Land Rover's Southeast Asia partner hungry to get into Myanmar
Land Rover vehicles in the hundreds have found their way into Myanmar over the past year as the country has opened up. Now Jaguar Land Rover's partner for Southeast Asia is laying the groundwork for its first official foray into the territory.
Discussions are under way with three potential dealership partners in Myanmar and official sales should begin in 2013, Dale Jones, chief executive officer of Guava International, said at the 29th Thailand Motor Expo.
"Everyone's trying to understand what is the right way to compete, how do you set up business. The market is changing very quickly, (there are) a lot of new policies in place. We see that as an excellent opportunity," Jones said.
Jaguar Land Rover is owned by Ratan Tata-led Tata Motors Ltd.
Myanmar, for half a century a pariah state, began a series of reforms when its junta stepped aside in 2011. With the suspension of Western sanctions and a new investment law, the country, strategically situated between economic powerhouses China and India, is becoming a magnet for overseas firms.
The government started a "cars for clunkers" system late last year, allowing people to trade in old cars for licences allowing them to purchase models built no earlier than 1995.
Guava International, which operates Jaguar Land Rover sales and services across more than 60 countries in Europe, Asia and Africa, has seen sales in Thailand this year outperform overall growth in the luxury car sector.
Year-on-year sales of the high-end Range Rover model are up 60 percent compared to an estimated 15
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