launch. It has close to 260 of the latter. Hyundai offers service for less, it's easily
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reachable and allows flexibility. HMIL launched Achieve Q1P1 quality campaign on March 24, 2006 primarily focusing on achieving the Global No.1 Quality & Brand image. According to Ford India Limited officials: Presently Ford is offering seven different models. FIL was the first subsidiary of a multinational car manufacturer in India to launch a car designed specifically for India. They have consistently adapted the specification of the Ikon to ensure it meets the needs of Indian consumers. According to GM officials: General Motors target is to offer a choice of products to their customers to match their different needs and budgets. However, they are focusing on the fast growing MPV segment with the Chevrolet Tavera and have invested substantially in this product line. According to Tata Motors Officials: TATA Motors is India's foremost, and the only fully integrated automobile manufacturer. TATA Motors required a standardised solution that would provide them with:

Increase in sales and profitability by easy management. Improved accuracy of dealer-captured information. Collaboration between vehicle manufacturers and dealers..

How much 'influence do customers' needs have on the company's products and services? Very High Jamkash Vehicleades
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Substantial 2

Very Low -

Hyundai India Ltd

Motors

General Motors Tata Motors Ford India Limited

2 2 1

1 -

2 --

0%

substantial 20%

substantial very high 67% very low very low 13% very high

Findings: All the 67%(10) responding officials of the Automobile Majors customer needs have a very high influence on companys products and services while 20%(3) respondents said that it had substantial influence while 13%(2) respondents said that customer needs had very low influence on companys product and services.

ANALYSIS

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Corporates, don't talk about exceeding customer satisfaction - that's passe - the time has come to `dazzle the customer'. But to do that, first you must get customer relationship management (CRM) in place. In the context of India, this is very crucial as the recent World Economic Forum Report on Global Competitiveness has ranked India 43 out of 49 nations surveyed, on `customer orientation'. Managing customer relationships is not only complex but is also multi-faceted and thus calls for an inter-disciplinary approach. Particularly, as in the New Economy, the customer has become very demanding and the emphasis needs to be on being consumer-centric. Technology solutions as applied to various front-end functions could aid in building a viable link between the organisations and customers irrespective of geographical separation Besides technology, systems and processes, another important link is human resource, If CRM is the key, HR would be the nerve centre for any CRM activity. At MarutiUdyog Ltd the first step for a company to enhance value through CRM was to identify its target base. At Maruti, the categories which emerged were: * Two-wheeler owners; * Customers taken away from the competition; * Services sector. After identifying the target, the next stage was to build on customer relationships. Maruti, therefore, began evaluating the current database of consumers to identify those who wanted Maruti service or better still, wanted to upgrade up the value chain in Maruti products. Third, it began working in tandem with the oil industry
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to get data feedback on two-wheeler consumers-and identify those ready to move into four-wheeler purchases. Ultimately, CRM is all about value enhancement for the organisation. Faced with increasing competition from abroad, a cyclical business environment, and the challenge of a widely dispersed dealer network, Tata Motors implemented Siebel Automotive, a comprehensive customer relationship management (CRM) solution designed specifically for companies in the automotive industry. Seamlessly integrated with Tata Motors dealer management system and SAP back-office applications, Siebel Automotive has delivered significant benefits across the extended organization, including improved customer satisfaction, increased revenue and productivity, and reduced costs. The Siebel CRM solution enables Tata Motors to gather feedback on products to improve design or manufacturing quality as well as measure the effectiveness of marketing campaigns and programmes. The automaker selected Siebel Automotive because of its partner management capabilities to handle its large dealer network, the solution's zero-footprint web-based architecture and user-friendly interfacecritical to support thousands of salespeople with various skill levels.

Improved demand forecasting, planning, logistics management, and inventory management

Overall reduction in quality-related costs due to faster product performance feedback

Improved workflow and escalation of customer grievances for faster resolution

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Increased revenue growth from both higher vehicle sales and a rise in the company's after-sales parts business

FINDINGS OF THE STUDY Maruti Suzuki Sales in November 2011 New Delhi, December 01, 2011 Car market leader Maruti Suzuki India Limited sold a total of 91,772 vehicles in November, 2011. This includes 8,902 units for export.

Sales grew by 6% in the Super-compact segment comprising of DZire and by 9.8% in the Mid-size segment (SX4).

