French carmaker Renault has entered into a partnership with CSC Grameen eStore, a subsidiary of CSC eGovernance Services India Ltd (CSC-SPV), with the aim to strengthen its rural presence and move closer to customers in remote areas.
As part of the partnership, Renault India’s leading product range will be listed on the CSC Grameen eStore and made available to potential customers in the hinterlands through village-level entrepreneurs (VLEs), according to a statement.
CSC Grameen eStore is an eCommerce initiative by CSC (under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology) to promote digital ordering and delivery in rural areas.
“We see tremendous potential in the rural markets and are aggressively pursuing an innovative and comprehensive strategy to amplify and grow our presence in Rural India. We curated the ‘sons of the soil’ strategy, wherein we recruited 500 educated youngsters from rural and small towns, trained them and put them as rural sales engineers to market Renault cars. This is yet another initiative to enhance our reach within the country and create a strong network in the rural market,” said Venkatram Mamillapalle, Country CEO & Managing Director, Renault India Operations.
To facilitate smooth rural e-commerce, Renault will build a mechanism that will facilitate the supply of its products to VLEs, who will help list the products on select CSC Grameen eStores. The VLEs will further promote, generate enquiries, and facilitate sale to end-customers in rural areas through the support of respective Renault-authorised dealerships.
“Through this initiative, VLEs are playing a critical role in connecting producers and companies with rural consumers right at their doorsteps. Partnering with Renault will allow the Grameen eStore to have its first four-wheeler brand, while providing customers in rural areas easy access to its great products and services,” said Dinesh Tyagi – CEO, CSC SPV.
Renault India recently launched a new initiative ‘Rural Float’, a fully functional mobile showroom, that aims to provide the complete Renault experience to existing and potential customers in more than 360 towns across the country, especially in the rural markets across India.
