Sweta Silwal

LOAN TERMS HIT AUTO MARKET BUT SALES TEAMS ARE POSITIVE

Nepal Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) is the largest auto show in Nepal. In the 13th edition of this flagship event, B360 spoke with some NADA participants who lead the marketing and sales of their respective automobile brands about the impact of limitation on auto lending and their coping strategy.

Sweta Silwal Senior Marketing and Communication Officer, Datsun

---

Has the restriction on auto loan affected sales?

Sales went down dramatically. It declined by about 60% to 75%. It is getting relatively better as the central bank has relaxed the limitation to 65%.

Considering the traffic and road situation of the country do you think auto market will grow?

There are both pros and cons. Better infrastructure means better opportunities for us. Haphazard digging of the road signals bad news for us.

What are the factors you consider while selecting a product for the Nepali market?

Things like infrastructure, purchasing power, customer preference are taken into consideration.

How was 2016 in terms of sales?

Overall it was good. We had launched Nepal’s first urban-cross Datsun redi-GO which helped us post good sales despite what happened.

Do you work according to the market plan of the parent company?

We strictly follow the guidelines provided by our parent company.