Nissan Bets on Digital-First, Hyper-Local Marketing to Drive India Growth

Nissan Motor India is enhancing its digital-first and hyper-local marketing strategy as it seeks to build momentum around the Nissan Magnite, the recently launched Gravite, and the upcoming TEKTON SUV.

Talking to Storyboard18, Mohan Wilson, Director – Marketing (CMO) at Nissan Motor India said the company has adopted a two-pronged approach to marketing, combining brand building in metro markets with localised campaigns in smaller towns and cities.

We have two-fold advertising strategy. In tier 1 markets we are working on building the Nissan brand image and aspiration for our products. “In tier 2, 3 and 4 markets we focus on hyper local marketing and grass root targeting,” Wilson said.

The company now allocates around 50-60% of its marketing spend to digital and social media as it targets younger consumers purchasing the Magnite and Gravite. “Digital is very important for us because we have a younger buyer audience for Magnite and Gravite. We are seeing a major shift in how people consume digital and social media. "Our advertising approach today is digital first and mobile first," Wilson said.

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Digital Momentum:

As part of its digital strategy, Nissan launched an AI-powered voice bot and virtual sales assistant at the launch of the Gravite, allowing customers to ask product-related questions, find dealerships, and book test drives.

The recently launched Gravite has also received a strong market response, particularly in Tier 3 and Tier 4 markets.

"The response to the Gravite has been tremendous and exceeded our expectations. This proposition has generated significant demand, particularly in Tier 3 and 4 markets," he added.

The strong demand has translated into improved sales. Nissan recorded its highest monthly sales in five years in March 2026 with 4,408 units sold, while domestic sales nearly doubled year-on-year. Growth continued in April and May, with sales increasing 75% and 118%, respectively.

Customers can interact naturally with the bot, ask product questions, ask about dealers and book test drives. “That helped create a seamless customer journey and drive traffic to the dealer,” he said.

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The Nissan Magnite remains the company’s top performer, with sales crossing the 2,00,000 unit mark across domestic and export markets. The compact SUV is now being exported from India to 65 countries.

“We have sold more than 2,00,000 units within the country and across the globe. “We are now exporting the Magnite to 65 markets around the world and every vehicle manufactured in India meets international standards,” added Wilson.