A Project Report On Consumer decision making model in auto mobile sector for social class (A case of Bareilly city)

For the partial fulfillment of the degree of PGDM, FROM LBSIMT, BAREILLY

Under guidance of:

SOMIYA MAM

submitted by:
Ashish kumra Ashutosh Vajpayee Manas sighal Pratyush kumar Shobna verma

Table of Content
1. Executive Summary 2. Introduction 3. Industry size 4. Objective of the study 5. Scope of the study 6. Research methodology 7. Limitation of the study 8. Finding and Analysis 10. Conclusion 11. Annexure 12.Bibliography

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT We would like to express our sincerest gratitude to the all those who were directly or indirectly helped us in completing the project. We also express our gratitude towards the entire faculty of LBSIMT, Bareilly who gave us their expert advice to enhance the quality of the project and gave us valuable insights for the project We give my specials thanks to Ms Somya Saxena our faculty member who appreciated and encouraged us to make the project in marketing and helped us while preparing the project report We are very grateful to our parents those helped us a lot in one or the other way in completion of our project and my friends also.

Executive Summary
The automobile industry today is the most lucrative industry. Due to the increase in disposable income in both rural and urban sector and easy finance being provided by all the financial institutes, the passenger car sales have increased. Further competition is heating up in the sector with a host of new players coming in and other like Porsche, Bentley, Audi, and BMW all set to venture in the Indian markets. This report attempts to answer some of the questions regarding Consumer decision making model in auto mobile sector for social class of selected cars in India by conducting the market research. The idea of measuring the customer satisfaction will serve the same purpose of determining the customer perception. Thus, by measuring the willingness of existing users of a car to recommend it to others will help the car manufacturers to chalk out the entire Customer Buying Behavior. This way these companies will be able to find their share in the ever-expanding Indian market pie.

The research will track the customer satisfaction in the following two layers:

y Product related Parameters y Dealers related parameters

The customer satisfaction index will be calculated for the auto mobile industry. It will be mainly a primary research and the information will be gathered from both primary and secondary research. The study will analyze the applicability of existing research concepts, theories, and tools for evaluating consumer satisfaction.

INTRODUCTION
It is true fact that if you are satisfied you recommended to others. Word of mouth and customer satisfaction play a very important role in determining market perception about an automobile. It is the market perception that determines the success of a company and so it is very important for the car manufacturers to measure the willingness of existing users of a product to recommend it to others. The same is a lot of interest to customers as well for it helps them make the purchase decision. A car is one of the most significant purchases that an Indian household makes and this project addresses the most important question that perplexes car manufacturers: What makes the perfect car that influence will willfully purchase? The project highlights the factors that influence the buying decision of a consumer. The factor under consideration would be:  Price  Income of the consumer  Features in the car  Safety standard  Warranty scheme  Finance facility

Is an Indian consumer ready for more? Which is the driving motive behind the effective demand of the car? How the coming of new models like swift does is going to effect the buying decision of consumer and especially the Tata 1 lakh car. In other words, from the spread of choices offered by various manufacturers under various segments, of which one the customer will finally turn the ignition on and drive. Customer satisfaction index: some of the most advance thinking in the business world recognizes that customer relationships are best treated as assets, and that methodical analysis of these relationships can provide a road map for improving them As one of the measurements of the performance of the quality management system, the organizations shall monitor information relating to customer perception as to whether the organization has met customer requirements. The method for obtaining and using this information shall be determined There is obviously a strong link between customer satisfaction and customer retention. Customers perception of service and quality of product will determine the success of the product or service in the market. With better understanding of customers satisfaction, companies can determine the actions required to meet the customers needs. They can identify their own strengths and weaknesses, where they stand in comparison to their competitors, chart out the path future progress and improvement. Customer satisfaction measurement helps to promote an increased focus on customer outcomes and stimulate improvements in the work practices and processes used within the company.

