A STUDY ON CUSTOMER SATISFACTION WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE

TO
ASHOK LEYLAND,GUINDY, TAMIL NADU
A PROJECT REPORT SUBMITTED TO

For the partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of

BACHELOR OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
BY
G.R.SARAVANA
Registration no:3091310047

Under the supervision of

Mr.Megavanan,
Assistant professor
Department of business administration,
FACULTY OF MANAGEMENT, SRM university,

Kattankulathur-603203
April-2016

DECLARATION
I hereby declare that the thesis report entitled, A STUDY ON CUSTOMER
SATISFACTION WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO ASHOK LEYLAND,GUINDY, TAMIL
NADU submitted by me (G.R.SARAVANA) for the award of the Degree of Bachelor of Business
Administration, is a record of the study done buy me and that the Project work has not formed the
basis for the award of any Degree, Diploma, Associate ship, Fellowship or other similar title.

Place: Chennai

Date

G.R.SARAVANA

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
First of all i thank god almighty who has been with as throughout this endeavor and helped
me in completing this project successfully.
It is with deep sense of gratitude and heartfelt thanks for our beloved dean Dr. Jayasri
suresh and our course co-ordinator for motivating me to complete this project work.
I would like to express my sincere thanks and profound gratitude to my internal guide
Mr.Megavanan, assistant professor of department for his valuable guidance and suggestions
throughout this project study and all our faculty members who have shown their interest in giving
idea for successful completion of the project.
I express my profound sense of gratitude to Mr.Mohammed Elias, sales and executive
manager , Ashok Leyland at Guindy branch in Chennai for giving me an opportunity to do this
project in the concern and for their valuable guidance.

CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that the project work entitled ASHOK LEYLAND: MARKETING
AND SALES ANALYSIS submitted by G.R.SARAVANA, Roll no. 3091310047, for the partial
fulfillment of Bachelor of Business Administration, as my observation, it was found that the
project report has not been previously formed or copied from any other material for the award of
any Degree, Diploma, Associate ship, Fellowship or other similar title. The project represents
independent work on the part of the candidate with the guardian of the supervisor.

Place: Chennai
Date

Signature of guide

Signature of Internal Examiner

Signature of External Examiner

Signature of H.O.D. with seal

Table of content
S.No.

Topic

Page
No.
8

1.1

Introduction

1.2

Objective of the study

1.3

Need of training

1.4

Research methodology

1.5

Limitation of study

2.1

Review of literature

10

2.2

Theoretical review

13

3.1

Company Profile

15

3.2

Industry Profile

17

Data Analysis and Interpretation

19

Findings, Suggestions and Conclusion

49

Bibliography

50

Questionnaire

51

List of tables
Table

Titles

Page
No

4.1

Vehicles currently owned

19

4.2

Body length of the vehicle

21

4.3

Types of load body used

23

4.4

Type of use

25

4.5

Rate your vehicle

27

4.6

Year of purchase

29

4.7

Application or type of load

31

4.8

Kilometers clocked or mileage

33

4.9

Preffered brand amogst the market players

35

4.10

Comfortability on partner

37

4.11

Confidence on partner

39

4.12

Usage area

41

4.13

Key buying factors

43

4.14

Brand preffered in todays market

45

4.15

Payload capactiy

47

List of charts
Titles
Charts
4.1

Vehicles currently owned

Page
No
20

4.2

Body length of the vehicle

22

4.3

Types of load body used

24

4.4

Type of use

26

4.5

Rate your vehicle

28

4.6

Year of purchase

30

4.7

Application or type of load

32

4.8

Kilometers clocked or mileage

34

4.9

Preferred brand amongst the market players

36

4.10

Comfortability on partner

38

4.11

Confidence on partner

40

4.12

Usage area

42

4.13

Key buying factors

44

4.14

Brand preferred in todays market

46

4.15

Payload capacity

48

Chapter 1
1.1 Introduction
The project is aimed at understanding customer needs specifically in the LCV segment.

The study topic was to do field research involving real time customers and collecting
the feedback about their user experiences of the products of the existing LCV segment.

The data collected through the field research would be used for sales analysis in the
concerned segment specifically targeting the upcoming product ASHOK LEYLAND
PARTNER.

