The thrill of acquiring a first car is a universal emotion, but for Pune-based real estate developer Nitin Bagadia, that familiar excitement was recently rekindled in a far more opulent setting. Driving his brand-new BMW electric vehicle, valued at over ₹2 crore, from Pune to his hometown Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, was a milestone. While luxury vehicles are not new to him, this purchase was distinct. Bagadia invested an additional ₹20 lakh solely for a dual-tone exterior, blending black and grey. "My family desired a black car, but an entirely black one is considered inauspicious. This combination provided the perfect balance," he explained.
The New Wave of Personalised Opulence
Bagadia is emblematic of a significant shift among India's high-net-worth individuals (HNIs), who are fuelling robust growth in the luxury car sector, currently exceeding 10% annually. Today's affluent buyers are moving beyond standard models, demanding deep personalisation that caters to both physical aesthetics and digital functionalities tailored for their families.
According to insights from three major luxury car manufacturers in India, the typical spend on customising a vehicle with a base price exceeding ₹1.5 crore now ranges between ₹50 lakh and ₹60 lakh. In extraordinary cases involving ultra-rich clientele, the cost of add-ons can match the car's base price, catapulting the total expenditure on top-end models to a staggering ₹5 crore.
Extreme Customisation: From Diamonds to Exclusive Colours
Examples of this trend are proliferating across the country. An Audi customer in Bhubaneswar set a record for Audi India by selecting 17 customisations, including a special green paint job costing over ₹12 lakh. Meanwhile, a buyer from Coimbatore invested ₹36 lakh in a styling package featuring a carbon fibre roof, all-black elements, and Matrix LED laser lights.
The spectrum of desired features showcases unparalleled luxury. Leander Dmello, an executive at a BMW showroom, notes requests for internal decks and headlights studded with Swarovski diamonds, Merino sheep leather seats imported from Italy, and 32-inch televisions paired with recliner seats.
Personal expression often drives unique requests. A prominent Pune industrialist purchased three top-end luxury cars for his family. To ensure exclusivity and avoid confusion among his staff, he customised each in a distinctly different colour.
Manufacturers Cater to the 'Personal Car' Vision
Luxury car brands are aggressively adapting to this demand for individuality. Balbir Singh Dhillon, Head of Audi India, observes, "Today, luxury car buyers are seeking deeper personal expression, which is driving strong demand for both physical and digital customisations. Customers are willing to invest more in features that enhance comfort and individuality."
Mercedes-Benz India, for instance, has introduced a sophisticated mobile customisation kit service. Valued at nearly ₹10 lakh, this kit is delivered to the client's home or office and contains samples of leathers and paints. This allows buyers to physically feel Nappa leather and examine upholstery choices. For digital preferences, the kit includes access to an online car configurator for experimenting with various settings.
Santosh Iyer, MD & CEO of Mercedes-Benz India, encapsulates the philosophy: "The key insight is that consumers want a truly personal car. They want the seats to match their home décor, or alloy wheels in a specific configuration. They want it to be distinctive." He emphasises the brand's respect for buyer sentiment, even if a choice seems unusual. "A certain colour might look 'weird' to us, but it may be lucky for the buyer. It is not for us to question that taste," Iyer added.
This trend underscores a broader movement where luxury is no longer defined solely by brand or price, but by the depth of personalisation and the unique story each vehicle is crafted to tell.