Customer expectations are the customer-defined attributes of your product or service. We cannot create satisfaction just by meeting customers requirements fully because these have to be met in any case. However falling short is certain to create dissatisfaction. Major attributes of customer satisfaction can be summarized as:  Product quality  Product packaging  Keeping delivery commitments  Price  Responsiveness and ability to resolve complaints and reject reports  Overall communication, accessibility and attitudes

Values

Benefits

Features

Attributes

We cannot begin to address the customer satisfaction issue we define the parameters and measures clearly. The customer satisfaction index represents the overall satisfaction level of that customer as one number, usually as a percentage

OVERVIEW OF THE AUTO SEGMENT

Indians have emerged as avid car enthusiasts sporting their prized possessions as status symbols and speed machines. Foreign car companies have discovered the Indian consumer as well as the R & D potential in the Indian technical fraternity and are setting up manufacturing plants right and left across the country at lower costs. The Indian automobile industry is currently experiencing an unprecedented boom in demand for all types of vehicles. This boom has been triggered primarily by two factors: (1) increase in disposable incomes and standards of living of middle class Indian families estimated to be as many as four million in number; and (2) The Indian government's liberalization measures such as relaxation of the foreign exchange and equity regulations, reduction of tariffs on imports, and banking liberalization that has fueled financing-driven purchases. Industry observers predict that passenger vehicle sales will triple in five years to about one million, and as the market grows and customer's purchasing abilities rise, there will be greater demand for higher-end models which currently constitute only a tiny fraction of the market. These trends have encouraged many multinational automakers from Japan, U. S. A., and Europe to enter the Indian market mainly through joint ventures with Indian firms. India is increasingly becoming a global automotive hub both for the vehicles and component industry. India is fast integrating itself into the world economy and open to international automotive companies, who are increasingly investing in India.

The Indian automotive and component industry is looking to increase the quality of production from existing levels, to develop new products and to increase exports. In the long run India is well set to become a key market for automotive and component manufacturers in terms of local demand and as a base for export. Additionally, companies such as GM, Daimler Chrysler, Toyota, Delphi and MICO/Bosch are utilizing Indias well developed IT / software capabilities and have set up R&D hubs here for their global operations

Industry Size
 The domestic Indian passenger car market (including utility vehicles) totaled 14,049,830 units (with a CAGR of 10 per cent over the past 4 years) while the exports were 130,000 million units (with a registered CAGR of 68 per cent over the past 4 years) during financial year 2011.  The Indian two-wheeler Industry is one of the largest in the world, and is expected to maintain robust growth in the future.  At the back of this phenomenal automotive growth is the success of the Indian auto component industry. Presently a US$ 6.7 billion industry, it is expected to almost treble in less than eight years time to US$ 17 billion by 2012.

 India offers a distinct technological and cost-competitive advantage, which global Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and automotive suppliers are leveraging for both manufacturing and research facilities. The passenger car market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 12.3 per cent over the next few years. Growth in the mid-size and premium car segments is expected to outpace the overall market growth.

Indian Automobile Industry

Automobile Industry in India is still in its infancy but growing rapidly. The opportunities in the automobile industry in India are attracting big names with the big purse and they are investing vigorously in infrastructure, design and development, and marketing. Automobile industry in India is today poised for the big leap.
y y y y

India is the 2nd largest two wheeler manufacturer in the world Second largest tractor manufacturer in the world 5th largest commercial manufacturer in the world 3rd largest car market in Asia, surpassing China in the process

Automobile industry Contributes 17% of the total indirect taxes collected by the exchequer & is a driver of product and process technologies, and has become a excellent manufacturing base for global players, because of its
y y y y y y

high machine tool capabilities Extremely capable component industry Most of the raw material locally produced Low cost manufacturing base Highly skilled manpower Special capability in supplying large volumes

Indian Automobile Manufacturers in India and Plant Locations

Domestic and Foreign Vehicle Manufacturers:

Passenger Vehicles
The main domestic manufacturers of passenger vehicles are as follows:
y y y y

Maruti Udyog Tata / Telco Mahindra / Mahindra Hindustan Motors

Foreign competitors manufacturing locally including Hyundai, Ford, General Motors, Honda, and Toyota. Car demand has seen a turnaround since mid 2001 thanks to heavy discounts and cheaper finance. A large number of new models, both locally assembled and imported, have also revitalized the market.

