Understanding
Understanding
the influence of Internet on the
purchase decision of
Research commissioned by:
Research conducted by:

Contents
Introduction 1
Methodology 2
Industry Background 3
Auto Industry Structure 5
Demographic And Internet Usage Profiling 11
Looking For Information Online 19
Advertising On The Internet 27
Profiling By Car Segment 32
Auto Industry - Looking Ahead 38
Research commissioned by Yahoo! India and eTechnology Group@IMRB

Introduction
• Internet is changing the way consumers The report further tries to explore and
go about buying their products of understand the following:
choice. It is giving rise to new channels
& new models of business. - The automobile category structure.
• As a result, there may emerge a gap - The role of Internet as a search and
between consumer behavior & comparison tool.
advertiser understanding on the
usefulness of this new medium. - Perception of consumers about online
auto advertising.
• This report therefore tries to understand
the role & influence of Internet on - Triggers & barriers related to the use
purchase behavior of consumers of Internet for accessing information
interacting with this category. on autos by non-users.
Research commissioned by Yahoo! India and eTechnology Group@IMRB
Introduction 1

Methodology
• This project has been carried out in two The survey was conducted in 4 cities -
phases, comprising of the qualitative Delhi, Mumbai, Pune & Ahmedabad. A total
phase and the quantitative phase. of 685 active Internet users were
interviewed. The sample of 685 included
• The qualitative phase included in-depth three different profiles of people in terms
analysis of ACMA (Automotive of their Internet usage. 154 respondents
Component Manufacturers Association) were those who had searched for
and SIAM (Society of Indian Automobile information on automobiles online. 253
Manufacturers) publications and other people had looked for information online
articles published on the Internet. on products other than automobiles. Rest
278 people were the ones who had never
• The quantitative phase comprised of ever looked for any product information
face-to-face structured interviews with online.
a sample of recent car buyers &
intenders, classified on the basis of how
they use Internet for looking for
information on autos.
Research commissioned by Yahoo! India and eTechnology Group@IMRB
2 Methodology

Automobile industry has evolved over the years
Introduction Reformation Deregulation & Growth Export Orientation
• 1942 & 1944: Hindustan • First phase of policy • Second phase of • 2000-01: Euro I & II
Motors and Premier liberalisation liberalisation emission norms enforced
Automobiles started
• Entry of foreign • 1991: Abolition of • JVs with foreign firms
• 1953-55: Government collaborations License Regime for exports
decree to allow only
firms manufacturing • 1983: Maruti Udyog • 1991-92: New mass • Tata Indica in UK
locally, 7 approved started as JV with Suzuki emission norms
• Bajaj & Hero Honda 2
• 1960s & 1970s: • A total of 5 automobile • 1993: Lower customs wheelers in Latin America
Establishment & growth manufacturers in India duties on components
of 2 wheelers • Maruti loses ground to
• 1993-00: Industry grows foreign players
at over 25%
• Consumers upgrade
• 1997: National Highway from 2 wheelers to 4
Policy wheelers and from
economy to higher-end
• Several JVs with foreign 4 wheelers
firms
• 2004: Car sales
cross 1 mn
1928-1983 1983-1990 1991-1999 2000 onwards
Source: CITGE Paper, Auto Junction - IndiaMart
Research commissioned by Yahoo! India and eTechnology Group@IMRB
Industry Background 3

