‘From2021, we’ll roll out a new model every year’

LINDA JACKSON, CEO of Citroen, says the disruptive approach to the markets the company enters in will hold it in good stead in a competitive environment like India. Citroen’s models in India, reportedly, an SUV to begin with, will go on sale by the end of 2021. In a telephonic interview from Geneva, Jackson tells Shally

Seth Mohile about the company’s game plan. Edited excerpts.

You are entering a competitive market, which is dominated by just three to four companies. What will be your key focus areas?

Besides being compliant with the carbon emission norms, we need to make sure that we get the quality right. After sales, service is yet another important area and we need to get it right here. We have studied several firms and realised that this is what differentiates a successful company from a notso-successful one.

Could you give us a peek into the India strategy and what kind of positioning you are looking at?

We will be launching our first vehicle in India just before the end of 2021. Globally, Citroen’s positioning is based on its unique styling and design, comfort and being in the heart of the market. This strategy has been successful in all the markets, particularly Europe. We have developed an global programme of models that will start in India. We plan to come up with the right technology, a good positioning and a car that is suitable for India. That is why we have an India team based in Chennai. It is currently working on the marketing and distribution strategy.

What are the segments you are looking to address in the initial phase?

We know that India’s 3.6 million car market is a competitive one and has exponential growth potential. I cannot reveal the segments as that would also mean revealing the models. I can only say we will launch a new model every year.

Citroen is a relatively lesser known brand in India. What brand building initiatives do we see in the run-up to launch?

One of the reasons we decided to bring Citroen to this market is that our approach is very fresh, disruptive and creative. It’s early to talk about it. All I can say is that the approach will be similar to what we have in the existing markets, but something that is relevant to Indian consumers also. It will be an experience-led approach that will be deployed through digital technology. As an example, we have some urban centres, which give customers an interactive brand experience. We have 20 such centres across the world.

What role do you see this market playing in Citroen’ s global scheme of things?

India will play a very important role. Let me give you a statistic. Only 20 per cent of our sales come from outside Europe. By strengthening our presence in China and South America and by entering India, we plan to double this to 40 per cent by 2020-21.

Will you be considering alternative technologies for the Indian market, given the government’ s thrust on such initiatives?

I am aware that the Indian government has recently committed a huge amount of money to promote electrification in the country. All I can say is that we will follow the trend. It’s a bit early to talk about these plans.