Audi aims to sell 3,000 cars in India by 2010

MUMBAI: Volkswagen premium unit, Audi, has set up a marketing and sales office in India and expects to sell around 3,000 cars by 2010.   

The company will also triple its dealer network to at least nine by the end of the year, it said in a statement.   

"We have ambitious growth plans for India, our goal is to become the leading luxury automobile brand in the Indian market," said Benoit Tiers, managing director of Audi India.   

Audi will make 'significant investments' in its sales, marketing and after sales departments, which will employ 40 people by 2010, the company said.   

Audi imports the A4, A6, A8 and TT models and has said it will begin assembling the A6 in India from the Skoda factory in the western city of Aurangabad in autumn 2007.   

Parent Volkswagen is spending $530 million on a new plant near the western Pune city to make up to 110,000 vehicles a year from the second half of 2009.   

India's fast-growing passenger vehicle market is forecast to nearly double to 2 million units in annual sales by 2010.