There are winners and there are losers. And then there are those who are fighting to go beyond. The Fiat brand carries substantial weight globally but it hasn't been able to create that magic in India. So far, Nagesh Basavanhalli, President & MD, Fiat Group Automobiles India, may want to add to that.

"While the Fiat brand is well known worldwide, we believe that it needs to get back to its rightful presence and get back its rightful share in the Indian automotive industry and the time is now. And our job is to do that and we are really on a mission to accomplish that," he says, still looking surprisingly fresh after a long press conference to launch the new Linea. His energy and enthusiasm are almost infectious.

I congratulate him on the launch and tell him that I witnessed similar zeal even at the various launches at the Auto Expo. There seems to be sense of urgency as well as excitement to leave behind the tough times that Fiat India has been experiencing over the last few years. It seems you are ready to take on the competition heads on, I ask him. "Absolutely, we believe so. Look at the timing with which we have introduced the new products and look at the timing with which we have grown our showrooms. We want to get back in the thick of things in the Indian automotive market and we want to do it fast. Well, we have done our homework for the last two years and we believe we are ready," he says. The smile refuses to leave his face.