The Indian auto industry is one of the largest in the world. The industry accounts for 7.1
per cent of the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP). As of FY 2014-15, around 31 per cent
of small cars sold globally are manufactured in India.
The Two Wheelers segment with 81 per cent market share is the leader of the Indian
Automobile market owing to a growing middle class and a young population. Moreover, the
growing interest of the companies in exploring the rural markets further aided the growth of the
sector. The overall Passenger Vehicle (PV) segment has 13 per cent market share.
India is also a prominent auto exporter and has strong export growth expectations for the
near future. In April-January 2016, exports of Commercial Vehicles registered a growth of 18.36
per cent over April-January 2015. In addition, several initiatives by the Government of India and
the major automobile players in the Indian market are expected to make India a leader in the Two
Wheeler (2W) and Four Wheeler (4W) market in the world by 2020.
The study involves:

Understand basic and differentiating features of the existing products in the market

Derive key customer insights and inputs for the sales and marketing team based on the
field study and customer view points

1.2 Objectives of the study

Objectives of the study are as follows:

Primary objective: To understand customer needs

Secondary objective: Provide insights to sales and marketing team for new product launch
in LCV segment

1.3 Need of training

Training was needed to understand product range, competitor offerings and customer
needs.

This involved on field training to get an understanding of the current customer needs.

1.4 Research methodology

Research methodology involved:

Secondary research: company profile, industry profile, products in the market, feature
analysis

Primary research: to collect information on customer needs through a standardized

questionnaire developed for detailed quantitative analysis

The study methodology involving the current project uses the help of questionnaire
prepared by the company which helps to collect data from the customers about their existing
product details of their vehicles and it sorts out the requirements of the customers.

With the help of brochures of PARTNER it gives an idea and details about the vehicle such
as different variant, features, specifications, etc..

In the current project data has been obtained through the means of questionnaire and has
been analyzed to find out the market trend.

With the help of using the Microsoft-excel the collected information has been updated and
from it the details can be displayed in form of easy understanding, displayed in way of bar
graph, pie chart, the ratios can be easily fetched.

1.5 Limitations of the study

The outcome of the analysis is based on the representative nature of the customer sample
set interviewed.

Additional factors such as behavioral, decision making influences and partnership

associations of potential customers have not been considered in scope for this study.

2.1 Review of literature

Branding in an industrial market must be perceived to convey benefits to various
stakeholders for companies to financially invest in it. With regard to the company investing in
branding a number of benefits have been identified. Cretu et al (2007) found branding had a
positive impact on the perceived quality of the product or service. It was also perceived as
providing a product with an identity, a consistent image and as conferring uniqueness (Michell et
al 2001). A strong brand will be demanded and allow companies to demand a premium price (Low
et al 2002, Ohnemus 2009). Due to the demand of the branded products competitive products will
be rejected (Low et al 2002, Ohnemus 2009). However, the assumption that competitive products
will be rejected suggests that there is only one strong brand in the market or the cost of purchasing
the other brands is significantly higher which may not necessarily be true. It is suggested that when
products or services are branded, communications will be accepted more readily (Michell et al
2001, Low et al 2002, Ohnemus 2009).
Once a strong brand has been developed it can be built upon and developed (Low et al
2002). Hutton (1997) found that positive evaluations for one branded product category were
transferred to another product category of the same brand. A strong brand may increase the
companys power in the distribution network and open up opportunities for licensing (Low et al
2002, Ohnemus 2009). When a company has a strong brand the company itself may be worth more
if sold (Low et al 2002). The marketers of an industrial brand may perceive their customers to have
an increased level of satisfaction (Low et al 2002) and to be more loyal (McQuiston 2004). With
regard to industrial buyers research has found brands to convey a number of largely intangible
benefits. As a brand is essentially a summary of associated values it can increase the buyers
confidence in their choice (Michell et al 2001, Low et al 2002). It increases the level of satisfaction
the buyer feels with regard to the purchase (Low et al 2002) and provides comfort and the feel
good factor (Mudambi 2002). Brands are useful for reducing the level of perceived risk and
10