In terms of volumes: y The A/B segments are where Indias strength and future lies. The A/B segment accounts for over 65% of the total passenger vehicles produced. Competition in this segment is stiff with Maruti the market leader with around 55% market share. New models from Telco (Indica), Hyundai (Santro) and Fiat (Palio) however are eroding Marutis long standing dominance in this segment.

y The mid / luxury range is developing with the introduction of Ford (Ikon), Hyundai (Accent/Sonata) and Skoda (Octavia), although the volumes are not significant. y The UV segment remains sluggish with growth at just over 1%. The clear market leader, Mahindra (44% market share) posted increased sales of 9% in the first 3 quarters of 2002/03. Toyota and Telco domestic UV business remains flat.

Commercial Vehicles
The main Indian companies in the Commercial Vehicle segment are:
y y y y y

TATA Engineering and Locomotive Company (TELCO) Ashok Leyland Bajaj Tempo Ltd Eicher Motors Ltd Swaraj Mazda

There is only one international company currently manufacturing CVs in India, Volvo but again volumes are not large. Other global players are active, although in partnership with one of the domestic manufacturers E.g.:- IVECO (manufacturing their range of trucks in association with Ashok Leyland. There has been a significant turnaround in this segment over the last 18 months with over 30% growth being seen in terms of both production and sales. This sector has received a huge boost with Indias massive demand from the infrastructure sector (particularly roads), cyclical fleet replacement by fleet owners and an upturn in the cement and steel sectors. Maruti (JV of Suzuki), leading the market,

y Tata and M&M are the key players

a) Followed by Hyundai and Tata, together hold close to 75% of market

b) Daewoo stopped production, mainly due to financial issues 2 years back

Objectives of Study
The research objective is a statement, in as precise terminology as possible, of what information is needed. The research objective should be framed so that obtaining the information will ensure that the research purpose is satisfied. Research objective have three components.

Research question
The research question specifies the information the decision making needs. The responsibility of the researcher is to make the researcher question as specific and precise as possible. The researcher question asks what specific information is required to achieve the research purpose, or answer the research problem. If the research questions are answered by the research, then the information should aid the decision maker.

Development of hypothesis
A hypothesis is a possible answer to a question. Development of hypotheses implies generating basically alternative answers to research questions. The research determines which of these alternative answers is correct. It is not always possible to develop hypotheses, but efforts should be made.

Scope or boundaries of the research

Defining the scope of the research or the research boundaries ensures the desired precision or accuracy of the result. The researchers responsibility is to restate the initial variables associated with the decision problem, that is convert the research problem, in the form of one or more key question formatsy How y What y Where y When y Why

Objectives of the Research

The research objectives for the project undertaken can be defined as follows: y To determine the demographic variables of the customers of different brands of cars.

y Examine the customer perception about the cars. y To judge the satisfaction level of car owners of different brands. y The research tracks responses at following two layers 1. Product related parameters 2. Dealer related parameters

y To analyze the psychographic variables of the customers of different brand of the cars.

Scope of the study

It is aimed to study the car market and buying behavior of the customer. The project is analyzed the demographic, psychographic and buying characteristics of the customers in buying the car. It includes the detailed study of customers focusing on the various parameters that lead to identifying and understanding the perception of the customer in buying the car brands.

Research Methodology
A research process consists of stages or steps that guide the project from its conception through the final analysis, recommendations and ultimate actions. The research process provides a systematic, planned approach to the research project and ensures that all aspects of the research project are consistent with each other. This research aims understand the research methodology establishing a framework of evaluation and revaluation of primary and secondary research. The techniques and concepts used during primary research in order to arrive at findings; which are also dealt with and lead to a logical deduction towards the analysis and results.

