Mahindra & Mahindra DOFfs its hat to virtual reality

NEW DELHI: Mahindra & Mahindra-owned Italian design house Pininfarina is helping the Indian parent to conceptualise what it calls the dealership of future (DoF). The high-tech showroom will come with powerful virtual reality tools and large screens that will allow prospective buyers to see how a vehicle would look like with accessories and the colour of their choice.

At these facilities, customers can also touch and feel the vehicles as well as do a comparative analysis of models. A key advantage of such a showroom is the low investment required to set up and run it. The facility typically needs just a fourth (about 1,500 sq ft) of space compared with a conventional showroom. A team of three or four people can manage it, as against 15-20 executives for manning other showrooms.

Mahindra will show some glimpses of its dealership of future at Auto Expo 2018, people in the know of the project said.

A team of 18 people from the business and IT teams across functions is currently working on the new virtual retail format.

These showrooms will be set up at places where prospective buyers are digitally savvy.

Mahindra is planning to open about 20 of these in the next fiscal year starting April and eventually roll out across state capital. Veejay Nakra, chief of sales and marketing at Mahindra, confirmed conceptualisation of the new retail format and said it was a new customer interface where Pininfarina played an integral role.

"It is a high-end experience zone which brings the physical and virtual world together and it is an industry-first initiative. So we are not giving away on the touch and feel, but giving a much more immersive experience with digital footprint," Nakra said.

Mahindra India