Sales of Lamborghini (cars cost around Rs 4 crore in India) grew 86% in 2021 (on total sales of 69 cars), higher than the 55% growth achieved in China (935 units), 16% in Germany (706), 9% in the UK (564), and 3% in home market Italy (359).
The company, which sells models such as Urus SUV and Aventador and Huracan sports cars, has increasingly been focusing on India, which is being seen as the “next big promising market” as sales of super luxury and sports cars gather pace , despite concerns around the economy, inflation and certain macro-economic factors.
Sharad Agarwal, head of Lamborghini in India, said demand remains healthy in the super luxury space.
“As a brand, we have been growing. In terms of our customer reach, we have spread from 16 cities in 2016-17 to 43 cities at the end of last year. Apart from the metros and bigger cities, we are now selling and servicing smaller towns such as Ludhiana, Kanpur, Shillong, Guwahati, Salem, Surat, Madurai, and Indore,” Agarwal told TOI.
A big reason behind the growth has been the entry of Urus SUV into the line-up. “Against our sports car line-up, the Urus is a full-bodied SUV and has added to our strength in India. Since its launch in 2018, we have managed to sell 200 units of the model, despite challenges during the Covid periods.”
Agarwal said apart from the addition of smaller towns and cities, Lamborghini has also benefited from growing list of new-generation entrepreneurs and millionaires. “Around a third of our buyers are first-generation entrepreneurs. This is an encouraging sign for our business, and displays the underlying strength of the market.”
Lamborghini had sold 52 cars in India in 2019, but numbers were hit in 2020 due to the outbreak of the pandemic. “2021 was a strong year, and we expect a similar double-digit growth this year.”
But while he lauded growth in the market, Agarwal said issues such as high taxation and infrastructure bottlenecks need to be addressed to enable stronger volumes for super cars.