Published On : Thu, Aug 27th, 2015

Mahindra First Choice Services inaugurates first franchise workshop in Vidarbha

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Plans to set up 10 multi-brand car service workshops in Maharashtra by March 2016

from L-R, Mr Sachin Jirapure,Mr Alok Kapoor ,Mr Prafulla Rewatkar, Mr Dharmraj Rewatkar
Nagpur:
Mahindra First Choice Services (MFCS), India’s leading chain of multi-brand car service workshops, has added yet another feather to its cap with the inauguration of its first Franchisee Owned Franchisee Operated (FOFO) workshop in Nagpur, Maharashtra. Its pan-India workshop network now stands at 77. This workshop is said to be the first in Vidarbha.

Head of Marketing and Franchise Business, Mahindra First Choice Services Alok Kapoor inaugurated the workshop which is located at E-4/2, MIDC, Industrial Area, HingnaWadi Road, Nagpur, Maharashtra.

While speaking to the media personnel at a press meet, Alok Kapoor said that Mahindra First Choice Services is a 100 % subsidy of Mahindra and Mahindra.

According to Alok Kapoor, there are about 2.8 crore cars on roads in India and around 6.5 crore vehicles requiring maintenance or servicing per month costing around Rs 20,600 crores.

While explaining how these Multi Brand Organized Service Centres offer better service is by the following:

  • Catering to the rapid increase of Car population
  • Fulfilling customer expectations
  • Technological improvements
  • Changing Socio-economic scenario
  • Increasing geographical penetration

“Our business model for franchisees has received a strong response in the westand this is what has prompted us to expand our presence further in the region. With its strong focus on customer service and knowledge of the local market, our new franchise workshop atNagpurwill help us further build on our existing presence in the state,” said Kapoor.

“We are proud to be associated with Mahindra First Choice Services, India’s leader in multi-brand car servicing and look forward to a strong and enduring partnership with the company. The brand is associated with trust and credibility in the country. Our trained technicians coupled with MFCS’s innovative car service products will provide great value when it comes to the complete car care needs of each and every car owner,” said Managing Director of Khamla Motors Prafulla D. Rewatkar.

“We see great potential for the multi-brand car servicing business in this market. Nationally, we intend to close the next fiscal with 200+ FOFO workshops. This will help us enhance the scale and depth of our operations and enable us to reach a greater number of potential customers across the country,” continued Kapoor.

MFCS will operatethrough its hub based in Nagpur,where it will be scaling up operations through multiple workshops. The company’s franchise workshops will capitalize on the MFCS brand and deploy a robust business model for sustained higher financial returns.

Mr. Alok Kapoor, Head – Marketing& Franchise Business, Mahindra First Choice Services addressig the media and other dignitaries on stage.
“At present, the Maharashtra market is underserved and customers have limited options for their car maintenance requirements. With its skilled technicians, genuine spare parts, state-of-the-art equipment and robust processes, MFCS will fill the lacuna in this market,” added Kapoor.

Mahindra First Choice Services which was established in 2008, pioneered the concept of multi-brand car service workshops and has since serviced 300,000 cars. At present, it has 75 workshops, including 22company-owned facilities. The company’s goal is to have 500 workshops by 2018 and it is investing more than Rs 250 crore over five years to create infrastructure and expand its network to achieve this goal. In order to supply parts to the workshops, the company is also planning to increase its all-India cluster warehouse network from the present 15 to 40.

At MFCS, customers can save between 10 and 20 per cent on car servicing costs as compared to authorized service centers of several car brands. The company is able to provide car service facilities at competitive rates as it sources the parts in bulk from original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).

For a car service provider, a strong spares supply chain and technical training are the two most essential elements. With 75 existing workshops and over 300,000 cars serviced, MFCS believes that it has a very strong proposition for the franchisee. The company offers a simplified business model in multi-brand car servicing with a robust supply chain for spare parts through its cluster warehouse. Each cluster warehouse supplies parts as per the daily requirements of FOFOs and COCOs, thus reducing the need to maintain huge inventories at workshops.

Each MFCS workshop uses quality spares procured at competitive rates and follows stringent quality measures including a mandatory 60 point “First Choice First Check” on every car. MFCS also provides hassle-free cashless insurance facility with leading insurance companies and a convenient free booking service for customers. Car owners can book a service either by calling the workshop or the toll free number 1800-22-4008 or through the MFCS website, www.mahindrafirstchoiceservices.com. The company has a strong digital presence through its website and offers various innovative features like the recently launched, first-of-its-kind online car dent estimator tool.