The sales figures for November 2011 are given below: Category : SubSegment Models 2011 2010 November % Till November 2011- 2010- % 11 Change April '10 March '11 Change 12

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Passenger Vehicles M800, Alto, Mini A-Star, WagonR Compact Super Compact Mid-Size Swift, Estilo, Ritz Dzire SX4 22159 23014 -3.7 % 133533 176328 -24.3% 261799 38921 53489 -27.2% 298830 361887 -17.4% 573238

10403 9810 1433 1305 162 ---

6.0% 9.8% ---

60787 69815 -12.9 % 107955 11662 13241 -11.9% 23317 336 ----138

Executive Kizashi* Total A: Passenger Vehicles B: Utility Vehicles C: Vans Gypsy, Grand Vitara

73078 87618 -16.6% 505148 621271 -18.7% 966447

180

199

-9.5%

4296

4428

-3.0%

5666

Omni, Eeco 9612 14686 -34.5% 97973 105182 -6.9%

160626

Total Domestic Sales Total Export Sales Total Sales (Domestic + Export)

82870 102503 -19.2% 607417 730881 -16.9% 1132739 8902 10051 -11.4% 73783 97559 -24.4% 138266 91772 112554 -18.5% 681200 828440 -17.8% 1271005

* Kizashi was launched in February 2011.

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MARUTI CAR PRICES IN INDIA

Maruti 800 : Rs 1,95,028- 2,33,784

Maruti A Star :Rs 3,59,838- 4,37,737

Maruti Alto : Rs 2,32,247- 3,28,126

MarutiEoco :Rs 2,82,397- 3,79,962

Maruti Grand Vitara :Rs 16,94,382- 18,26,660

Maruti Gypsy :Rs 4,99,386- 5,63,240

Maruti Kizashi :Rs 16,50,000- 17,50,000

Maruti OMNI :Rs 1,98,754- 2,62,552

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Maruti Ritz :Rs 4,02,251- 5,39,014

Maruti SX4 :Rs 7,00,006- 9,01,088

Maruti SWIFT :Rs 4,09,341- 7,19,873

Maruti SWIFT Dzire :Rs 4,94,557- 7,19,873

Maruti Wagon-R :Rs 3,35,550- 4,20,795

Maruti Zen Estilo :Rs 3,27,272- 4,14,065

ORGANISATION STRUCTURE AT JAMKASH VEHICLEADES

Mrs.Gunjanrana M.D

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Executives

Executives

MARUTI SUZUKI SALES TREND

PROFIT & LOSS RATIOS % TO NET SALES FOR 2010-11

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SALES VOLUME

NETWORK DETAILS

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BUSINESS STRATEGY They intend to continue to focus on the small car segment, while offering products in most segments of the Indian passenger car market. They aim to achieve their principal objectives by pursuing the following business strategies: Maintain and enhance their product range:They intend to utilize Suzukis expertise in small car technology to produce new variants of their existing models and to upgrade their products with contemporary technology and features. Increase reach and penetration: They plan to continue to utilize their extensive sales and service network to increase the reach, in terms of geographical spread, and penetration, in terms of sales volumes, of their

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products across India. Increased availability of automobile finance:They continue to seek opportunities to expand the size of the Indian passenger car market, especially in the small car segment, through facilitating easy availability of automobile finance. To that end, they have recently entered into an agreement with the State Bank of India. Secure repeat purchases by offering a 360 degree customer experience: On the basis of their belief that securing repeat purchases from an existing customer requires less expenditure than acquiring a new customer, they aim to provide customers with a one-stop shop for automobiles and automobile-related products and services. Continue to benchmark their manufacturing capabilities: They plan to continue to benchmark our manufacturing capabilities with the most efficient car manufacturing facilities of Suzuki and its subsidiaries. Continue to reduce costs to offer more competitive products: Cost competitiveness has been, and continues to be, central to their strategy as the leading manufacturer in the small car segment to expand the size of the market by offering competitively priced, high quality products. The components of this strategy are: Higher levels of localization Vendor participation in cost reduction Cost reduction on warranties Reduction in initial investment cost

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 Reduction in number of vehicle platforms Achieve further cost reduction through higher productivity Lower cost of ownership: Through their business strategies, they seek to reduce the consumers cost of ownership of their cars, which comprises the cost of purchase, the cost of fuel and maintenance, including spare parts and repairs, during the life of the vehicle, insurance, and resale value.

NEW BUSINESS INITIATIVES

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 THE K-SERIES ENGINE

MARUTI SUZUKI BETS BIG ON RURAL INDIA Business Standard Maruti Suzuki India Ltd, the market leader in the domestic passenger car segment, aims to maintain its numero uno position in Uttar Pradesh with renewed focus on the rural market. The company has a consolidated market share of 62 per cent in Uttar Pradesh compared with a 55 per cent pan-India share across all segments. "UP is basically is a small car market and we plan to leverage our product portfolio and marketing initiatives to remain on top here," Partho Banerjee, general manager (marketing strategy & development), told Business Standard here. He elaborated that the company had a three-pronged marketing strategy which includes focussing
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on the rural market, tying up with public sector units (PSUs) and appointing resident local marketing executives in smaller towns. Commenting on the current credit crunch facing the Indian market, Banerjee admitted that the company would find it difficult to achieve the original target of 10 per cent growth this fiscal.Banerjee was here to launch the latest offering in the competitive A2 segment from Maruti Suzuki stable 'A-star' in UP market. The base model of Astar would cost Rs 3.55 lakh (ex-showroom), while the top-model carries a price tag of Rs 4.21 lakh. A-star will be made in over 200 variants and exported to almost 150 countries in Europe, the Gulf, Latin America, Asia, Australia and Africa NEXT GENERATION CNG CARS

