Improving infrastructure, returning global professionals, and demand for four-seat performance cars are reshaping Ferrari’s India outlook, says Vigna.
13 Dec 2025 | 2546 Views | By Hormazd Sorabjee and Darshan Nakhwa
Ferrari views India as a small but promising market and plans to stay closely engaged as wealth creation and infrastructure improve, chief executive officer Benedetto Vigna said at IIT Bombay’s E-Summit 2025.
India’s passenger vehicle market is moving toward 5 million annual sales, but the super sports car segment ...
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Ferrari views India as a small but promising market and plans to stay closely engaged as wealth creation and infrastructure improve, chief executive officer Benedetto Vigna said at IIT Bombay’s E-Summit 2025.
India’s passenger vehicle market is moving toward 5 million annual sales, but the super sports car segment remains niche due to high taxes and limited volumes. Even so, Vigna said Ferrari believes the opportunity lies in being present early. “India, for the time being, is small. But I think there is good potential,” he said.
Ferrari currently operates three points of sale in India—in Mumbai, Bengaluru, and New Delhi. Vigna said proximity matters even before volumes scale. “I think that it's important to be close to the market when it is small so that it can become bigger,” he said.
Vigna said returning global professionals and improving infrastructure are beginning to change how luxury cars are used. “I see more and more people who were in the US and are coming back to India because the situation keeps changing,” he said.
He added that Ferrari’s recent interactions with Indian customers reflected broader shifts. “Recently, we had the pleasure of dining with clients from different business fields. They were all underlining the possibility now that they can use the new infrastructure that was not there in the past,” he said.
This, he said, is influencing demand for certain body styles. “They are underlining the beauty of a car such as Purosangue that allows them also to go with four people in the car,” Vigna said. Ferrari launched the Purosangue as its first four-door, four-seat model, positioned to broaden appeal without diluting performance credentials.
India also stands out in terms of buyer age. While the global average age of Ferrari owners has remained stable at around 51, Vigna said India is significantly younger. “There are countries such as India where the average age is 40,” he said, adding that prospective buyers are even younger at 38. Nearly 40% of Ferrari’s new customers globally are now under 40, he said, underscoring the brand’s relevance with younger generations.
Ferrari’s association with India dates back several decades. “You know, the first Ferrari arrived in India in 1967. It was a 275 GTB,” Vigna said.
Vigna’s own engagement with the country spans more than two decades. “The first time I came to India was right before the year 2000,” he said, noting that he has visited regularly since and worked closely with engineering teams in Noida and Bengaluru. Over that period, he said, infrastructure has improved sharply, even as India’s optimism and entrepreneurial energy have remained constant.
He said the company’s interest in India is rooted in the country’s demographics and entrepreneurial culture. “We want to be close to India. I think it's important because this country offers a lot of opportunities. It's a young country, and there is a strong entrepreneurial spirit that you see here,” he said.
Ferrari, he added, sees alignment between that mindset and its own philosophy. “So we are an entrepreneurial company. We are redefining the limit of possibility. And I think India is a good country that can help us in this journey.”
With new racetracks planned across India, Vigna said Ferrari customers broadly fall into two groups. “We have clients—and I have to say a lot of Indians belong to this category—they are racers,” he said. “They like to have fun. They like to go high speed on the track. So they enjoy the Ferrari. They use the Ferrari for what it is designed for,” he said.
At the same time, Ferrari also caters to buyers who prioritise comfort and confidence. “But then we also have clients who use the car most of the time in automatic mode and are scared to go high speed. But the car allows them to go high speed, letting them feel safe,” he said.
Based on his interactions, Vigna said Indian buyers lean toward the enthusiast end of the spectrum. “I have to say, based on the number of clients I know in India, that Indians are more about clients who like to race and enjoy the car.”
India’s luxury car market remains small, estimated at around 40,000–45,000 units annually in 2025, a fraction of overall passenger vehicle sales. High import duties and taxes keep prices elevated, limiting volumes. However, analysts expect steady growth over the next five years, driven by rising high-net-worth individuals, expanding financial markets, and improving road infrastructure. SUVs and high-performance luxury models are expected to lead this expansion.
Ferrari currently sells a tightly controlled lineup globally, including the SF90 Stradale, 296 GTB and GTS, Roma and Roma Spider, 812 Competizione, Purosangue, and limited-run special-series models. The company caps production to preserve exclusivity, even as demand outstrips supply in most markets.
For Ferrari, India may remain a small market for now. But as Vigna made clear at the Summit, size is less important than timing and presence.