uncertainty in buying situations (Mudambi 2002, Bengtson et al 2005, Ohnemus 2009). The
buying companys product may gain legitimacy through the incorporation of a branded product
and being associated with a prestigious company.
Challenges with B2B marketing:
Despite the number of benefits a strong brand can convey to both the seller and the buyer
it is surprising that more industrial companies are not utilising it. There are a number of factors
which may be contributing to B2B companies reluctance to brand.
1) Lack of Academic Research - Whilst there has been a vast amount of research into branding in
a business-to-consumer context. There has been little research into branding in the business-tobusiness context (Lynch et al 2004, Ohnemus 2009). The fact that there is little academic research
means that the research in B2B branding has dubious theoretical underpinnings (Ohnemus 2009).
As a result companies will find it difficult to implement any information they do obtain on B2B
branding.
2) Perception of Branding by B2B Buyers - Branding in the B2B context is perceived as being
gimmicky (Mudambi et al 1997 in Low et al 2002). B2C brands which have an emotional aspect
are perceived as irrational in the context of rational decision making in a B2B context
(Rosenbroijer 2001).
3) Impracticality of B2B Branding - It has been suggested that the practice of branding industrial
products is impractical due to companies having thousands of products (Bendixen et al 2004).
4) Financial - Building brand equity involves a long term financial investment that not all
companies are prepared to make. In the current economic climate making a long term commitment
often at the expense of short term business profitability is not a sacrifice that many B2B marketers
would readily make. This would potentially lead to financial problems for the company (Balmer
2001 and Gronroos 1997). Academic research needs to develop knowledge about branding in a
B2B context in a cohesive coherent manner in order to eliminate these problems and enable B2B
marketers to make informed decisions about their brand strategy.

11

Branding in decision making criteria

Branding is essentially used to convey a set of values to potential buyers which may be
considered at various stages of the organisational decision making process including the
determination of the characteristics of the product or service, the search for potential suppliers and
the evaluation of proposals (Sweeney 2002). In addition to understanding the process of the
decision making Lynch et al (2004) state that it is also necessary to understand the structure of the
decision making unit and the evaluative criteria used to make purchase decisions. It is also
necessary to understand the characteristics of the purchase situation and the nature of the
organisational buyers. An understanding of these aspects of organisation buying will enable
marketers to determine how branding can be successfully implemented.
Evaluation criteria used by industrial buyers
For industrial companies to consider investing in branding it needs to be a criterion which
buyers are going to consider when they are making purchase decisions. The criteria buyers use to
evaluate suppliers products has been investigated. Bendixen et al (2004) found that branding only
had a relative importance of 16% when buyers were deciding to make a purchase decision. Other
attributes were found to be more important including delivery period (27% relative importance)
the most desired attribute, followed by price (24%), technology (19%) and finally the availability
of parts (14%). Clarification of what constitutes a B2B brand is needed as evaluative criteria used
to select suppliers such as perceived quality may be an important facet of brand equity rather than
an independent criterion. Bendixen et al (2004) investigated how buyers rated nine attributes of
their preferred brand. They found quality was the most desirable attribute, followed by reliability,
performance, after-sales service, ease of operation, ease of maintenance, price, suppliers
reputation, relationship with suppliers personnel. Abratt (1986) and Aaker (1991) also found
quality to be one of the leading criterion for buyers. Further to this, Beverland et al. (2007)
examined global B2B brands and concluded that what leading brands shared in common was that
they built an identity around adaptability to customer needs and the provision of a total solution.
If an industrial marketer wanted to create a strong brand these are the factors they should be aiming
to convey and they are broad enough to be applicable to a number of sectors.

