BMW India targets 2x MINI sales in 2026, bets on localisation, new launches, wider retail footprint

German luxury carmaker BMW is looking to double sales of its premium brand MINI in India this year on the back of wider product portfolio, localisation and retail expansion, BMW Group India President and CEO, Hardeep Singh Brar said on Monday.

MINI, which clocked 730 units in 2025 at a growth of 3 per cent over the previous year, sold 213 units in the January-March quarter of 2026, a growth of 42 per cent and is planning to launch locally produced MINI Countryman model in the middle of this year.

"This year, the plan is to double the volumes...this will be the best ever year for MINI, if we are able to do that," Brar told PTI.

On how the group planned to achieve its goal of doubling MINI sales, he said a three-pronged strategy of wider product portfolio, localisation and retail expansion, has been adopted.

On the product side, he said a line up of "one new product and nine special editions overall" has been planned.

The locally produced MINI Countryman is planned to be launched in the middle of the year and is "a pivotal enabler to scale volumes and improve accessibility", Brar noted.

In the last two years, MINI has been constrained by a limited product portfolio in the Indian market with only the MINI Cooper S Hatch and the MINI Countryman Electric offered.

However, in the last six months, the group has strengthened the MINI lineup with new models such as the MINI Convertible, MINI Countryman JCW ALL4, and MINI Countryman SE ALL4.

Brar said the petrol version of MINI has seen strong demand in the market and its contribution is growing further from 61 per cent last year with the planned launch of locally produced MINI Countryman.

"We expect the petrol contribution to go up to 70 per cent...In quarter one (2026), it has already jumped to 70 per cent...," he said.

Commenting on network expansion, Brar said by end 2026, MINI is looking to increase its footprint to 22 touchpoints from the current 13, including entry in eight new cities.

In Q1, MINI has already set up touch points in Jaipur and Jodhpur, and will expand into six more cities -- Lucknow, Ranchi, Guwahati, Surat, Vijayawada, and Cuttack -- in the rest of the year.

The entry into the new cities is part of the strategy to strengthen footprint beyond metros and "strategically unlocking demand across Tier 2", he said, adding, "Collectively, these levers sharpen MINIs growth trajectory and deepen relevance in key emerging pockets of the Indian market".

As for aftersales, MINI service is integrated with the larger BMW Group India aftersales network and is available at 52 touchpoints across 40 cities.

On the significance of the MINI brand in BMW Group's overall India strategy, Brar said it is "a brand shaper" with its "iconic and timeless design" along with its "retro model styling and a very bold personalisation".

"We feel that when a customer looks at MINI, the overall brand eventually, not only for MINI, but also for BMW, it really takes it up," he said.

With MINI and BMW are now in the same showrooms, he said,"We see customers coming into our showrooms coming to buy a BMW, goes and takes a look at Mini, and vice-versa," he said, adding the two brands help in bringing a new set of customers and the company is able to cross sell