Indian automobile sector in top gear
• Leading the Pack like Tata Motors putting renewed focus
The Indian automobile industry is one of behind CVs. The Indian automobile
the largest automobile markets in the industry also boasts of component
world. It is the largest three wheeler manufacturers of global level, like Bharat
market in the world, apart from being the forge, Sona, etc.
second largest two-wheeler market in the
world. It also is the fourth largest • Largest market in the world by 2050
passenger-vehicle market in Asia. India overtook Italy in ’04 and is likely to
overtake Germany by 2010 and Japan by
• All aspects of Indian auto business is 2012. The Goldman Sachs (BRIC) Report
thriving predicts sales of 1 million+ every year
Car players are banking on huge growth through 2050. There is a huge potential, as
with international majors ramping up the penetration of cars is one of the lowest
production. The two-wheeler market is in India with just over 6 cars per 1000
seeing astronomical growth (Hero Honda population, as compared to 230 in Malaysia.
and Bajaj: world’s largest). Commercial
vehicles are also on the rise with companies
Source: EIU Country Briefing, Asia Times, SIAM
Research commissioned by Yahoo! India and eTechnology Group@IMRB
4

Market segmentation
Mini Compact Mid Size Exec Premium Luxury Multi- Utility
Purpose Vehicle
Vehicle
Vehicle <3400mm 3401-4000 4001-4500 4501-4700 4701-5000 >5001
Length
Maruti Udyog Maruti 800, Zen, Esteem Baleno Gypsy, Vitara
Alto, Omni Wagon R, Versa
Alto, Swift
Tata Motors Indica Indigo Sumo Sierra Safari
Hyundai Motors Santro Accent Elantra Sonata Terracan
Getz Tuscon
Ford Fusion Ikon Mondeo Endeavor
Honda City Accord CRV
Toyota Corolla Camry Qualis Innova
General Motors Corsa Sail, Corsa, Aveo Optra Vectra Tavera Forester
Swing
Skoda Octavia Superb
Mahindra Armada, Scorpio
Bolero
Fiat Palio2 Sienna
Mercedes C,S
Class
Source: Company Websites, Literature Review
Research commissioned by Yahoo! India and eTechnology Group@IMRB
Auto Industry Structure 5

B & C segments are becoming very cluttered and competitive
Price Points
New category Maruti–Vitara, Tata Safari, Ford
Endeavour, MM Scorpio, GM-
SUV Forester, Honda CRV, Hyundai
–Teraccan, HM-Pajero
Ford Mondeo, Chevrolet
Optra, Toyota Corolla &
10l + Camry, HM-Lancer, Honda
Seg D Accord, Hyundai Sonata
Maruti–Baleno, Fiat Palio Adventure, Opel
6.5l - 10l Astra, Chevrolet Optra, Toyota Qualis,
Seg C Corolla, HM-Lancer, Honda City, Hyundai
Accent , Skoda
Maruti-Alto, Wagon R, Zen, Gypsy, Esteem, Versa
Tata-Indica, Indigo, Sumo Fiat Palio, Sienna Ford
Ikon, Opel Corsa, Toyota Qualis, HM-Ambassador,
3.5l – 6.5l Contessa, Hyundai Santro & Accent
Seg B
Cluttered &
Competitive mkt.
Maruti-800, Alto, Omni, Wagon R, Zen,
Tata Indica, Fiat Uno Hyundai-Santro
Up to 3.5l HM-Ambassador, Trekker, Pushpak, Porter
Seg A Car Models
Research commissioned by Yahoo! India and eTechnology Group@IMRB
6

A peep into the future car launches
– Segment wise
Mini Compact Mid Size Exec Premium Luxury
Vehicle <3400mm 3401-4000 4001-4500 4501-4700 4701-5000 >5001
Length
Maruti Udyog Sub 1 lakh New look Nissan cars
car Zen (Aug 2006) (end of 2006
Swift (Diesel) – through
alliance)
Tata Motors Indica revision
Ford Focus
Fiat Panda Palio
(new )
Toyota Aygo Passo
General Motors Chevrolet
Spark
Skoda
Mahindra-Renault Logan(2007) Ingenio
(MPV)
Others Mitsubishi Nissan
Carisma Altima,
BMW3,
Daimler
Chrysler
Actros
Source: Company Websites, Literature Review
Research commissioned by Yahoo! India and eTechnology Group@IMRB
7