12

2.2: Theoretical review

B2B marketing techniques rely on the same basic principles as consumer marketing, but
are executed in a unique way. While consumers choose products based not only on price but on
popularity, status, and other emotional triggers, B2B buyers make decisions on price and profit
potential alone.
Finding new ways to foster relationships through social media is currently a hot topic in
the B2B marketing world. Social media platforms have opened up two way conversations between
businesses. A survey organized by Chadwick Martin Bailey and iModerate, showed that
businesses are more likely to buy from companies they track through social media.
Tech-savvy B2B companies have continued to find innovative ways to use social media to
their advantage. Cisco Systems, Inc, a leading seller of networking systems, launched a campaign
introducing a new router solely on social media advertising. The launch was classified as one of
the top five in the company's history, and shaved over $100,000 off normal launch expenses.
At its core, B2B marketing involves building valuable relationships to guarantee lasting
customers -- an important goal for any company, whether a mega retail corporation or a smaller
family-owned one.
The B2B market is the largest of all the markets, and exceeds the consumer market in dollar
value. Companies like GE and IBM spend an estimated $60 million a day on goods that support
the operation of their business.
B2B marketing is largely employed by companies that make products that consumers have
no practical use for, such as steel. However, it is also used by companies selling products and
services bought by consumers and other businesses alike.
For example, Sprint (a consumer phone supplier) provides wireless, voice and data services
to both businesses and consumers. In fact, VHA, a health-care purchasing network, recently agreed
to extend a three-year, $1.2 billion contract with Sprint. Sprint continues to be a nationwide leader
in both B2B and consumer marketing.B2B marketers generally focus on four large categories:

Companies that use their products, like construction companies who buy sheets of steel to
use in buildings.
13

Government agencies, the single largest target and consumer of B2B marketing.

Institutions like hospitals and schools.

Companies that turn around and resell the goods to consumers, like brokers and
wholesalers.
A B2B marketer can effectively put their product or service into the right hands by

positioning their offering in an exciting manner, understanding the customers needs, and
proposing the right solutions to combine the two.
It is important for B2B marketers to understand their clients needs before implementing
any marketing or advertising tactic. In consumer marketing, an effective advertisement can be
blasted out over wide channels, and a percentage of consumers will be driven to buy the product.
However, since B2B marketing is so much more specialized, marketers run the risk of alienating
their specific prospective candidates if they do not pay close attention to their needs before
tailoring their services to those needs.
A B2B marketing plan must be focused in delivery and broad in application. This means
that while consumer marketing can advertise very specifically (one mass-consumed product
advertised through print, television commercials and the Internet) to a wide audience, B2B
marketing cannot. Instead, it needs to brand itself very broadly (through email, corporate image
and technical specifications) to a very specific customer.
Business marketers can develop and decide how to employ their B2B plan by identifying
and understanding the importance of the following topics:

The product or service: When marketing to consumers, there is an emotional component

involved. Individuals are drawn to products because of how they make them feel. With
B2B customers, the buyers are trained professionals who care about the quality of products,
their cost-saving and/or revenue-producing benefits, and the service provided by the host
company.

The target market: Many B2B marketers are able to focus on very niche industries which
reflect specialized needs. While this can make marketing a bit more straightforward, it also
requires a high level of knowledge outside of marketing specialists.

14

Pricing: Businesses are usually more concerned with cost, value, and revenue potential
than consumers. However, they can also be more readily convinced to pay top dollar as
long as B2B marketers do an excellent job of convincing them that the product, quality and
customer service will be worthwhile.

Promotion: B2B marketers need to be experts not only of marketing and advertising, but
experts within their fields. Once this happens, they will learn the best ways to market to
this field, whether it is through blogs, journals, tradeshows or word of mouth. B2B
marketing very rarely employs traditional media like TV and radio commercials.

3.1 Company profile

ASHOK LEYLAND AND NISSAN SIGN 3 LCV JVs:
- Three vehicle platforms for initial launch - Brand new Euro III/IV diesel engine to be part of power train
CHENNAI (May 26, 2008) - Hinduja Group flagship Ashok Leyland and Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.,
today announced the legal formation of the three JV companies for the Light Commercial
Vehicle (LCV) business in India for vehicle manufacturing, powertrain manufacturing and
technology development. This follows the signing of the Master Co-Operation Agreement
between the two companies in October 2007.

The shareholding structures of the three joint ventures are as under:

Ashok Leyland Nissan Vehicles Pvt. Ltd., the vehicle manufacturing company will be owned
51% by Ashok Leyland and 49% by Nissan;

Nissan Ashok Leyland Powertrain Pvt. Ltd., the powertrain manufacturing company will be
owned 51% by Nissan and 49% by Ashok Leyland;

Nissan Ashok Leyland Technologies Pvt. Ltd., the technology development company will
be owned 50:50 by the two partners.

