The company was originally incorporated as Popular Vehicles and Services Limited on July 5, 1983 at Kochi, Ernakulam, Kerala, India as a public limited company under the Companies Act, 1956 and received its certificate for commencement of business on July 14, 1983. The company was converted to a private limited company pursuant to a special resolution passed by its Shareholders at the Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) held on December 29, 2014 and the name of the company was changed to Popular Vehicles and Services Private Limited. A fresh certificate of incorporation consequent upon conversion of the company to a private limited company was issued on March 24, 2015 by the Registrar of Companies, Kerala at Ernakulam (RoC). The company was subsequently converted into a public limited company pursuant to a special resolution passed by its Shareholders at the EGM held on June 11, 2018 and the name of the company was changed to Popular Vehicles and Services Limited. A fresh certificate of incorporation consequent upon conversion of the company to a public limited company was issued on July 10, 2018 by the RoC.

The company is a diversified automobile dealership in India, having a fully integrated business model. The company caters to the complete life cycle of vehicle ownership, right from the sale of new vehicles, servicing and repairing vehicles, distributing spare parts and accessories, to facilitating sale and exchange of pre-owned vehicles, operating driving schools and facilitating the sale of third-party financial and insurance products. It categorises its automobile dealership business into three key segments, namely, (a) passenger vehicles including luxury vehicles, (b) commercial vehicles and (c) electric two-wheeler and three-wheeler vehicles.

The company operate (a) passenger vehicle dealerships covering economy, premium and luxury vehicles across its dealerships for the following OEMs: (i) Maruti Suzuki India (Maruti Suzuki) for both Arena and Nexa, through the Company, (ii) Honda Cars India (Honda) through its Subsidiary, VMPL, and (iii) Jaguar Land Rover India (JLR) through its Subsidiary, PAWL; (b) commercial vehicle dealerships of (i) Tata Motors (Tata Motors (Commercial)), through its Subsidiary, PMMIL and (ii) Daimler India Commercial Vehicles (BharatBenz), through its Subsidiary, PMPL; and (c) electric three-wheeler vehicle dealership of Piaggio Vehicles, including commercial and cargo vehicles (Piaggio), through its Subsidiary, KGPL and electric two-wheeler vehicle dealership of Ather Energy (Ather), through its Subsidiary, KCPL.

Business area of the company

The company is engaged in the business of automobile dealerships in India. It provides complete services throughout the life cycle of vehicle ownership, including sales of new and preowned vehicles, servicing, spare parts distribution, driving schools, and third-party financial and insurance product sales.

