Video: Mercedes-Benz India’s Santosh Iyer on EV Demand, Stock Crunch, FTAs & the Road Ahead

Mercedes-Benz India is seeing strong demand for its luxury cars even as inventory remains at its lowest level since COVID. So, what is driving the stock crunch and how is the company balancing demand, supply and festive growth?

In this conversation, Santosh Iyer, MD & CEO, Mercedes-Benz India, discusses the company’s strategy, the growing appeal of electrified Maybachs, why plug-in hybrids make sense for luxury buyers and why Mercedes is not chasing entry-level volumes at the cost of brand value.

Iyer also explains how Mercedes is protecting residual values, why EV demand remains strong despite supply constraints, what the India-EU FTA could mean for luxury car prices and why the company expects steady rather than ‘hockey-stick’ growth. He also reveals how Mercedes-Benz India’s average transaction price has risen from around ₹60 lakh to ₹1 crore.

Watch the full conversation here.