Fleet leasing is still an emerging market in India. The implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) created uncertainty in the fleet leasing market dented growth rates through H2 of 2017 and 2018. Leasing companies are expected to educate their customers on the implications of GST and revive growth in 2019. Financial leasing is expected to grow faster than operational leasing due to higher demand from SMEs, as it offers attractive features (e.g., zero down payment) which is not available with credit purchases.

Vehicle leasing is seen as a solution to the growing number of challenges faced by companies, such as vehicle funding, fleet maintenance and, more importantly, residual risk handling. Businesses, in the current market conditions, are focussed on their core products/services and seek to outsource all other support activities. Mobility is a significant department—starting from fleet purchase to remarketing at a competitive price—and for each of the segments in the value chain, unless an expert team is on the job, issues such as cost spikes, utilisation mismatches, irregularities in fleet maintenance and risks of dips in residual value can crop up. Leasing the fleet enables hassle-free mobility, on-demand mobility and fleet after-service facilities, amongst other benefits. This has driven the growth of the leasing market, given it a structure and regulated the ecosystem.

This study sheds light on the market size across passenger vehicle (PV) and light commercial vehicle (LCV) segments and provides sales/parc data for the total market and fleet and company car (true fleet) segments. The company car segment is discussed in detail, with a focus on the actual development and the growth potential of financial lease, operational lease, and outright purchase. The analysis takes into account historical data and current market conditions and insights and opinions from market participants to provide a five-year outlook on growth opportunities (for the 2018–2023 time period). In addition to market data (PV and LCV) on new registrations and portfolio, the study provides actual competitor data (portfolio) for the leading leasing service providers in the country. Competitor data is available for both the leasing segments (operational and financial) for the base year, 2018.

The evolution of any industry depends on transformational trends linked to the macroeconomic factors of the region and the emerging business models that reflect innovation in mobility solutions, such as rental, carsharing, integrated mobility and alternative powertrain. The study covers these evolutionary trends that are expected to shape the market. For leasing providers and other companies that share the leasing ecosystem, their interest lies in the growth opportunities that they need to leverage and the strategic imperatives that help them pursue growth and success. Overall, the study provides a region-specific 360-degree understanding of the leasing space and offers a detailed account on the key trends, market overview, and outlook.