“BMW leads worldwide in the premium category. In India, we are No. 2 at the moment,” says Kronschnabl (after arch-rival Mercedes Benz, which set up shop a good 10 years ago and which sold 2,121 cars in 2006). “We were No. 3 last year (until they overtook Audi) and certainly midterm our target is to become No. 1.” But BMW does little over-the-line advertising, relying instead on direct contacts and promotions to sell their luxury cars, priced at Rs27 lakh upwards.
One such event promotion is the upcoming Art Car Exhibition in Mumbai. BMW cars painted by Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein will be unveiled early next month in Mumbai. “Each car is valued at $10 million and must only be flown in and transported on air cushion trucks,” explains Kronschnabl. The last event BMW had was the opening of a dealership in Chandigarh at a formal sit-down dinner for 40 “opinion leaders”. “They would have never imagined having dinner in a dealership. Such customers don’t come to a dealership; the dealer goes to them. And here we had a six-course meal at a long table for 40 people with white table cloths, red wine, and the whole works—all at the dealership!” says Kronschnabl.
BMW is big in the major metros (Mumbai and New Delhi/Chandigarh account for 65-70% of sales, followed by Bangalore and Chennai) and Kronschnabl travels here a lot, spending time with dealers and occasionally meeting customers. But what are his favourite vacation spots? “I like Goa, I like Rajasthan,” says Kronschnabl. “I like silent places where you can really relax, read a good book or just enjoy the environment.” As for weekends, they are spent golfing in Gurgaon, swimming or running at the nearby Nehru Park. Kronschnabl tells me he parties as well, but he won’t say where. “You won’t recognize me,” he smiles and sidesteps, “I am not so old that I wear a suit and tie all the time.”
This August will be the first anniversary of the BMW boss’s posting to India and he is already something of an India expert. He lives alone, but he has lots of family and friends visiting. At the recent BMW worldwide presidents powwow that was held in New Delhi, this BMW India hand tried to give the visiting BMW country heads a taste of India. Cricket on the lawns of the Imperial Hotel with Mandira Bedi was followed by a city sightseeing trip in yellow cabs and taking cycle rickshaws to the Jama Masjid. Kronschnabl, who organized much of this, is happy that the sessions were very well received. Indeed, 2007 has been designated by BMW’s global headquarters at Munich as “Year of India”.
So what’s the nicest part of living in India? “That I feel safe here—it’s a safe and hospitable environment,” says Kronschnabl promptly. He thinks longer before saying what he likes the least: “Maybe that I don’t have my German butcher here.”