Record sales at Tata Motors call for renewed focus on service

Close on the heels of achieving the highest ever passenger vehicle (PV) sales, Tata Motors is in a rush to ramp up its service network. It has added 160 new service workshops for PVs in 2021-22. With this, the total number of operational workshops increased to 705. The expansion has helped increase the service coverage across 485 cities, the company said. The number of cars serviced at its service workshops increased by 30% in the last financial year.

Tata Motors set several new sales records in the last financial year despite the Covid-19 waves, semiconductor crisis and steep rise in commodity prices. It posted the highest ever annual, quarterly and monthly sales, supported by strong demand for its New Forever range and agile actions taken on the supply side, said Shailesh Chandra, managing director, Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles Ltd. and Tata Passenger Electric Mobility Ltd, while announcing the March 2022 sales numbers.

The carmaker has recorded the highest ever annual sales of 370,372 PV units, registering a growth of 67% compared to the previous year. It ended the financial year with the highest ever monthly sales of 42,293 units in March, a growth of 43% and the highest ever SUV sales of 29,559 units. EV sales continued to witness rapid growth in demand on the back of strong demand for Nexon EV and Tigor EV. The annual EV sales touched 19,106 units, a growth of 353%.

Maruti Suzuki and Hyundai Motor reported a decline in dispatches to dealers in March due to shortage of electronic components which affected the production. However Skoda and Kia India, in addition to Tata Motors, posted their highest ever monthly sales in March. Toyota Kirloskar Motor's dispatches in March were the highest in the last five years while Mahindra also reported a robust increase.

The ramp of the service network has become an adequacy at this point of time for Tata Motors. The service network of Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) had crossed 4,000 workshops in March 2021. These outlets cover 1,989 Indian towns and cities. The largest automobile manufacturer in the country added 208 new service workshops in 2020-21. Hyundai Motor India Ltd has a strong network of 1,360 workshops.

With focus on enhancing service, Tata Motors also announced the introduction of EzServe – which aims to provide a hassle-free service at their doorstep. EzServe portfolio includes basic service and quick repairs. Dimple Mehta, Head, Customer Care, Domestic and International Business, Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles Ltd. said "Our endeavour is to enhance service touchpoints with focus on shorter formats to make us adequately close to Tata Motors customers."