The aggregate investment in all three companies will be around Rs. 23 billion (approx. 575
Million USD). The enterprise will involve a capacity of 100,000 vehicles in the first phase, to
be scaled up subsequently. The plant is expected to start production from 2010/11. Among the
three platforms identified, covering applications up to 7.5 ton Gross Vehicle Weight, is an allnew generation Nissan Atlas F24 light-duty truck. In addition, an all-new engine is being

15

developed specifically for LCV applications, as part of the range of Euro 3 and Euro 4
compliant diesel engines.
Executive comments
Mr. R. Seshasayee, Managing Director, Ashok Leyland:

The current growth plans of Ashok Leyland involve, not only our stated capacity
additions and new product launches but also, with this important step, our entry into the
fast-growing LCV segment. The balanced JV structure facilitates meaningful contribution
from both partners and the best opportunity to leverage their respective strengths.
Mr. Carlos Tavares, Executive Vice President, Nissan:

We made another important step in the creation of a solid structure that will allow Nissan
and Ashok Leyland to enter successfully the light commercial vehicle market in India and
global markets. This represents an important embedded element in our new NISSAN GT
2012 plan based on growth and trust.

The Hinduja Group is an investment and banking group with a diversified global
portfolio of holdings across the manufacturing services and banking sectors. The Group,
founded by Shri P.D. Hinduja in 1914, has activities across three core areas: Investment
Banking, International Trading and Global Investments. As part of its Global
investments, the Group owns businesses in Automotive, Information Technology, Media,
Entertainment & Communications, Banking & Finance, Infrastructure, Project
Development, Chemicals &Agri business, Energy, Real Estate and Healthcare. The
Hinduja Group also supports charitable and philanthropic activities across the world
through the Hinduja Foundation.

Ashok Leyland is the flagship of the Hinduja Group and a leading manufacturer of
commercial vehicles in India with 07-08 turnover of more than US $ 2 billion. With six
manufacturing locations at Chennai, Hosur (three plants), Alwar and Bhandara, the
Company has an annual production capacity of 84,000 vehicles with additional 100,000
vehicle capacity planned by 2010. The Company has associate companies in the Czech
Republic and the UAE and joint ventures in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, besides exports to
over 20 countries worldwide.

16

Nissan Motor Company generated global net revenues of 10.824 trillion yen in 2007.
Nissan is present in all major auto markets worldwide selling a comprehensive range of
cars, pickup trucks, SUVs and light commercial vehicles under the Nissan and Infiniti
brands. Nissan employs over 224,000 people worldwide.

The Nissan GT 2012 five-year business plan is focused on the companys long-term
performance combined with its responsibilities to stakeholders as a significant global
business. The three commitments are:

Quality leadership

Zero-emission vehicle leadership

Five percent revenue growth on average over five years (FY2008 to FY2012)

3.2 Industry profile

Emerging from a two year down cycle
After two years of down cycle, some segments of the domestic Commercial Vehicle
(CV) industry have shown signs of recovery in FY 2015. In the first ten months of the
fiscal, the pace at which domestic CV sales have been declining has reduced to 4.6%
compared to a contraction of 20.2% witnessed during FY 2014. Within the CV space, the
Medium & Heavy Commercial Vehicle (M&HCV) Truck segment has in fact posted a
positive growth of 19.0% in 10m FY 2015 while the HCV (16T+) segment, which accounts
for almost half of total M&HCV (Truck) sales has been witnessing strong demand (up
42.6% in 10m FY 2015) on back of replacement demand (following two years of
deferment) and capacity addition by organized fleet operators to some extent. While the
M&HCV Truck segment seems to have bottomed out, the LCV Truck segment is still
experiencing sluggish trends (down13.8% YoY) as significant capacity addition over the
past few years and constrained financing environment amidst rising delinquencies remains
a challenge for the segment. The bus segment, which contributes nearly 13% to industry
sales, has also started witnessing an improvement from Q3 FY15 onwards after various
State Road Transport Undertakings (SRTUs) started placing orders for new buses as part
of the JNNURM II programme.
17

