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Informist, Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025

 

NEW DELHI – Automobile companies Wednesday asked dealerships to focus more on better inventory forecasting to anticipate demand trends in a more granular and accurate manner. Dealerships should also ensure a filtration process in digital enquiries for vehicles to increase chances of conversion, the companies said at the Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations' 7th Auto Retail Conclave.

 

Dealerships have been asked to get involved more in inventory forecasting process. "I think inventory is a necessary evil. Without inventory, you cannot sell. Without sales, you cannot make any profit," said Hyundai Motor India Ltd.'s Chief Operating Officer Tarun Garg. He asked dealerships to get more hands-on with planning and forecasting, even if the job isn't as glamorous because it can help them earn more money.

 

Hero MotorCorp's Chief Business Officer Ashutosh Varma said that more systems have to be involved in the forecasting process to reduce the variability of outcomes. "If you have a larger range, more number of units, of course, there has to be a right balance for it. It's a function of the forecasting. Most often, that's where we go wrong, and that's where we need to correct," Varma said.

 

Companies sought the need for a database from dealership networks to help better gauge demand trends from the customer perspective. 

 

Garg also said that given the rise in online enquiries for the company's products, there is a need for a filtration process to assess the quality of the enquiries. "We need a filter, and that is where I think dealerships need to really deploy the right manpower. If you give those inquiries to your sales consultant without filtering, it is impossible for you to get the results," Garg said.

 

He added that the conversion of digital enquiries into sales has gone up to 8-9% now from 4-5?fore. Conversions of physical enquiries into sales is around 11-12%, Garg said.  End

 

Reported by Anand JC and Shakshi Jain

Edited by Deepshikha Bhardwaj

 

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