RESEARCH DESIGN
We propose to first conduct a intensive secondary research to understand the full impact and implication of the industry, to review and critique the industry norms and reports, on which certain issues shall be selected, which we feel remain unanswered or liable to change, this shall be further taken up in the next stage of exploratory research. This stage shall help me to restrict and select only the important question and issue, which inhabit growth and segmentation in the industry.

RESEARCH PROCESS
The research process has four distinct yet interrelated steps for research analysis It has a logical and hierarchical ordering:  Determination of information research problem.  Development of appropriate research design.  Execution of research design.  Communication of results.

Each step is viewed as a separate process that includes a combination of task , step and specific procedure. The steps undertake are logical, objective, systematic, reliable, valid, impersonal and ongoing.

EXPLORATORY RESEARCH
The method I used for exploratory research was Primary Data Secondary data

PRIMARY DATA
New data gathered to help solve the problem at hand. As compared to secondary data which is previously gathered data. An example is information gathered by a questionnaire. Qualitative or quantitative data that are newly collected in the course of research, Consists of original information that comes from people and includes information gathered from surveys, focus groups, independent observations and test results. Data gathered by the researcher in the act of conducting research. This is contrasted to secondary data which entails the use of data gathered by someone other than the researcher information that is obtained directly from first-hand sources by means of surveys, observation or experimentation. Primary data is basically collected by getting questionnaire filled by the respondents.

SECONDARY DATA
Information that already exists somewhere, having been collected for another purpose. Sources include census reports, trade publications, and subscription services. Data that have already been collected and published for another research project (other than the one at hand). There are two types of secondary data: internal and external secondary data. Information compiled inside or outside the organization for some purpose other than the current investigation. Data that have already been collected for some purpose other than the current study. Researching information which has already been published. Market information compiled for purposes other than the current research effort; it can be internal data, such as existing sales-tracking information, or it can be research conducted by someone else, such as a market research company or the U.S. government. Published, already available data that comes from pre-existing sets of information, like medical records, vital statistics, prior research studies and archival data. Secondary source of data used consists of books and websites

we proposal is to first conduct a intensive secondary research to understand the full impact and implication of the industry, to review and critique the industry norms and reports, on which certain issues shall be selected, which I feel remain unanswered or liable to change, this shall be further taken up in the next stage of exploratory research.

DATA COLLECTION
Data collection took place with the help of filling of questionnaires. The questionnaire method has come to the more widely used and economical means of data collection. The common factor in all varieties of the questionnaire method is this reliance on verbal responses to questions, written or oral. We found it essential to make sure the questionnaire was easy to read and understand to all spectrums of people in the sample. It was also important as researcher to respect the samples time and energy hence the questionnaire was designed in such a way, that its administration would not exceed 4-5 mins. These questionnaires were personally administered. The first hand information was collected by making the people fill the questionnaires. The primary data collected by directly interacting with the people. The respondents were contacted at shopping malls, markets, places that were near to showrooms of the consumer durable products etc. The data was collected by interacting with 50 respondents who filled the questionnaires and gave me the required necessary information. The respondents consisted of house wives, students, business men, professionals etc. the required information was collected by directly interacting with these respondents.

DETERMINATION THE SAMPLE PLAN AND SAMPLE SIZE TARGET POPULATION

It is a description of the characteristics of that group of people from whom a course is intended. It attempts to describe them as they are rather than as the describer would like them to be. Also called the audience the audience to be served by our project includes key demographic information (i.e.; age, sex etc.).The specific population intended as beneficiaries of a program. This will be either all or a subset of potential users, such as adolescents, women, rural residents, or the residents of a particular geographic area. Topic areas: Governance, Accountability and Evaluation, Operations Management and Leadership. A population to be reached through some action or intervention; may refer to groups with specific demographic or geographic characteristics. The group of people you are trying to reach with a particular strategy or activity. The target population is the population I want to make conclusions about. In an ideal situation, the sampling frames to matches the target population. A specific resource set that is the object or target of investigation. The audience defined in age, background, ability, and preferences, among other things, for which a given course of instruction is intended. We have selected the sample trough Simple random Sampling

