New Insights to Boost Lead Generation for Auto Brands in India

15 hours ago 12

The way people buy cars in India is changing rapidly, thanks to digital adoption. To help auto brands and dealerships keep pace, we have launched a joint whitepaper and playbook in partnership with Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA). The whitepaper spotlights how digital tools and platforms are shaping consumer preferences and driving growth in the automotive sector. The whitepaper also shared recommendations to help auto OEMs and dealerships across India.

Our collaboration with FADA has also led to the success of the ‘Move with Meta’ program, launched in 2023 to help auto dealerships build their digital presence and boost lead generation using Meta platforms. Originally aimed at upskilling 3,000 dealers, the program exceeded expectations by doubling its impact—upskilling over 6,000 additional dealers. Today, more than 10,000 dealers across India are leveraging digital tools to transform their businesses.

The program’s impact is clear: dealerships have seen a 32% improvement in lead generation efficiency, and it has directly contributed to increased sales for leading auto brands nationwide. Together, these efforts showcase the transformative power of social media and digital adoption in the auto industry.

“Our platforms and products are well positioned to enable rapid and efficient digital customer acquisition and engagement for auto dealers in a hyperlocal manner. Over the last two years we’ve upskilled nearly 10,000 dealers along with FADA to digitize their outreach and experiences through our unique hyperlocal solutions and key products ranging from Reels and AI to messaging. We’re thrilled to deepen our partnership with FADA and take on the ambitious target of upskilling 5000 more dealers in the next 2 years. This program has not only benefited thousands of auto dealers but also proven to drive strong sales results for leading OEMs.” – Saugato Bhowmik, Director, Auto, CPG, and D2C for Meta in India

The whitepaper was unveiled in the presence of Hon’ble Union Minister for Heavy Industries & Steel, Mr. H D Kumaraswamy, Mr. C.S. Vigneshwar, President, FADA, Mr. Saugato Bhowmik, Director, Automotive, CPG, D2C, Meta India, Mr. Sai Giridhar, Vice President, FADA.

“At FADA, our vision is to empower dealers nationwide with the right digital tools and insights to stay ahead in a rapidly evolving market. Through our partnership with Meta, we’ve not only exceeded our commitment of upskilling 3,000 dealers—surpassing 6,000—but we’ve also seen a 3X increase in digitization and a marked 32% improvement in lead generation efficiency. This whitepaper underscores the potential of AI, Reels, and messaging platforms such as WhatsApp to strengthen customer relationships and drive growth. We look forward to scaling this collaboration further, bridging the digital gap in automotive retail, ensuring that dealers across India are future-ready, and remain agile in these dynamic times.” – C S Vigneshwar, President, Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA)

Auto OEMs have reported strong sales and lead generation impact as a result of the program.

“We’re excited to see outstanding business results through our partnership with Meta and OnlineSales on the Hyperlocal program. Together, we’ve developed a custom model that efficiently onboarded over 600 dealers in record time. In H2 ’24, Meta’s hyperlocal program drove a remarkable 37% growth in sales compared to H1, while delivering 29% reduction in Cost per Retail. As we move forward, we’re eager to scale this partnership further, leveraging cutting-edge AI and messaging solutions to unlock even greater opportunities.” – Virat Khullar, Group Head, Marketing, Hyundai Motor India Limited

“Our partnership with Meta has helped amplify the impact of our passenger vehicle launches. Mahindra has leveraged the best and latest in technology to drive launch impact through Meta’s family of Apps. Some of the key activations include leveraging WhatsApp for Thar ROXX launch, using Partnership ads for driving consideration for XUV 700 (Intent went up +3.3 pts) and the Auto Industry’s first chat-based car configurator on Messenger and Instagram Direct for XUV 3XO, which saw 29% increase in conversation volumes. Our collaboration with Meta has driven significant impact, leading to bookings and sales, and setting new benchmarks in the industry.” – Manjari Upadhye, Chief Marketing Officer, Auto, Mahindra and Mahindra Limited

Key Insights from the Auto Playbook 2025

Source: New Automobile Buyers Consumer Journey Study by Kantar Profiles. Meta-commissioned online survey with respondents aged 18-64, India, 2023.

Meta’s influence in driving discovery & evaluation, powered by AI: 72% of new automotive buyers who were surveyed in this research discovered the brand on the Meta family of apps. Further, 69% stated that the Meta family of apps played a role in their purchase decision.
WhatsApp Leads Buyer-Dealer Communication: Among new automobile buyers, 48% used WhatsApp to directly connect with dealerships for vehicle availability inquiries, making it the most preferred communication channel. Moreover, 47% expressed interest in receiving service reminders via messaging platforms.
Advantage+ Placements Revolutionizing Advertising: To improve cost per lead and lead volume by Meta for their Hyperlocal dealer campaigns, Hyundai India, used AI-powered Advantage+ Placements to place their dealer ads across all Meta surfaces. They saw 18% increase in Lead Volume and 34% decrease in Cost Per Lead.
Reels and Creator Content Drive Purchase Decisions: 72% of automotive buyers find creator content on Instagram Reels helpful for vehicle evaluation, with 41% regularly engaging with vehicle-related Reels. By partnering with creators, dealers can build authenticity and amplify their reach.