Leading automakers like Ford, Maruti Sazuki and BMW are leveraging social media in India as they seek to find new ways to connect with consumers.

Ford's roll out of its Fiesta and Figo cars in India made considerable use of this channel, drawing on customer research which found that offline and online word of mouth was a key purchase driver.

Maruti Suzuki redesigned one of its models, the Swift hatchback, based on customer comments on sites like Facebook, Orkut and Twitter, such as criticisms about its "plasticky" interior.