‘We have been in India for 30 years, very much swadeshi,’ says Mercedes-Benz India MD and CEO Santosh Iyer

Mercedes-Benz India MD and CEO Santosh Iyer today said that the luxury carmaker is a swadeshi brand, having completed 30 years in the country and gathering volumes of over 2,00,000 units during this time.

The luxury car maker marked three decades of operations in India in 2024. The company's leadership in the market can be realised from the fact that it sold 1,00,000 units in the last six years only.

MD and CEO says it has become 'swadeshi' brand

Mercedes-Benz has a CKD production facility in Chakan (Pune), spreading over 100 acres. With an investment of over Rs 3,000 crore till now, the Chakan unit has the largest installed production capacity for any luxury carmaker in India.

Besides, Mercedes-Benz Research and Development India (MBRDI), headquartered in Bengaluru, is the largest R&D centre for Mercedes-Benz Group AG outside of Germany.

"We have been in India for 30 years. We are very much swadeshi. I have 10,000 Indians working in Bengaluru, doing R&D for the world. There is India in every Mercedes sold anywhere in the world. We have a non-banking financial company, which is more than 1 billion in portfolio. A lot is happening, and a lot is invested in India. Our growth is fully linked to India's growth and progress," Iyer said at the Network18 Reforms Reloaded 2025 event.

Mercedes-Benz retailed a record 19,565 cars in India in 2024, with a growth of 12.4% year-on-year (y-o-y).

“Whenever borders open, we as a multinational company see it as growth,” Iyer remarked, pointing to India’s increasingly central role in Mercedes-Benz’s global strategy. More than 90% of the cars sold in the country are manufactured locally, with only around 10% imported as CBUs (completely built units). “So as far as tariffs are concerned, customers get better access with new FTAs. But for us, it’s about strategic patience,” he added.

While 2024 was the carmaker's best year ever in India in terms of sales, it was also the 10th consecutive year that it secured the top position in the luxury car market.

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