Mercedes India CEO on why luxury space is yet to take off in the country

Schwenk talks to Pavan Lall about learning from foreign markets, issues that hold back luxury products sales in India and the route Mercedes takes to integrate with local systems and processes

It was not a challenge but it did feel somewhat like a test when Martin Schwenk, managing director and CEO at Mercedes-Benz India, agreed to meet me at The Leela near the Mumbai airport at 8 am. That meant one had to set the alarm for 6 am. Cometh the time of our meeting and Schwenk, a lean German in his early-50s, is wide awake and bang on time, dressed in a half-sleeved Polo shirt with the AMG logo and khaki chinos. “This wasn’t too early for you, was it?” he asks with a broad grin. “Not at all,” I