Thus…
• Mini segment has begun to slow.
• Compact segment growing, becoming entry segment.
• Mid-size segment is fastest growing, with upgrading consumers. More new product launches
planned than any other segment.
• 'Non-sedan' cars, have boosted sales of Utility and 'Crossover Vehicles' (that combine
spaciousness, ruggedness with elegance).
• Most manufacturers looking to enter/enhance position in compact segment:
- Maruti, Tata & Hyundai already in segment, looking at new launches.
- Toyota & General Motors looking to enter via Dahitsu and Daewoo ranges respectively.
• Segment will see internal segmentation:
- Manufacturers will further sub-segment this category:
1) Swift/Getz at higher end.
2) Wagon R/Alto/Matiz at lower end.
Source: SIAM, domain-b.com, Literature Review, MuradBaigAssociates
Research commissioned by Yahoo! India and eTechnology Group@IMRB
8

The automobile sector has a strong domestic demand
driven by various factors like…
Per capita income
Economic growth (high degree of correlation)
(high degree of correlation)
Govt’s Auto Policy
New models
(impacting structure Car Demand
& demand)
Mature used car market
Competitive Pricing
Availability of cheap
Finance
Research commissioned by Yahoo! India and eTechnology Group@IMRB
9

Market scenario in the next 3 years
Increased competition means aggressive marketing from players.
- International powerhouses (Honda, Toyota, Ford, GM, Hyundai) will make a big push.
1) India will become a big market and sourcing base.
No threat in short term from any major structural changes.
- Steel prices and fuel prices should not be long term concerns (but cyclical fluctuations
are likely).
Market will become more difficult to crack.
- Newer technology and greater choice in each segment.
- Consumer knowledge is growing; will make marketing all the more challenging.
- Segmenting of consumers on both demographics and psychographics will be key.
New price points will emerge.
- Rs. 1 lac car will upgrade 2 Wheeler buyers.
Used car business will grow.
- Indian automakers following suit of global manufacturers.
- First player to do so was Ford with its used car business known as Ford Assured.
- Hyundai Motors – ‘Hyundai Great Exchange Scheme’, MUL - ‘Maruti True Value’.
Manufacturers will move downstream & develop alternative sources of revenue.
Research commissioned by Yahoo! India and eTechnology Group@IMRB
10

SEC profile by type of interaction with the Internet
Source: Yahoo! survey
685 154 253 278 BASE
100% 3% 1% 3% 5%
11% 12% 12% 10% SEC B-2
80%
46%
60% 52% 48% SEC B-1
57%
40%
SEC A-2
20% 41% 38%
34%
27%
SEC A-1
0%
All Have looked for Have looked for Have not used Internet
information on cars information on other for any product search
on the Internet products but not cars
The relevant audience that looks online for information on cars is more affluent than other audience
that does not. Thus any brand communication is more likely to be exposed to a higher profile
audience on the Internet.
Research commissioned by Yahoo! India and eTechnology Group@IMRB
Demographic And Internet Usage Profiling 11

Age profile by type of interaction with the Internet
685 154 253 278 BASE
32 31 33 32 MEAN
100% 6% 3% 4% 9% More than 50 years
14% 15% 17% 12%
80%
40-49 years
38%
60% 41% 74% 42% 41%
30-39 years
40%
26% 36% 24% 23% 25-29 years
20%
13% 13% 16%
8% Less than 25 Years
0%
All Have looked for Have looked for Have not used Internet
information on cars information on other for any product search
on the Internet products but not cars
Three fourth of the audience that searches online for cars is in the 25-39 years age bracket, which has
the highest leverage in terms of disposable income.
Research commissioned by Yahoo! India and eTechnology Group@IMRB
12

