Fiat to have 100 dealers by 2013-end

RAJKOT: Italian automobile major Fiat is on a network expansion spree in India, where it wants to have 100 dealers by the end of this year.

The car-maker currently has 93 dealers and plans to add seven more by the month-end.

The Italian firm's distribution arrangement with home- grown major Tata Motors came to an end in March 31 this year and since then Fiat has embarked on its own journey in one of the world's largest car markets.

"Fiat India is aggressively focusing on increasing its footprint in India and trying to reduce the gap between the customer and the company," Ravi Bhatia, Vice-President, Fiat Group Automobiles, said here today.

Bhatia was here to inaugurate the company's first independent dealer-cum-showroom at Rajkot in Gujarat's Saurashtra region.

"We have set a goal of having 100 dealers across the country (by 2013-end). Today we inaugurated our 93rd independent dealership in Rajkot and fifth in Gujarat," he said.

Bhatia, however, did not provide details about the other proposed outlets.

"Our manufacturing plant has the enough capacity but we want to improve our dealership network," he added.

Fiat's models in India include Linea and Punto.