Awards, accreditations and accolades

• 2003: PMMIL received the first ISO 9001:2015 certification.
• 2004: The company was declared as the winner of the All India Best HR Practices Award in the Maruti Suzuki Dealers’ Conference 2003-04.
• 2005: The company was declared as the winner of the All India Best HR Practices Award (Category A) in the Maruti Suzuki Dealers’ Conference 2004-05.
• 2007: The company was declared as the winner of the All India Best HR Practices Award (Category A) in the Maruti Suzuki Dealers’ Conference 2006-07.
• 2008: The company was declared as the runner up of the Sales Award for Excellence in Sales and Best HR Practices (Category A) in the Maruti Suzuki Dealers Conference.
• 2013: PAWL was recognised as the National Dealer Champion by JLR at the Dealer Excellence Awards 2012-2013.
• 2014: PAWL was recognised as the National Dealer Champion by JLR at the Dealer Excellence Awards 2013-2014.
• 2014: PADL received the Product Champion Brakes from Maruti Suzuki in Parts Distributor Meet 2014.
• 2015: PAWL was recognised as the National Champion for Overall Sales by JLRat the Dealer Excellence Awards 2014-15.
• 2015: PMMIL received the “Best Dealer in Commercial Vehicles” Award in the first Apollo CV Awards 2015.
• 2016: PAWL was recognised as the Jaguar Land Rover Overall Champion Category A – at the JLR Dealer Excellence Awards 2015-16.
• 2017: The company was declared as the all India second runner up as Dealer Group with the Highest Sales Award at the NEXA Awards for Innovation & Excellence.
• 2018: The company was declared as the runner up of the All India Highest Sales Award (Arena Channel) in the Maruti Suzuki Dealer Conference.
• 2018: PMMIL was awarded the Excellence Award for highest sale of SCV Passenger by Tata Motors (Commercial).
• 2018: PMMIL was awarded the Excellence Award and was declared as the third ranked dealer in the Tata Genuine Parts Business by Tata Motors (Commercial).
• 2018: PMMIL was awarded the Excellence Award and was declared as the third ranked dealer in the Tata OK-Pre Owned Vehicles Business by Tata Motors (Commercial).
• 2018: PAWL (Marqland) was recognised as the Best Luxury Car Dealership at the Times Business Awards.
• 2019: PADL was awarded the Best Infrastructure & Warehouse Facility in the Parts Distributor Meet 2019 held at Kathmandu, Nepal by Maruti Suzuki.
• 2019: PADL received the most enterprising CEO award by Maruti Suzuki.
• 2020: The company was categorised within the “Alpha Band” in Nexa score card 2019-20 from Maruti Suzuki for Kerala and Chennai in Nexa.
• 2020: The company was categorised within the “Platinum Band” in balance score card 2019-20 by Maruti Suzuki for Kerala in Arena.
• 2021: The company was categorised within the “Alpha Band” in Nexa score card 2020-21 from Maruti Suzuki for Kerala and Chennai in Nexa.
• 2021: The company has achieved the coveted ‘Platinum Band’ in balance score card 2020-21 by Maruti Suzuki for Kerala in Arena.
• 2021: The company has achieved the coveted ‘Gold Band’ in balance score card 2020-21 by Maruti Suzuki for Chennai in Arena.
• 2022: The company was awarded the ‘award of excellence’ at the Maruti Suzuki Dealers Conference, 2022.
• 2022: The company achieved the coveted Platinum Band in Balance Score Card 2021-22 from Maruti Suzuki for Chennai in Arena.
• 2022: The company achieved the Alpha Band in Nexa Score Card 2021-22 from Maruti Suzuki for Kerala and Chennai in Nexa.
• 2023: The company has received ET Auto Retail Award 2023, for being the Top Dealer of the Year (South).

Major events and milestones

• 1984: The company commenced automobile dealership business with setting up their first Maruti Suzuki showroom in Trivandrum, Kerala.
• 1997: The company’s Subsidiary, PMMIL commenced its first dealership in Kerala for Tata commercial vehicles.
• 2002: The company commenced the ‘Popular Motors’ dealership in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, for Maruti Suzuki passenger vehicles.
• 2005: The company’s Subsidiary, PADL commenced spare parts distribution business in Kerala.
• 2006: The company’s Subsidiary, PMMIL commenced the ‘Popular Motors’ dealership in Tamil Nadu for Tata Motors (Commercial) commercial vehicles.
• 2008: The company’s step-down Subsidiary, VMPL commenced its ‘Vision Motors’ dealership in Kottayam, Kerala for Honda passenger vehicles.
• 2015: Investment by BanyanTree in the Company.
• 2021: The company’s Subsidiary, KGPL, entered into a dealership agreement with Piaggio Vehicles Private Limited to operate dealerships for three-wheeler electric vehicles in Ernakulam.
• 2021: The company’s Subsidiary, KCPL, entered into a letter of intent with Ather Energy Private Limited to operate the two-wheeler electric vehicles dealership in Trivandrum.
• 2022: The company’s Subsidiary KCPL, entered into a letter of intent with Ather Energy Private Limited to operate the two-wheeler electric vehicles dealership in Nagercoil, Tamil Nadu.
• 2023: The company’s step-down Subsidiary PMPL, entered into a slump sale agreement to acquire BharatBenz dealership business in Maharashtra.
• 2023: The company received an in-principle approval for Maruti Suzuki dealership (Arena Channel) at Bangalore, Karnataka.