Operating environment for fleet operators is gradually improving

From fleet operators perspective, the operating environment over the past 6-9
months has also stabilized owing to sharp drop in diesel rates and relatively firm freight
rates, implying improvement in their cash flows. Our channel check with a wide spectrum
of fleet operators based in the Northern & Western markets suggest that fleet utilization
levels are gradually improving on back of higher load availability from some of the key
freight generating sectors such as Automobiles, Cement and other general industries. These
factors may also aid in improving the financing environment which has turned challenging
(at least for Small Fleet Operators (SFOs) and First Time Buyers (FTBs) on back of sharp
rising delinquency levels. Although asset quality indicators continued to deteriorate till Q3
FY 2015, most of the financiers expect that they are unlikely to deteriorate further. While
the overall environment seems to be improving, there are still pockets of challenges. For
instance, the demand for tippers is likely to remain subdued in view of delays in pick-up in
mining activities in the affected states and sizeable idle capacity. Secondly, the subdued
trend in re-sale values of second-hand vehicles (apart from ageing of existing fleet) suggest
that demand recovery is still in the initial stages. M&HCV segment is likely to post a
growth 12-14% in FY 2016
M&HCV (Truck) segment is likely to register a growth of 12-14% in FY 2016
driven by continuing trend towards replacement of ageing fleet and expectations of pickup in demand from infrastructure and industrial sectors in view of reforms being initiated
by the Government. Over the medium term, the demand for new CVs will also be driven
by gradual acceptance of advance trucking platforms, progression to BS-V emission norms
(possibly by 2017 onwards) and introduction of technologies such as Anti-Lock Braking
System (ABS), which may lead to some advance purchases by fleet operators.

CHAPTER 4

18

Data analysis and interpretation

TABLE NO:1
VEHICLES CURRENTLY OWNED BY THE TRANSPORTER
NUMBER OF
VEHICLES CURRENTLY OWNED RESPONDENTS

PERCENTAGE

EICHER

22

44%

TATA 407

16

36%

PARTNER

12

24%

TOTAL

50

100%

19

Chart: No.1
Vehicles currently owned by the transporter

120

100

80

NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS

60
50
44

PERCENTAGE

40
22
16

20

12

0
EICHER

TATA 407

PARTNER

TOTAL

20

Table no:2
Body length of the vehicle
Body length of vehicle

Number of respondents

Percentage

10 ft.

20

40%

11 ft.

14

24%

12 ft.

15

30%

Total

50

100%

21

Chart 2
Body length of vehicle

120
100
100

80

60

50

NUMBER OF
RESPONDENTS
PERCENTAGE

40
40

30
24

20
20

14

15

11 FT.

12 FT.

0
10 FT.

TOTAL

22

Table no:3
Type of load body used

Type of load body used

Number of respondents

Percentage

Half deck

36

72%

Container

14

28%

Total

50

100%

23

Chart 3
Type of body used

120

100
100

NUMBER OF
RESPONDENTS

80
72

60
50

40

36
28
PERCENTAGE

20

14

0
HALF DECK

CONTAINER

TOTAL

24

Table-4
Type of use
Type of use

Number of respondents

Percentage

Captive

37

74%

Contract

13

26%

Total

50

100%

25

Table-4
Type of use

120
100
100

80

72

NUMBER OF
RESPONDENTS

60
50
40

36
28

20

14
PERCENTAGE

26

Table-5
Feedback of existing vehicles from the fleet owners
Feedback of existing vehicles from the
fleet owners

Number of respondents

Percentage

Excellent

11

22%

Very good

21

42%

Good

18%

Fair

10%

Poor

8%

Total

50

100%

27

Chart-5

Feedback of existing vehicles from the fleet owners

120

100
100

80

60
50

NUMBER OF
RESPONDENTS

PERCENTAGE

42
40

22

21

18

20
11

10

9
5

8
4

28

Table-6
Year of purchase of the vehicles

Year of purchase of the vehicles

Number of respondents

Percentage

2005-2010

34

68%

2011-2015

16

32%

Total

50

100%

29

Chart-6
Year of purchase of the vehicles

120

100

100

80
68
NUMBER OF
RESPONDENTS

60
50

40

34

20

PERCENTAGE

32

16

0
2005-2010

2011-2015

TOTAL

30

Table-7
Type of load transported by the transporter
Type of load transported by the
transporter