SAMPLE SIZE:
This involves figuring out how many samples one need. The numbers of samples you need are affected by the following factors: y Project goals y How you plan to analyze your data y How variable your data are or are likely to be y How precisely you want to measure change or trend y The number of years over which you want to detect a trend y How many times a year you will sample each point y How much money and manpower you have

SAMPLE SIZE
We have targeted 50 people in the age group above 21 years for the purpose of the research. The sample size is influenced by the target population. The target population represents the BAREILLY regions. . The people were from different professional backgrounds. The details of our sample are explained in chapter named primary research where the divisions are explained in demographics section.

SAMPLING TECHNIQUE
Simple random sampling technique has been used to select the sample A simple random sample is a group of subjects (a sample) chosen from a larger group (a population). Each subject from the population is chosen randomly and entirely by chance, such that each subject has the same probability of being chosen at any stage during the sampling process. This process and technique is known as Simple Random Sampling, and should not be confused with Random Sampling.

Research Design
Research design is a conceptual structure within which research is conducted. A research design is the detailed blueprint used to guide a research study towards its objective. It is a series of advanced decision taken together comprising a master plan or a model for conducting the research in consonance with the research objectives. Research design is needed because it facilitates the smooth sailing of the various research operations, thereby making research as efficient as possible yielding maximum information with the minimum effort, time and money.

Limitations of the study

y All the research projects are hindered in their smooth flow by some unforeseen problems. The problems arise in the form of constraints by budget, time and scope of the study. The current project was also faced by certain problem. Some of the problems faced in the course of the research are as follows:

y A strong unwillingness on the part of the owners of various cars, to participate and aid the research.

y The boredom and wavering concentration that set in among the respondents while answering the long questionnaire: thus in turn led to the difficulty of preventing incomplete questionnaires.

y Sampling error: the research include a sample size of 50 customers which is not enough to determine the brand perception of the consumers for buying the cars. Since its not a census survey there is always a chance of error while extrapolating the results of a sample study over the population especially in those researches where the qualitative aspects are concerned. So its always doubtful to map the qualitative aspects using a quantitative measure.

y The study was limited to the geographical region of BAREILLY.

Finding and Analysis

Q1- Gender group?
-Male -Female

Interpretation:
From the research we came to know that in Bareilly region cars are less preferred by the womens as they prefer scooty more than the cars.

Q2- Age Group?

-21-25 -25-30 -30-35 -35 and above

Interpretation:
From the above data we can analyse that people from age group 25 and above are more inclined towards the cars,rather than age group from 21 to 25.

Q3- Annual Family income?

-2-3L -3-5L -5-7L -above 7L

Interpretation:
Above Interpretation shows that people from income above 7 lakh have more ability to purchase the car and income group from 3-5 lakh also have the capability to buy the car as the various automobile industry provide various schemes so as middle class segment can also afford it.

Q4- Which brand of car you purchased?

-Maruti -Hyundai -Tata -Chevrolet -Other

Interpretation:
From the above research we analyzed that Maruti is the most preferred car by the customers.

Q5- Why you bought your present car?

-increase in disposable income. -suits your lifestyle and personality -Need recognition at family level

Interpretation:
While buying a car, dealers choice play a very important role in deciding the company and models choice. So dealers act as influencers on the complete buying behavior of the prospective customers.so mainly customers are satisfied.

Q6- Please rates your existing car?

1- Highly dissatisfied 2- Dissatisfied 3- Neutral 4- Satisfied 5- Highly satisfied

Interpretation:
From the above interpretation we came to know, that all the auto mobile company provides the best services to their customers, so the customers are satisfied by the company.

Q7- Please rate your existing car in terms of understated Safety features on a scale of 1 to 5
Safety Parameters Crossbar under Dashboard Air Bags Anti-Lock Breaking System Aerodynamic Shape Intensity of front lights
.

Interpretation:

As one can see most of the respondents are quite happy with the safety parameters of their respective cars. However, one striking point observed here are that almost every car fares neutral on the safety parameters.

