Cars with built-in driver assistance and over-the-air software updates. Bikes with biometric access controls and regenerative brakes. Trucks that flag maintenance issues before a breakdown occurs. These are just some of the exciting innovations unfolding in India’s automotive industry. And customers are lapping them up.
In 2025, electric vehicle (EV) sales alone crossed a major milestone of 2.3 million units. In FY26, passenger vehicle sales are expected to touch 4.7 million units, despite supply disruptions linked to tensions in West Asia. To top things off, home-grown brands like TVS Motor and Bajaj Auto are now ranking among the top motorcycle manufacturers in the world.
But building great vehicles is one thing – satisfying customers is quite another. Today, when customers want to purchase a vehicle, they aren’t just looking for the snazziest features or the best automotive brands. They seek out OEMs that can deliver exceptional experiences at every touchpoint – online, at the dealership, and in the vehicle.
Currently, auto manufacturers are ranked 9th for customer experience among 13 major consumer industries. About three in four consumers are unhappy with the bundled services offered by their auto brands, while nearly as many report inconsistent experiences across channels (app, website, in-person, aftersales, etc).
While that may sound disheartening, it also provides a huge window of opportunity for brands to differentiate themselves through the customer experiences they provide – especially in a fiercely competitive market. But delivering those experiences often requires a complete digital transformation:
- From fragmented customer data → unified, 360-degree driver and vehicle visibility
- From generic interactions → hyper-personalised, data-driven experiences across channels
- From showroom-first customer journeys → digital-first journeys that continue in-store
- From one-size-fits-all offers → personalised pricing, financing, and configurations
- From manual, fragmented processes → connected, AI-powered workflows across teams
- From reactive aftersales → proactive, predictive service experiences
- From disconnected dealer networks → connected, data-driven dealer ecosystems
- From product-led revenue → new and innovative revenue models
- From reactive decision-making → AI-led predictions and real-time insights
To make things simpler, let’s break down this transformation initiative into a few practical steps:
1. Orchestrate driver experiences
| Why it matters | What to do |
| Inconsistent customer interactions across touchpoints frustrate customers, and weaken brand perception | Build a unified view of each customer and vehicle to ensure frictionless buying and service experiencesUse a single CRM platform to orchestrate connected customer journeys that move fluidly across digital and physical touchpointsExpand your reach with deeper visibility into members of a household and all the vehicles owned under one roof Harness data on driver behaviours, usage, and preferences to deliver personalised, context-aware messaging and offers |
2. Unlock new revenue streams
| Why it matters | What to do |
| Dependence on one-time vehicle sales limits long-term revenue potential | Develop recurring revenue streams through personalised subscriptions, services, and featuresTurn vehicle maintenance and service from a cost centre to a recurring revenue driver |
3. Improve business productivity
| Why it matters | What to do |
| Fragmented systems and manual processes reduce efficiency and increase operational costs | Integrate systems, and automate workflows across sales, service, and marketing Embed AI-driven insights into everyday processes to enable real-time, proactive actionAlign all customer-facing teams around a single source of truth Standardise dealer management processes, and build a connected dealer ecosystem with shared data and visibility |
Translating these objectives into action based on 5 Trailblazer stories
Defining objectives is often simple, but seeing how they come to life can make all the difference. Our latest playbook features the stories of five automotive Trailblazers who are delighting customers, and catalysing revenue growth by transforming their business. Gain actionable insights from them on how to create unforgettable customer experiences, unlock new revenue streams, and strengthen business productivity.
- Tata Motors CV unified 60 million unique customer personas to personalise marketing
Impact: 5% engagement rate - Royal Enfield tailored the customer’s website experience to their browsing behaviour
Impact: 52% increase in web traffic, 32% increase in time spent on the website
- River Mobility created a single source of customer truth
Impact: In-store employees are empowered to engage and sell better
- Ather Energy streamlined dealership operations
Impact: Dealers can capture leads in 45-60 seconds, resolve customer complaints the same day, and manage daily tasks like procurement with ease
- Amara Raja Energy & Mobility built an intuitive dealer portal for service
Impact: Over 550 franchisees use the portal to deliver timely support
Learn how your business too can achieve similar results.
Download The Road to Customer Delight: Insights from 5 Automotive Trailblazers
