How auto companies are wooing reluctant buyers amid slowdown gloom

Stuck in the slow lane, promotions, advertising and customer engagement are of critical importance say the companies.

There are no two opinions about the despair that stares at the automobile industry in the country. According to data from the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) for August, vehicle sales in categories, including passenger vehicles, as well as two-wheelers and commercial vehicles, (CVs) stood at 1.82 million units compared to 2.38 million units in the same month the previous year. This represents an alarming fall of 23.55 per cent.

In the midst of such gloom, however, the industry has been actively engaging with the consumer; advertising steadily, keeping volumes high even if spends hover around the levels in the