Renault India garners 37% of its sales from hinterlands, sees rural share growing 5 times in 4 years

In a bid to participate in the growing hinterland, Renault India’s ‘Project Vistaar’ – has helped the company expand its rural contribution five times in the last four years. 

From a contribution of 9% of its total sales in 2019, the share of business from rural areas jumped to 37% of its total sales in 2022 or 32000 units were sold in the hinterlands last calendar year. 

The rural journey for Renault started in 2019, with the identification of new low-cost formats for showrooms, followed by the expansion of network infrastructure under the ‘Project Vistaar’. Under the project, Renault, through its network, recruited, trained, and deployed close to 500 specialised sales consultants called Resident Dealer Sales Executives (RDSE). 

These RDSEs ensured a better connect with the customers, enhancing Renault’s reach within the country and creating a strong network in the rural markets. With an aim to make further inroads into the rural market, Renault adopted a customer centric approach with extensive target audience engagement through Grameen Mahotsavs, claimed the company. 

The company has so far organised these Mahotsavs in 200+ villages. To keep the momentum high, Renault adopted a digital format during the last few challenging years, creating the first of its kinds ‘Digital Grameen Mohatsav.

Renault’s partnership with CSC commissioned 400 Renault Booking Centres last year, providing rural customers an opportunity to book their favourite Renault car within their locality with ease and convenience. 

With this the customers are able to book their Renault car with minimum documentation formalities, by scanning the QR Code available at the nearest Renault booking centre, making digital inclusion of rural India a reality, claims the company. 

Renault became the first passenger car maker to join hands with the CSC Grameen e-store, in early 2021, ensuring easy access to the company’s products and services. 

CSC, as a network of local stores run by a massive network of 4 lakh+ Village Level Entrepreneurs (VLEs) trained by Renault teams, are successfully addressing queries from potential customers, and delivering last mile e-governance services, added the company. 

Beyond selling cars, Renault India is also aiming to participate in developing the select villages. The company recently engaged with more than 50 villages across the country to develop them as ‘Model Villages’, where Renault designs and develops a dedicated plan on sustainable development of these villages in partnership with the CSC Grameen eStore. 

‘Rural Float’ is yet another annual initiative that the company has undertaken in order to provide a Renault vehicle ownership experience in rural areas, enabling them to touch and feel the cars, next to their neighbourhood. The company has so far engaged with more than 25,000 customers in 500+ towns across 15 States through this initiative. Additionally, a mobile workshop providing door-step service facility – ‘Workshop on Wheels’ (WOW) and ‘Workshop on Wheels-Lite’ helps in facilitating the servicing of Renault vehicles even in the remotest areas. The idea is to offer good ownership experience to the customers in rural and far-flung locations.