Maturity of internet usage by type of interaction
with the Internet
685 154 253 278 BASE
100%
More than 3 years back
80%
49% 49% 51% 46%
More than 2 years but
60% below 3 years
17% 17% 14% 20%
40%
More than 1 year but
below 2 years
20% 16% 20%
20% 23%
14% 18% 15%
10% Less than 1 year
0%
All Have looked for Have looked for Have not used Internet
information on cars information on other for any product search
on the Internet products but not cars
Internet as a medium of looking for information for cars is proving to be a good draw even for new
users, with almost one fifth users with less than a year's experience on the Internet.
Research commissioned by Yahoo! India and eTechnology Group@IMRB
13

Frequency of Internet usage by type of interaction
with the Internet
685 154 253 278 BASE
100% Less than once a week
15% 14% 12%
18%
7% 11%
80% 12%
Once a week (4-7 times
15%
15% a months)
18%
18% 64%
60%
21%
26% 2-3 times a week (8-15
23% times/month)
24%
40%
23%
4-6 times a week (16-25
times/month)
20% 38% 37%
31%
23%
Almost daily including
holidays
0%
All Have looked for Have looked for Have not used Internet
information on cars information on other for any product search
on the Internet products but not cars
The audience that looks online for information on cars is also more regular in surfing than others who do
not, thus they are more likely to come across any kind of advertising on the Internet.
Research commissioned by Yahoo! India and eTechnology Group@IMRB
14

Average number of hours spent on the Internet on a weekday
- By type of interaction with Internet
685 154 253 278 BASE
1.94 hrs 2.35 hrs 1.94 hrs 1.69 hrs MEAN
100% 5%
9% 8% More than 5 hours
15%
38% 16%
18% 18%
80%
3-5 hours
23%
60% 37%
38% 1-2 hours
41%
36%
40%
More than 1/2 but less
24% than 1 hour
21%
20% 14% 22%
17% Less than 1/2 hour
13% 12% 10%
0%
All Have looked for Have looked for Have not used Internet
information on cars information on other for any product search
on the Internet products but not cars
This audience that looks online for information on cars also spends more time on the Internet as compared
to others who do not, with one third spending more than 3 hours in a week on the Internet.
Research commissioned by Yahoo! India and eTechnology Group@IMRB
15

Average number of hours spent on the Internet on a weekend
- By type of interaction with Internet
685 154 253 278 BASE
1.13 hrs 1.43 hrs 1.09 hrs 0.99 hrs MEAN
2% 3% 2% 1%
100%
10% 8% 8% More than 5 hours
17%
80% 20%
21% 23%
3-5 hours
20%
60%
31%
30% 30%
1-2 hours
29%
40%
More than 1/2 but less
than 1 hour
20% 37% 37% 40%
31%
Less than 1/2 hour
0%
All Have looked for Have looked for Have not used Internet
information on cars information on other for any product search
on the Internet products but not cars
The trend remains the same even during the weekends.
Research commissioned by Yahoo! India and eTechnology Group@IMRB
16

Tracking Internet usage V/s Car ownership
BASE
99
Small cars 22% 37% 41%
Mid-size Economy 106
25% 40% 35%
Top-end to mid-size
premium 28% 38% 35% 480
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Look for automobile information Other Products Have not used Internet for any product information
The owners of Top-end cars are more likely to look out for online information on cars.
Research commissioned by Yahoo! India and eTechnology Group@IMRB
17

Internet users who look for online information on cars are more savvy than other Internet users
who do not look for information on cars.
• They spend more time on the Net & also visit it more often.
• This audience is more affluent than those who do not look online for information on cars.
• They belong to higher SEC & relatively younger age group.
Research commissioned by Yahoo! India and eTechnology Group@IMRB
18

Mapping the base of users who look for information on
cars on the Internet *Source: I Cube 2006
Base: 26 cities
Number of active users*
13,225,951 (100%)
Car owners Non-owners
2,339,903 (17.7%) 10,886,048 (82.3%)
In the last 6 months In the last 6 months
Look for information on cars Look for information on cars
338,627 (14.5% of 17.7%)) 1,076,481 (9.9% of 82.3%)
14,15,108 – 10.7% of active Internet users base
Close to 1.5 million users (which is 10%) of active Internet users base have looked for information on autos
on the Internet in the last 6 months.
Research commissioned by Yahoo! India and eTechnology Group@IMRB
Looking For Information Online 19