Number of respondents

Percentage

Vegetables/fruits

24

48%

Fmcg

17

24%

Milk

18%

Industrial goods

0%

Machinery

0%

50

100%

Total

Chart-7
31

Application
120
100
100

80

60
50

48

NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS
40

PERCENTAGE
24

20

24
17

18
9
00

00

32

Table-8
Mileage of the vehicles (Total kilometers run)
Mileage of the vehicles (Total kilometers
run)

Number of respondents

Percentage

0-20000

18

36%

20001-40000

20

40%

40001-60000

12

24%

60001-80000

0%

80000 above

0%

50

100%

Total

33

CHART-8
Mileage of the vehicles (Total kilometers run)

120

100
100

80

60
50
40

20

36

18

PERCENTAGE

40

20

NUMBER OF
RESPONDENTS

24
12
0 0

0 0

34

Table-9
Preferred brand in the existing market

Preferred brand in the existing market

NUMBER OF

PERCENTAG

RESPONDENTS

TATA

31

62%

ASHOK LEYLAND

19

38%

TOTAL

50

100%

35

CHART-9
Preferred brand in the existing market

120

100
100

80

62

NUMBER OF
RESPONDENTS

60
50

PERCENTAGE

38

40
31
19

20

0
TATA

ASHOK LEYLAND

TOTAL

36

TABLE-10
Feedback from fleet owners towards the vehicle Partner
Comfortability on partner

Number of respondents

Percentage

Strongly satisfied

12

24%

Satisfied

23

46%

Niether satisfied nor dissatisfied

18%

Dissatisfied

12%

Strongly dissatisfied

0%

50

100%

Total

37

CHART-10
Feedback from fleet owners towards the vehicle Partner
120
100
100
80
60

50

46
40
24
20

12

23

18
9

NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS

12
0 0

PERCENTAGE

38

TABLE-11
Confidence on partner
Confidence on partner

Number of respondents

Percentage

Strongly satisfied

11

22%

Satisfied

21

42%

Niether satisfied nor dissatisfied

18%

Dissatisfied

10%

Strongly dissatisfied

8%

50

100%

Total

39

CHART-11
CONFIDENCE ON PARTNER
120

100
100

80

60
50
42

40

NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS
PERCENTAGE
22

21

18

20
11

10

9
5

8
4

40

Chart-12
Usage area

Usage area

Number of respondents

Percentage

Village

27

54%

City

23

46%

Total

50

100%

41

Chart-12
Usage area
120

100
100

80

60

NUMBER OF
RESPONDENTS

54
46

50

PERCENTAGE

40
27

23

20

0
VILLAGE

CITY

TOTAL

42

Table-13
Key buying factors for fleet owners

Key buying factors for fleet owners

PRICE

NUMBER OF

PERCENTAG

RESPONDENTS

E
27

54%

MILEAGE

14%

RESALE VALUE

18%

NUMBER OF TYRES

4%

TURNIG RADIUS

10%

50

100%

TOTAL

43

CHART-13
Key buying factors for fleet owners

120

100
100

80

60

54

50

NUMBER OF
RESPONDENTS
PERCENTAGE

40
27
20

18

14
7

10

9
2 4

0
PRICE MILEAGE RESALE NUMBER TURNIG TOTAL
VALUE OF TYRES RADIUS

44

TABLE-14
BRAND PREFERED TODAY
NUMBER OF
BRAND PREFERRED TODAY

RESPONDENTS

PERCENTAGE

TATA 407

17

34%

MAHINDRA D13200

18

36%

EICHER 1050

10

20%

EICHER 1055

8%

SML SARTAJ

2%

50

100%

TOTAL

45

CHART-14
BRAND PREFERED
120

100
100

80

60
50

NUMBER OF
RESPONDENTS
PERCENTAGE

40

20

36

34

17

20

18
10

8
4

1 2

46

TABLE-15
Payload capacity required by fleet owners
Payload capacity required by fleet
owners

Number of respondents

Percentage

3 ton

14

28%

4 ton

25

50%

5 ton above

11

22%

Total

50

100%

47

CHART-15
Payload capacity required by fleet owners

120

100
100

80

NUMBER OF
RESPONDENTS

60
50

50

PERCENTAGE

40
28
25
22
20
14
11

3 TON

4 TON

5 TON ABOVE

TOTAL

48

CHAPTER-5
5.1 FINDINGS:

It is for the first time that Ashok Leyland is launching a commercial vehicle in this
particular segment of commercial vehicles.