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Launches five factory-fitted CNG models across segments Advantage Customer: Contemporary i-GPI technology Vehicle body design for CNG system Safety Performance and Driveability at par with gasoline powered engine reinforced: High Quality

Components, Integrated wiring harness, CNG system leak-proofing, toughened suspension

High fuel efficiency Lower running costs by 60 percent Peace of Mind: Full warranty coverage.

Dual

ECU

system

for

enhanced

performance Extensive performance testing No compromise on engine life

Delhi Auto Expo 2012 : MARUTI LAUNCHES NEW SUV XA ALPHA CAR IN INDIA

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Maruti SUV XA Alpha Specifications It has a K-Series Diesel engine. All wheel drive (AWD) variants. It has a Wheelbase of 2500 mm. Compact SUV Car with good mileage. It has a Monocoque structure. It consists 5 seats.

LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

Since the road to improvement is never ending, so this study also suffers from certain limitations. Some of them are as follows:

Collection of data was a time consuming method in which continuous guidance was required.

Questionnaire method involves some uncertainty of response. Co-operation on the part of informants, in some cases, was difficult to presume.

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 It is possible that the information supplied by the informants may be incorrect. So, the study may lack accuracy.

Since the questionnaire was filled by the officials on behalf of respective companies, so the answers may be biased.

their

SUGGESTIONS

Facade/Quality of dealership should improve. Most dealers do not have their specific websites. All Japanese 5s concept (Seiro, Sieton, Sciso, Seioetse, Shitsuke) should be put into practice at Dealership. Maruti should regard as generous discount offers during Festival Season like Navratra, Dusshera, and Diwali to gear-up their sales.

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 Maruti should advertise in Sports because sports are increasingly cutting into the share of mass entertainment channels. Maruti can start Money Bond Scheme instead of giving Cash Discount with more value. Customers eligible for an income bond, encashable after a 15year period. Maruti Suzuki has to work on Comfort and Luxury. Maruti Suzuki is having a good hold on A2 Segment. They should work on A3 and A4 Segments so as to increase its market share. There is a mismatch of Demand and Supply. So increase the production rate.

CONCLUSION

Maruti Suzuki is one of Indias leading automobile manufacturers and the market leader in the car segment, both in terms of vehicles and revenue.

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 Maruti Suzuki is having strong foothold in A2 segment. Maruti Suzuki is the most economical brand, which makes people buy more Maruti Suzuki Cars. Product Knowledge among customers is very High. After sale services of Maruti Suzuki is its core competence. Maruti Suzuki is giving better sales experience than any other brand. Maruti Suzuki has maximum dealership and maximum service centres as compared to other brands. Maruti Suzuki Cars have low maintainence cost as compared to any other brand. There are frequent/regular product launches by Maruti Suzuki. The promotional strategies implemented at dealership level are very effective.

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ANNEXURE Questionnaire for collection of data : Q1 Do you face problems in maintaining good and effective relationships with customers?

Rarely Frequently Average Quite Frequently

Q2 How well can your company identify its end user customers?

Q3 Can your company differentiate its customers based on their value to you and their needs from you?

Yes No
Q4 How well do you interact with your customers?

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Q5 How well does your company customize its products and services based on what it knows about its customers?

Somewhat Customer Centric Highly Customer Centric Not Customer Centric

Q6 Does the company have established quality assurance processes?

Yes No
Q7 Does the company take customers' needs into consideration when selecting and implementing technology?

Yes No
Q8 Does the company provide its employees with technology that enables them to help customers?

Yes
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 No

Q9 Does the company maintain a strategy for collecting and using information about customers?

Yes No
Q10 How effectively does the company combine information on customers with its experiences to generate knowledge about its customers?

Somewhat Effective Highly Effective Not Effective

Q11 What steps has the company taken to improve the total experience of its customers?

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Q 12 How much influence do customers needs have on the company's products and services?

Very High Substantial Very Low

BIBLIOGRAPHY

o Philip Kotler, Marketing Management o Induction Module of Maruti Suzuki o Maruti Suzuki Advantage guide

WEBLIOGRAPHY

o o o o

Marutisuzuki.com Carpricesindia.com Google.com Wikipedia.com

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o Hyundai.co.in o Tatamotors.com o Carwale.com

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