Q8- Please rate your existing car in terms of following parameters Parameter
Fuel Consumption Mileage ( Km/ltr) Pick Up Stability at higher speed Top speed

Interpretation:
The customer choice of the car highly depends upon the performance and maintenance costs of the car. This is the reason why this class of parameter was chosen for this study. And the results show that Marutis the best car in its segment as most fuel efficient car of all. So this segment shows a mixed bag of response for the Fuel efficiency and mileage parameter. TATA performs consistently on all the parameters and chevrolet fares really well on pick up whereas it fares badly on fuel consumption.

Q9-Please rate your Dealer on the understated parameters.

1 2 3 4 5 Highly Satisfied Satisfied Neutral Dissatisfied Highly Dissatisfied

Interpretation:
While buying a car, dealers choice play a very important role in deciding the company and models choice. So dealers act as influencers on the complete buying behavior of the prospective customers.so mainly customers are satisfied.
.

Q10- Will you recommend your car to your friends?

y Yes y No

Interpretation:
It seems logical that satisfied customers will someday become loyal customers, in other words there is a positive correlation between customer satisfaction scores and customer buying behavior. If a customer rates the car very high in satisfying his or her needs, the car manufacturer should expect more referrals and this is reflected in the analysis that customers say that they will refer their car to their friends even if they move to other segment or other brand.

Q11- will you buy your new car in the

y Same segment , same manufacturer y Same segment, different manufacturer y Upper segment, same manufacturer y Upper segment, different manufacturer

Interpretation:
The analysis shows that most people when moving to upper segment will prefer a different manufacturer. And the next striking finding is that the customers will prefer both same and different manufacturers in the B segment cars and there is not much difference in the C segment also. This behavior is complex to understand as this are the customers who have given whopping response for recommending their car to their friends. Its the reason why brand perception is so difficult to understand.

Conclusion
Vibrant Indian Economy Automotive Industry showing double digit growth in all segments India becoming Global and Regional hub or lead country for vehicle programmers Vision 2020 Growing engineering and IT capability for manufacturing Auto Component Industry :Culturally compatible-Quality, Experience and Values Opportunity to partner in product & process innovation The Indian automobile industry has flourished like never before in the recent years. this extra ordinary growth that the Indian automobile industry has witnessed is a result of a two major factors namely, the improvement in the living standards of the middle class, and an increase in their disposable incomes.

ANNEXURE
Q1- Gender group?
-Male -Female

Q2- Age Group?

-21-25 -25-30 -30-35 -35 and above

Q3- Annual Family income?

-2-3L -3-5L -5-7L -above 7L

Q4- Which brand of car you purchased?

-Maruti -Hyundai -Tata -Chevrolet -Other

Q5- Why you bought your present car?

-increase in disposable income. -suits your lifestyle and personality -Need recognition at family level

Q6- Please rates your existing car?

1- Highly dissatisfied 2- Dissatisfied 3- Neutral 4- Satisfied 5- Highly satisfied

Q7- Please rate your existing car in terms of understated Safety features on a scale of 1 to 5
Safety Parameters Crossbar under Dashboard Air Bags Anti-Lock Breaking System Aerodynamic Shape Intensity of front lights 1 2 3 4 5

Q8- Please rate your existing car in terms of following parameters Parameter
Fuel Consumption Mileage ( Km/ltr) Pick Up Stability at higher speed Top speed

Q9-Please rate your dealer : 1- Highly dissatisfied 2- Dissatisfied 3- Neutral 4- Satisfied 5- Highly satisfied

Q10- Will you recommend your car to your friends?

y Yes y No

Q11- will you buy your new car in the

y Same segment , same manufacturer y Same segment, different manufacturer y Upper segment, same manufacturer y Upper segment, different manufacturer

BIBLOGRAPHY
Sites Visited -

www.siamindia.com www.autocarindia.com www.overdrive.com www.hyundai.co.in www.ibef.org

www.maruti.co.in www.tatamotors.com