This particular segment has a huge potential for Ashok Leyland in the Indian commercial
vehicle sector.

Compared with other competitors, PARTNER has advanced technology in terms of engine
specifications, driver comfort and load bearing capacity.

From the data collected through the questionnaire, the customers expect more in the area
of mileage, pay load capacity, low maintenance costs and availability of spares.

This segment requires a lot of marketing at the local level to capture more market share in
this segment.

49

5.2 SUGESSIONS:

From the survey and details collected from the customers Ashok Leyland PARTNER
requires more advertisement for more market penetration and to make the customers
aware of the product.

As from the review taken by me many of the customers are preferring the brand
EICHER mainly because as far as their concern goes the resale value of the vehicle is
much higher and the availability of spares is easy and the maintenance of the vehicle is
less.

From the survey many of the customers are requesting regarding the delivery time of
vehicle because most of the companies are not delivering the vehicle on the agreed date,
i.e. the delivery of the vehicle at the time of purchase is delayed.

From my side I recommend you to focus on the side of establishing the product
PARTNER in the LCV segment because most of the customers are saying Ashok
Leyland is meant only for heavy trucks.

50

5.3 CONCLUSION:

Ashok Leyland is a huge brand and market leader in the commercial vehicles sector in
India since a long period of time has established itself on par with international standards
and has always given a tough fight to the competition in this sector.

Ashok Leyland has always been a great face of transportation sector in India and has
played a major role in the infrastructure development of India.

Ashok Leyland has given a great opportunity in my career to work with them and have
guided me and have supported me to complete my project successfully.

I would like to thank Mr.MohammedElias ,Mr.Parthasarathy and Mr.Sriram for

overwhelming support and guidance in the field of marketing , sales and helping me to
know about the upcoming market.

51

Bibliography
1. "Automotive Industry." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 17 Apr. 2016.
2. http://www.ibef.org/industry/india-automobiles.aspx, n.d. Web. 17 Apr. 2016.
3. "Automotive Industry in India." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 17 Apr.
2016.
4. http://indiainbusiness.nic.in/newdesign/index.php?param=industryservices_landing/329/1
, n.d. Web. 17 Apr. 2016.
5. https://www.b2bmarketing.net/, n.d. Web. 17 Apr. 2016.
6. http://www.marketing-schools.org/types-of-marketing/b2b-marketing.html, n.d. Web. 17
Apr. 2016.

52

QUESTIONNAIRE:
1.vehicles currently owned?
A) eicher
B) tata 407
C) partner

2.body length of the vehicle ?

A)10 ft.
B)11 ft.
C)12 ft.

3.type of load body used ?

A) half deck
B)container

4.type of use ?
A) captive
B)contract

5.rate your vehicle ?

A) excellent
B) very good
C) good
D) fair
E)poor

6.year of purchase ?
A) 2005-2010
B)2011-2015

53

7.application or type of load ?

A) vegetables/fruits
B) fmcg
C) milk
D) industrial goods
E)machinery

8.km's clocked or mileage ?

A) 0-20000
B) 20001-40000
C) 40001-60000
D) 60001-80000
E) 80000 above

9.preffered brand amongst the

market players ?
A) tata
B) ashok leyland

10.satisfaction on tata ?
A) strongly satisfied
B) satisfied
C) niether satisfied nor dissatisfied
D) dissatisfied
E) strongly dissatisfied

11.satisfaction on partner ?
A) strongly satisfied

54

B) satisfied
C) niether satisfied nor dissatisfied
D) dissatisfied
E) strongly dissatisfied

12.usage area or type of distance

travelled ?
A) national
B) city

13.key buying factors ?

A) price
B) mileage
C) resale value
D) number of tyres
E) turnig radius

14.brand preferred todays market

?
A) tata 407
B) mahindra d13200
C) eicher 1050
D) eicher 1055
E) sml sartaj

15. Payload capacity requirement ?

A) 3 ton
55

B) 4 ton
C) 5 ton above

56