% time allocated to Internet V/s other media while
looking for information Base: Those who have looked for information
– By car segment on cars on the Internet
100%
80%
50% 48% 49% 51%
60%
40%
50% 52% 51% 49%
20%
0%
All Top-end to Mid-size Mid-size Economy Small cars
Premium
Internet Other sources
Internet plays a prominent role in information seeking, which is demonstrated by the fact that the time
spent on looking for information on autos on the Internet is equal to the time spent on seeking
information from all other sources put together.
Research commissioned by Yahoo! India and eTechnology Group@IMRB
20

How does one look for information online
- All Base: Those who have looked for information
for cars on the Internet
I type(d) what i wanted to know in the search engine 77%
I went / go to sites of different automobile 77%
manufacturers
I went to some free sites which help in comparison of 71%
different automobiles
I click(ed) on the ads 57%
I went to some paid sites which help in comparison of
34%
different automobiles
I went to sites of automobile journals 23%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Search engines and websites of automobile manufacturers are the top two sources of information
amongst car purchasers who look for information on the Internet.
Research commissioned by Yahoo! India and eTechnology Group@IMRB
21

Satisfaction with Internet as a source of information
Base: Those who have looked for information
for cars on the Internet
Somewhat
Satisfied
63% Neither Satisfied
Nor Dissatisfied
8%
Dissatisfied
1%
91%
Very Satisfied
28%
User satisfaction with Internet as a medium for accessing information is very high, showing that this
medium is able to match up to user expectation. The possibility of positive word of mouth for Internet
is also very high.
Research commissioned by Yahoo! India and eTechnology Group@IMRB
22

A look at what is driving the high satisfaction from
Internet as medium for information on cars.
Satisfaction with specific parameters related to the Internet as a source of information.
Base: Those who have looked for information
for cars on the Internet
96%
Relevance of Information
91%
Ease of searching information
89%
Recency of information
86%
Number of manufacturers featured
85%
Number of models featured
83%
Search options available
82%
Query based comparisons
80%
Level of interactivity
80%
Comprehensiveness
80%
Quality of services
78%
Authenticity of the data
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Users feel that Internet is a good place to get specific desired information. Satisfaction from Internet is driven
by an acknowledgment of the depth & width of information on it. The key activities that users avail Internet
for are as an aggregator of information and as a comparison tool.
Research commissioned by Yahoo! India and eTechnology Group@IMRB
23

What all information is typically looked for on the Internet – Top 15
- By Car segment
Base: Those who have looked for information
for cars on the Internet
Information points
Information points wholookon
All those
All those who Car Segment
segment
cars from Internet
look for cars Top-end to Mid-size
Top End to-size
Mid Mid
-size Economy Small cars
Mid-size Small Cars
on Internet Premium
Premium Economy
Mileage 1 83% 85% 92% 79%
Pick up 2 79% 81% 69% 81%
Power 3 71% 67% 73% 73%
Current price 4 58% 41% 65% 61%
Body style 5 47% 59% 31% 47%
Engine displacement (cc) 38% 33% 54% 35%
Maximum power 36% 33% 31% 35%
Financing schemes available 34% 56% 12% 33%
Dealer locations 27% 37% 27% 24%
Resale value 25% 15% 27% 27%
Loans available 23% 30% 15% 25%
Sturdiness 23% 19% 38% 20%
These are the Top 5 factors looked for on the Internet. They need to be a part of the information repertoire
of any content provider. These can be built in as communication cues to appeal to the user who is looking
for information.
Research commissioned by Yahoo! India and eTechnology Group@IMRB
24

