Ahead of the 2016 Union budget, Audi India head Joe King suggested the government to reduce excise duty on cars and SUVs to boost sentiment in the Indian automobile sector.
Pointing out that the automobile industry has contributed significantly to Indian GDP and employment generation, the Audi chief also demanded a uniform tax structure across the nation. As things stand currently, differential pricing and taxes across different states made the issue a very complicated one, according to King.
The introduction of the goods and service tax (GST) would go a long way in helping ease of doing business in the country, said King. "The government had presented a budget with focus on long-term growth in FY 2015-16 and we expect a similar budget this year which is pro-growth," he added.
The German luxury carmaker was looking forward to a revival in customer sentiment, which would lead to increased demand, he said. King also emphasised the need to improve the road infrastructure in India so that cars with improved technology can make their way to the country's shores.
Talking business, the German automaker followed its record-breaking 2015 sales with a four percent increase in its year-on-year global deliveries in January 2016.
This uptick in Audi's sales figures can largely be attributed to its home region of Europe, where sales have increased by 6.5 percent to around 59,900 cars. Audi's SUV models once again proved to be its global growth drivers. The cumulative sale of the Audi Q3, Q5 and Q7, of around 46,350 units, was 20.3 percent above the previous year's figure.
As far as India is concerned, Audi has got a lot of positive stuff to look forward to in this coming year if the reception that Audi got at the just-concluded 2016 Auto Expo is anything to go by. The company launched its top-of-the-line ultra-secure A8 L Security sedan at the Expo, priced at a staggering Rs 9.15 crores, and has said that it will bring as many as 10 cars to India this year.
A division of Volkswagen group, Audi assembles cars like the A6, A4, A3, Q3, Q5 and Q7 for the Indian market from its facility in Aurangabad, Maharashtra.
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