The economy might be experiencing a slowdown, but Eco Rent a Car, one of India’s well known premium car rental companies, does not seem to think so as it recently partnered with leading American personal care and glamour brand Estee Lauder to launch two co-branded stretched limousines in Delhi and Mumbai.
Speaking at the Delhi launch event, Rajesh Loomba, Director, Eco Rent a Car, expressed his confidence that the top segment of the Indian retail market would not let the slowdown get in the way of their spending on experiential travel products such as traveling in a limousine and getting a feel of celebrity status. In his opinion, the premium car user segment is unaffected by recessions.
The timing of the launch is significant, with the Indian wedding season just around the corner. Chrysler Limousine (manufacturer of the limousines) and Estee Lauder are trying to find common consumers in the Indian wedding segment, where a dash of glamour and class has become an essential ingredient of wedding celebrations and a great experience for the bride and groom. The company has also introduced the innovative concept of a “Surprise Drive” package, wherein you can gift a limousine drive to a client, fiancé, parents, relatives and other loved ones.
Mr Loomba further added that the limousine is customisable to offer the services that clients require and can also be accompanied with wine, flowers, cake, or balloons. He mentioned that the company was experiencing unprecedented demand for its limousines in the Delhi/NCR region, with a major attraction being that the car was an authentic American limousine from Chrysler Corporation and not some local-made version of a car here. Wedding organisers have been in touch with the company to make bookings many months in advance, with clientele including elite socialites, urban youth, corporates, embassies and hotels. He was confident that the limousine would replace the traditional doli in this segment.
Apart from attracting attention on the lines a celebrity would, the experience in itself is meant to be very memorable. It begins with a red carpet welcome to the Chrysler stretch limousine, which is equipped with mood lighting, three LCD screens playing current videos, a stock of non-alcoholic beverages, a refrigerator, and a glassware set. The fully insulated passenger cabin can accommodate up to eight people and it also has an electric privacy divider from the driver area and a hands-free phone to communicate with the chauffeur.
Mr Loomba explained that the acquisition and maintenance cost of the limousines was prohibitive for most individuals, hence the company had started this experience at an affordable amount. The company also offers customised deals for occasions such as weddings, photo/video shoots, and displaying at other events. Eco Rent a Car plans to import more such super luxury vehicles and will offer these at its outlets in major Indian cities including Hyderabad, Bangalore, Pune, Chandigarh and Chennai.
The limousines will be parked in prominent locations in Delhi and Mumbai. The wedding packages start at Rs. 51000 for four hours for a decorated limousine, and they will also be available for hire at a starting rate of Rs.30000 for a four-hour nightlife or corporate package and Rs 6000 for each extra hour and 10 km.