Whether looked for information on car accessories online
Base: Those who have looked for information
for cars on the Internet
100%
80% 38% 35%
47%
53%
60%
40%
62% 65%
53%
47%
20%
0%
All Top--end to Mid-size Premium Mid-size Economy Small cars
Have not looked for information on car accessories online
Have looked for information on car accessories online
Users who look for information on cars also look for information on car accessories, which shows that
the influence of Internet continues in the auto life cycle of a user, looking for information on accessories
is especially prominent amongst owners of Top-end cars, with 2 out of 3 looking for this information.
Research commissioned by Yahoo! India and eTechnology Group@IMRB
25

Top 10 websites to look for information on cars
- By car segment Base: Those who have looked for information
for cars on the Internet
Website
Website All
marutiudyog.com 38%
google 34%
Yahoo! 31%
autocarindia.com 25%
indiatimes 24%
hyundai.co.in 18%
rediff 16%
automobile.com 12%
automartindia.com 8%
msn 6%
GM Ford Toyota
Tata
Honda 1% 6% 3%
16%
13%
Thus there is a high incidence of car Others
owners visiting the website of their 2%
car company, which demonstrates
the power of Internet in being an
important touch point between the Hyundai owners
manufacturer & the user. 19%
Maruti owners
40%
Car ownership of the respondents
Research commissioned by Yahoo! India and eTechnology Group@IMRB
26

How many people click on advertisements.
- By car segment Base: Those who have looked for information
for cars on the Internet
100%
32% 29%
35%
80% 44%
60%
40%
66% Reach 69%
62%
56%
20%
0%
All Top-end to Mid-size Mid-size Economy Small cars
Premium
Click Don't click
2 out of every 3 users, who look for information on autos, click on advertisement related to autos on the
Internet.
Research commissioned by Yahoo! India and eTechnology Group@IMRB
Advertising On The Internet 27

Agreement* with statements related to advertisements
on the Internet Base: Those who have looked for information
for cars on the Internet
TRIGGERS
Internet ads offer information not available on
81%
other media like TV & print
Ads on internet help me a lot in making
80%
decision on product purchase
Internet ads are more interesting than ads on TV 73%
I do not like to click on an Internet ad as it 30%
distracts me from my work on the internet
Advertising on the Internet is not relevant to me 24%
BARRIERS
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Users state that ads on Internet play a significant role in helping them with their auto purchase. 3 out of
every 4 users also feel that auto ads on the Internet are more interesting than auto ads on other media.
* Agreement scores are the sum of percentage respondents saying ‘completely agree’and ‘agree somewhat’.
Research commissioned by Yahoo! India and eTechnology Group@IMRB
28

Whether looked for information on car accessories online
Q: Have you ever looked for information on car accessories online?
Base: Those who have looked for information
for cars on the Internet
100%
80% 38% 35%
47% 53%
60%
40%
62% 65%
47%
53%
20%
0%
All Top-end to Mid-size Premium Mid-size Economy Small cars
Have not looked for information on car accessories online
Have looked for information on car accessories online
Users who look for information on cars also look for information on car accessories, which shows that the
influence of Internet continues in the auto life cycle of a user. Looking for information on accessories is
especially prominent amongst owners of Top-end cars, with 2 out of 3 looking for this information.
Research commissioned by Yahoo! India and eTechnology Group@IMRB
31

Educational Qualification
- By car segment
100%
Graduate/Post-
15% 16% 14% Graduate (Prof)
25%
80%
Graduate/Post-
Graduate (Gen)
60%
69% 69% Some college
72% but not
Graduate
40% 70%
SSC/HSC
20%
5% 5%
7% 1%
11% 12%
4% 5%
0%
All Top-end to Mid-size Mid-size Economy Small cars
Premium
Research commissioned by Yahoo! India and eTechnology Group@IMRB
32 Profiling By Car Segment

