Given the fast-growing purchasing power of a segment of the population, luxury brands such as Volkswagen Group company Bentley and Porsche are revving up their engines.

Besides luxury cars, other brand-name goods are also beating a path to the country.

Luxury car maker Bentley has announced plans to roll out its latest models, including its recently launched luxury on wheels - the limited edition Brooklands coupe as well as Azure - in India.

The company has also announced its intention to enter the pre-owned car market to shore up the volumes.

Brooklands and Azure are priced at US$700,000-US$1 million in India, given the duties and other taxes. Brooklands is a four-seater coupe powered by a 6.75-litre twin turbocharged V8 engine.

In three and a half years since it entered the Indian market, Bentley has managed to sell 70 cars, each costing more than US$250,000. But it is the first time it is rolling out the top-end models.

Bentley already sells its Arnage, Continental and Flying Spur models in India. Bentley is also scheduled to launch its new GT Convertible model in the country early next month. It would just make available five units of this car that would cost around US$500,000 each.

Bentley intends to manufacture only 550 Brooklands and 700 Azures globally, so India is likely to be allotted only a few of both these models.

Bentley, which sells cars in different countries through limited allocations, this year has earmarked 25 units for India, marginally less than the 28 it sold last year.

Bentley Motors' regional director Ian Gorsuch said: 'We want to ensure there are more customers and fewer cars, so that we can make dealers profitable. We want to focus on the used Bentley car market.'

Bentley has also announced plans to enter the pre-owned market.

'India has exceeded our expectations and the number of customer base is constantly growing. With the company limiting its production globally to maintain exclusivity, we are looking at the used car business as a serious model to satisfy customers,' said Mr Gorsuch.

'What we are looking at is making a passionate Bentley customer drive the car he likes, even if it is a used car, while he waits for the new one to arrive,' Mr Gorsuch said.

'The used car customers are going to be special as the pre-owned Bentley is going to be far costlier than other normal badges,' he said.

'A year-old used Bentley will cost 10-15 per cent less than the original,' said Satya Prakash Bagla of Exclusive Motors, dealers of Bentley.

These cars will go through a strict quality check by the company. Customers can seek an extended warranty of seven years if the warranty period has expired, said Mr Bagla.

Another luxury car maker bullish about India is German sports car major Porsche, which is looking at a three-fold increase in sales within the next three years.

'India is in the beginning of a development of luxury automotive market as there has been an increased awareness and availability of top-end brands, which we think should drive up our sales,' Porsche India Centre managing director Mohamed Rahman said.

The company sold 160 units of its luxury vehicles in India last year and is confident of taking the number to about 550 by 2010.

Recently, Porsche introduced its second-generation Cayenne SUV in India ranging from US$125,000 to US$250,000.

Porsche has now formally set up its subsidiary in the country. It sells various models, including the Boxster, Carrera 911 and the Cayman. The company plans to launch sedan Panamera globally in 2009, which would also be introduced in India simultaneously.

With over 1.6 million Indian households earning more than US$100,000 a year and 36 billionaires, the Indian luxury market is gaining vibrancy. With the easing of foreign investment norms for luxury single brand retail, over 25 brands have put in proposals to enter the country.

More than 100 brands are estimated to have drawn up their entry and expansion plans.

Heavyweights include Louis Vuitton, Hermes, Gucci, Jean Paul Gaultier, Chanel, Ferragamo and Tommy Hilfiger. Louis Vuitton has already seen around 50 per cent year-on-year growth in sales in India.