Volkswagen (VW) India is planning to double its dealership network in the country by 2015 to keep pace with growth.
It has around 200 dealers at present and has registered a 10.6 per cent growth in sales during the first six months of the current year.
It is looking to add 50 to 60 new dealers every year over the next few years and decentralise its spare parts depots.
The company’s central spare parts depot is now located in Aurangabad.
VW Group Sales Director in India Dietmar Hildebrandt said the company proposed to open a spare parts centre each in Delhi and Mumbai.
“Our focus is now on training technicians,” he said.
VW has chalked out a plan to impart training to 4,000 technicians working at its dealerships. It is also planning to train prospective technicians joining the new dealerships.
Its regional training centre is located in Chandigarh. Hildebrandt said the company would start similar training centres in Bangalore and Kolkata by September.
“We are planning to offer 20,000 training man-days during the current year and 35,000 training man-days next year,” he said.
It has tied-up with the city-based Geedee Technical Training Institute for VG-TAP (Volkswagen Group-Technik Ausbildungs Programme) — a course devised by the company.
VW, which has VG-TAP in nine cities, would have it in 12 centres by the end of the current year. It plans to have VG-TAP in 25 centres by 2015, Hildebrandt said.