We have narrowed the gap with the market leader: BMW Group India President and CEO Hardeep Singh Brar

BMW Group India President and CEO Hardeep Singh Brar

• BMW India aims to be in the top 15 markets by 2030
• It is targeting more than 10% growth in 2026 sales
• It is adding new outlets in smaller towns and cities

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The 14% growth in sales volumes in 2025 pushed the Indian entity into the top 20 markets in the world for German luxury auto heavyweight BMW. Hardeep Singh Brar, President and CEO, BMW Group India told Moneycontrol in an interview that the target is to get the Indian market into the top 15 by 2030.

To get there, BMW will have to challenge the India luxury car market leader Mercedes-Benz. Brar claimed that he has been able to further close the gap in 2025 compared to 2024. Edited excerpts.

How do you see the growth of BMW in 2025?

We have been growing at 13-14% post Covid-19 and 2025 was equally good. The reason behind it was the launch of 10 cars across all categories. We were apprehensive about launching EVs in India because the demand uptick for EVs is not that great. But it really took us by surprise that it moved from 8% to 21% penetration. The assured buy-back programme helped assuage apprehension of EV buyers.

What will be the number of launches in 2026?

We will have similar number of launches in 2026. We have six new models coming in, four major changes also coming in and about 17 products will sport minor facelifts, upgradation.

How many locally made models do you sell?

About 95% of what we sell in India is coming from cars that are locally assembled and the rest are imported completely built units (CBUs). We have improved localisation to 50% over the last five years.

How big is India when compared to other global markets?

BMW India has moved into the top 20 markets for the group. The moment one gets into the top 20, you start getting more focus. The plan is to be in the top 15 by the end of this decade. India has been growing at one of the fastest rates of growth in the world, being in the top five (in terms of growth rate).

BMW had announced an investment of Rs 400 crore for India?

Yes, that was for the upgrading our outlets. By the end of this year (2026), we want to make sure that all our setups are fully up to the concept.

You closed at 18,001 in sales volumes. What growth are you expecting in 2026?

The bare minimum growth we are targeting is 10% as we have been growing at 13-14% in recent years. If that growth becomes a reality, we are looking at 20,000 sales volume in 2026.

Will the EV penetration go higher from here?

We are launching three new EVs in 2026. The supply was constrained in 2025 but it will improve this year. In the December quarter we actually reached 23% penetration. We are looking at 25% penetration in 2026.

What contribution comes from markets outside of the five metros?

The top five metros contribute to 40% of our volumes. We are present in 40 cities. We are getting a lot of customers from Tier 3 and Tier 4. And therefore, we will be expanding into the smaller market this year. We are adding 10 more cities in 2026.

What will it take for BMW to be number 1 again?

The gap (with the market leader) closed further in 2025. From 2500 units in 2024, it has narrowed to 1000 in 2025. We aspire to be number 1 but we are not badly chasing that position. We want to introduce the right products, give the best experience, take care of the pain points. In that process.

What is the plan for the Motorrad business?

We are going to focus on the core bikes which are higher CC (cubic capacity) bikes. The 310RR which we are producing along with our partner TVS (Motor Company), we grew by 20% last year. This year we are going to focus on bigger bikes of 600cc or 1000cc.