Luxury carmakers in India are sharpening their focus on exclusivity and personalisation to deepen their engagement with the lucrative and burgeoning pool of affluent buyers.
By rolling out limited-edition variants and high-performance versions of core models, these automakers are not just seeking to unleash excitement and burnish brand prestige but also moving to unlock new, high-margin revenue streams in an intensely competitive marketplace.
Overall, luxury cars-models priced at more than ’50 lakh-scaled a record high of 51,500 units in FY25, according to industry estimates. However, at a 3.3% rise, it marked the slowest pace of growth in at least three years, largely due to economic uncertainties and stock market volatility. Sales had seen 16.7% growth in FY24 and 55.3% in the year before.
With wealthy customers increasingly seeking cars that symbolise their identity and status, automakers such as Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), and MINI are responding with a flurry of special editions and hyper-customised versions of existing models. Mercedes-Benz leads the luxury car segment with a more than 45% share, followed by BMW, JLR and Audi.
These innovations are spurred by the readiness of top-end customers to pay a premium for exclusivity.
This March, Tata Motors-owned JLR unveiled Defender Octa – a special edition version of the standard Defender. Priced at ₹2.59 crore-nearly 50% more than the equivalent regular model-the Octa offers exclusive paint shades, tailored interiors, and performance upgrades.
“These models combine high performance with finely crafted, bespoke interiors,” said Rajan Amba, MD, JLR India. “These vehicles act as halo products that elevate the entire brand,” Amba told ET.
“The strategy of launching limited and special edition models is a win-win for both the company as well as customers,” said Puneet Gupta, director at S&P Global Mobility. While it helps companies stretch the name plate lifecycle, buyers, on their part, retain that exclusivity – be it in terms of the overall look and feel, interiors or performance, he noted. “The high margins with minimal investments ensure that the cash registers keep ringing at the companies,” said Gupta.
Luxury brands are also enthused by India’s expanding base of high-net-worth individuals-those with over $10 million in assets.
The number of HNIs increased 6% to 85,698 last year, according to Knight Frank.
At Mercedes-Benz India, personalisation is fast becoming a core differentiator. “Hyper personalisation is an emerging trend among our top-end luxury customers and collectors,” said Santosh Iyer, MD & CEO, Mercedes-Benz India. “Our MANUFAKTUR range and special editions are witnessing unprecedented demand.”
All 25 units of the AMG G 63 Grand Edition, priced at ₹4 crore, sold out within minutes of launch, while the ₹4.2 crore Maybach SL 680 Monogram Series launched on March 17 this year, was fully booked the same evening it was announced. Later this month, the company is debuting an ‘India Inspired’ AMG G 63 ‘Collector’s Edition.’
BMW India is also leveraging limited editions to build emotional resonance with customers. “Limited editions fulfil bespoke aspirations perfectly. They celebrate heritage, milestones, and exclusivity,” said Vikram Pawah, president and CEO, BMW Group India.
“The BMW XM Label was limited to 500 units globally, with only one allocated to India-sold out on the day of launch,” he said.