Occupation
- By car segment
3% 4% 3%
100%
Others
15% 19%
22%
25% Officers/Executive-
80% 4% 4% Middle/Senior
5%
6% 10%
9% 6% Officers/Executive-
5% 4%
5% Junior
60% 7%
8%
Self-Employed
Professionals
40% 47% 48%
40% 35% Businessman with more
than 10 employees
20% Businessman with less
than 10 employees
17% 16% 15% 18%
Shop owners
0%
All Top-end to Mid-size Mid-size Economy Small cars
Premium
Research commissioned by Yahoo! India and eTechnology Group@IMRB
33

SEC
- By car segment
3% 1% 2% 4%
100%
6% 3%
11% SEC B-2
14%
80%
58%
61% SEC B-1
60% 51% 47%
40%
SEC A-2
20% 37%
34% 32% 35%
SEC A-1
0%
All Top-end to Mid-size Mid-size Economy Small cars
Premium
Research commissioned by Yahoo! India and eTechnology Group@IMRB
34

How frequently does he access the Internet
- By car segment
100%
Less than once a week
11% 10%
15% 17%
4%
11%
80% 12% Once a week (4-7
16% 14% times/month)
18%
18%
60% 19% 2-3 times a week (8-15
times/month)
36% 18%
24%
40% 22%
4-6 times a week (16-25
times/month)
20% 42%
31% 33%
28%
Almost daily including
holidays
0%
All Top-end to Mid-size Mid-size Economy Small cars
Premium
Research commissioned by Yahoo! India and eTechnology Group@IMRB
35

Age
- By car segment
100%
6% 7% 5% More than 50 years
9%
14% 14%
15%
15%
80%
40-49 years
60% 41% 40%
35%
44%
30-39 years
40%
26% 25% 25-29 years
35%
20% 23%
13% 15%
10% Less than 25 years
6%
0%
All Top-end to Mid-size Mid-size Economy Small cars
Premium
Research commissioned by Yahoo! India and eTechnology Group@IMRB
36

Since when is he using the Internet
- By car segment
100%
More than 3 years
80%
45%
49% 50%
66%
More than 2 years but
60% below 3 years
19%
17% 15%
40%
More than 1 year but
below 2 years
12%
20% 20% 21%
20%
16%
14% 14% 15% Less than 1 year
6%
0%
All Top-end to Mid-size Mid-size Economy Small cars
Premium
Research commissioned by Yahoo! India and eTechnology Group@IMRB
37

Likelihood of Internet access for any future car purchase
Base: Those who have looked for information on other products but not on cars
Probably access
62%
Definitely access
54%
Definitely not access
8% Probably not access
2% 3% 33%
May or may not access
Internet holds a strong potential to get those users on-board, who have currently not used Internet in
looking for information for autos. As the barriers that inhibit these users are addressed, the proportion of
people looking for information on autos on the Net will grow significantly.
Summary
Internet will be a key platform for interacting with the auto category even for those users who are
not using it for information on autos.
As more manufacturers offer detailed information and streaming commercials on their websites,
the role of Internet is all set to become more important for non-users as well.
Research commissioned by Yahoo! India and eTechnology Group@IMRB
38 Auto Industry - Looking Ahead

About eTechnology Group@IMRB
IMRB
• Established in 1971, IMRB International is a pioneer in market research. Part of the Kantar
Group, WPP's information, insight and consultancy division, IMRB International has
footprints in 19 cities, covering seven countries, from South East Asia to North Africa.
• eTechnology Group (a specialist unit of IMRB) is a research based consultancy, offering
insights into IT, Internet & emerging technology space.
• In a scenario where even experts are constantly caught by surprise, IMRB has constantly
delighted clients by offering simple solutions to complicated problems. IMRB's continuous
link with industry and a constant eye on the pulse of the consumer ensures that they can
decode the movements of technology markets & consumers. IMRB offers its clients an
understanding of the present and a roadmap for the future.
Research commissioned by Yahoo! India and eTechnology Group@IMRB
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