KTS Automotors: Starting young!

When you walk into their South Mumbai showroom, decorated for the grand opening on September 5, the heritage touch to the place takes you by surprise. Considering it's a dealer showroom, one wonders where the standard glass panes and little tables go?

“This is the only Maruti showroom in India that doesn’t actually fit the company's norms because we wanted to experiment and do something different with the place,” says Shrenik Kataria, CEO, K.T.S Automotors. “When a customer walks in, they should feel that they’ve come to a very different and unique place for their car purchase.”

Wading through the crowd at the inaugration, Kataria finds a few minutes to tell us why he joined the family's business. After securing an MBA in finance, he utilised his knowledge and skills for two years with the family business, which is a logistics transport company, started by his grandfather in 1967. “After learning from that business for two years, I decided to venture into the dealership sector. I also look after the transport division, because it is still our core business. It has been our bread and butter for many years and we will not let go of it because it is very close to all our hearts,” says Kataria. “Automobiles have been my passion since I was a child, and it has been so for my extended family. Also, who turns away an opportunity like a dealership for Maruti?” he adds.

With help from Maruti and his family members, Kataria has been able to learn the ropes of the business. “Maruti has been very supportive and co-operative and gave us enough time to start the dealership. I can call their representatives any time of the day and they are very resourceful to me,” he says. But who is the decision-maker of the company? “I am taking care of the dealership, yes, but my father and my family is very much involved in the decision making. My father’s brothers and my grandfather also help out in the business. We never take any major decisions without consulting our grandfather because he has more knowledge than all of us put together!” says a proud Kataria.

Working hard to get the showroom up and running, Kataria has been spending most of his time in the showroom for the last few months. “We were trying to build a dealership that is unique, for which I had to be at the showroom for as long as 12 hours everyday. There is a lot to learn from people, and being at the helm of things always teaches you more,” smiles Kataria. Asked how he is going to take it forward from here, Kataria says, “Maruti, honestly, is a brand that sells on its own. So, our duty is to take care of the other aspects of the business. It’s not just that you make a sale and that’s the end of it. There’s a lot that goes into the process from maintenance to after sales services, even finance and insurance.”

So, with a brand like Maruti in his kitty, Kataria believes that there is more in store for him. “There are definitely strong plans for the future and expansion is on our minds. And Maruti too, will want me have more than just one dealership! But there’s no rush, we’re going to go one step at a time,” he smiles.

Which car do you drive?
I drive the Maruti Swift ZDi. The new model has a lot of improvements. From the suspension of the vehicle to tyres — everything is smooth. The interiors of the car are also very luxurious; it’s like my dream car. In Mumbai, the Swift works best because it’s a compact car, has a diesel variant and plus the company has very low maintenance costs, so everything is packed in it. It’s the perfect family car!

Which is your dream car?
I thought you would ask that (smiles). The Ferrari 458 Italia is my dream car. I was in Europe two months back and I drove a Ferrari in Paris and it felt amazing!