DC Design, the design firm headed by Dilip Chhabria and noted for its concept cars, prototypes and stylised vehicles for celebrities, is now seeking a wider audience for its vehicles after the tremendous response to its locally developed sports car ? the R30-lakh DC Avanti that will be mass produced at its Talegaon plant in Pune soon.
Unlike other players that develop platforms for their cars first, DC Design has decided to adopt a reverse strategy. The company plans to approach other car makers who have already developed their own platforms, offering specialised body designs. ?Developing our own platform is an expensive proposition. We already have the Avanti in our stable. Once the Avanti is on the roads and the credibility of the company is established, we would approach manufacturers who have engineered their own platforms and offer solutions for body design,? Chhabria said.
He was quick to add that the company would not be in the mass market as it is generally known, but would rather be known as a niche player that mass produces cars. ?We would like to be present in a space that mass manufacturers because of scale of operations,? he said.
DC Avanti, which was showcased at the New Delhi Auto Expo 2012, is slated for launch during the second half of 2013, and will be manufactured at the Talegaon plant near Pune with an outlay of R60 crore. ?We would be building capacities for a plant that could make about 1,000 cars a year. As of now, DC Design has received 300 bookings for the Avanti,? he said.
The company also has plans to enter the aviation and marine sectors and is planning a joint venture with aircraft maintenance firm Air Works India for refurbishing and designing executive jets and helicopters.
?The modalities are being worked out for the joint venture and we would be able to showcase our first prototype at the forthcoming air show at Hyderabad on March 15,? Chhabria said. ?This prototype could provide an interface with the customer following which further plans could be finalised. This vertical does not exist in India and we are hoping to create one,? he added. The company is also in talks with another Indian player, who Chhabria declined to name, for designing yachts.
?We have been approached by a company that could like to make 10-12 yachts a year and they have approached us for the design,? he said. DC Design plans to shift its existing facility to its Talegaon plant where it intends to work on the Avanti, the yachts and also work on the aircraft.
The company?s DC brand of showrooms custom design the interiors of cars. Most car owners who approach DC Design are willing to pay for the exclusivity.
These showrooms present at Delhi, Chennai and Hyderabad have custom design kits for several cars including the Innova and Fortuner. These could cost the customer upwards of R5 lakh to R8 lakh depending on the options. There are plans to add the Tata Aria and Mahindra XUV 500 in the next three months. New showrooms would also be coming up at Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Chandigarh and Bangalore soon.