Redefining self-drives

With self-drive experiences gaining popularity among Indians, Avis offers a range of options and facilities for customers in destinations, both in India and outside.

TT Bureau

Avis operates one of the world’s best-known car rental brands with approximately 5,500 locations in nearly 170 countries. Talking about how the self-drive phenomenon is getting popular by the day, Sunil Gupta, MD & CEO, Avis India, says, “This self-drive phenomenon is well-practised in the western part of the world and is rapidly catching up in India. Avis India provides the option of self-drive which enables customers to break away from the necessity of exploring conventional tourist spots in the presence of large groups and explore places independently.”

For international travellers, Avis India has curated a series of informative videos and web blogs recommending famous, unconventional roads trips around the globe. “It is a handy document that covers road trips comprehensively and helps one make informed decisions while planning. India has over 20 million Indians travelling abroad each year to destinations with a preference for self-drive,” he adds.

Avis India’s consumer base is constantly expanding owing to the growing number of outbound travellers in India

Talking about servicing clients in India, Gupta says, “We started our operations in India in 2016 with just five cities. This has now grown to 10 cities (Delhi, Noida, Gurugram, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Pune, Chennai, Kolkata and Kochi) in less than two years. We have also ramped up our fleet size in all these cities and introduced new variants in four categories, namely, Hatchback, Sedan, Multi Utility Vehicles (MUVs) and Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs).”

Aspects that make Avis unique in India, according to Gupta, include, “Complimentary ‘car delivery and collection’ for every self-drive booking to ensure greater comfort and flexibility to our customers; digital documentation with pre and post rental checklist at the time of car delivery and collection; single platform (Avis India website/app) to book both domestic and international self-drive.”

For outbound travellers, “Customers can book an Avis self-drive car through the Avis India website, www.avis.co.in or through the Avis India mobile App. A traveller must possess a valid Indian driving license and an International Driving Permit (for select countries) for renting a self drive car,” reveals Gupta.

In terms of expansion, Gupta says that they have huge plans going forward. “In the next four years, we would like to explore the potential of other Tier–I & Tier-II cities in India. Avis India has been using technology to target new segments and maintain a consistent growth rate. Avis India’s consumer base is constantly expanding owing to the growing number of outbound travellers in India. MNCs continue to employ Avis’ services for ensuring a reliable end-user experience for their employees locally and internationally. From mobile apps to connected cars to new offers and processes, our goal is nothing short of making car rental more closely match today’s on-demand mobility services. At the same time, we are innovating new platforms, technologies and capabilities to further revolutionise the customer experience.”

With Avis chauffeur driven services are now available globally, it is aimed at business, corporate and leisure travellers,” says Gupta.

Rising Numbers

• Avis India has a fleet of more than 6000+ premium cars across the country, with a network extending across 50 conveniently-located stations in 19 cities