India First Edition

EUROP ASSISTANCE’ LAUNCHES OPERATIONS IN INDIA

~ Ties up with MyTVS to provide 24/7 Nationwide Roadside Assistance~

~Will also launch travel, medical, health, home, family, lifestyle, online, remote site and other assistance services~

Mumbai, August 27, 2008: Europ Assistance Group owned by the $ 80 billion Generali Group and the Pioneer and Inventor of the ‘Assistance’ concept worldwide, launched in India with its best in class automotive services. Headquartered in Mumbai, the fully owned Indian subsidiary of the Group, Europ Assistance India Pvt Ltd. has entered into an agreement with MyTVS to provide Pan-India 24/7 automotive roadside assistance service solutions. These services will now be available to the customers of Automobile Manufacturers, Motor Insurers, Financers, Leasing Companies, Banks and other Corporations.

Through this association with MyTVS, Europ Assistance has established the largest 24/7 Roadside Assistance Network in India, comprising of 1600 providers at 1000 locations covering 22 states. Work is underway to scale up the existing network to 2400 providers covering 1200 locations. The network of service providers includes on the spot repair companies, workshops and towing companies some of which have flat bed trucks that are capable of towing any brand and model of passenger vehicles.

Commenting on the occasion of the launch, Alain Cruchet, Managing Director, Europ Assistance India, said, “We felt this was the right time for us to launch and invest in India which we identified as a key market as part of our Middle East and Asia Pacific growth strategy. The Assistance concept is at a nascent stage here and we see tremendous potential for growth in this sector, aided by the booming industry.

Europ Assistance will introduce several customised ‘peace of mind’ packages in India which include information, prevention, financial coverage and assistance services of all types. Being the inventor and pioneer of the Assistance Concept, the Group has an unrivalled know how, expertise and experience in the areas of Travel, Automotive, Health and Home & Family assistance acquired over a period of 43 years and covering 208 countries.

Globally, roadside assistance is an essential part of the product offering of reputable automobile manufacturers, insurers etc. This service ensures a stress and trouble-free driving experience and helps improve customer satisfaction and increase customer loyalty. The Europ Assistance Group has ventured into the Indian Automotive market to deliver the very same European & World Class Automotive Services.”

The range of Automotive Services that will be offered in India will focus mainly on loyalty enhancement assistance services in the automotive sector such as 24×7 Nationwide Emergency Roadside Assistance, Extended Warranty for New and Used Vehicles, Maintenance Contracts, Fleet Management, Accident Management and other related services.

Internationally, Travel and Automotive Assistance, the two historical activities alone represent almost 75% of Europ Assistance Group’s turnover. Automotive assistance is Group’s primary activity representing almost 45% of its global turnover through leading automobile manufacturers and insurers.

Commenting on the complete range of services, Bikram Puri, CEO -  India Business & Commercial, stated “Besides Auto Assistance Services, we will be introducing our full range of Travel, Medical & Health, Home & Family, Lifestyle, Online, Remote Site and other Assistance Services in the country in a phased manner. The services will be made available soon to the customers of various corporations such as Auto Manufacturers, Insurers, Banks, Travel and other Companies with whom we are tying up to provide customer care.”

The Company has established its 24×7x365 India Alarm (Call) Centre based in Mumbai for round-the-clock access to worldwide and domestic assistance services marking the beginning of its offerings in India. This is the 37th Alarm (Call) Centre for the Group. The Indian team of Europ Assistance comprises of several experienced technical experts, advisors and senior managers from the field of assistance and they are using the same world class technology platforms, systems, processes, quality standards and best practices that the group uses across the world to deliver to high quality services and world class customer care.

The Group, headquartered in France, is committed to investing in its Indian arm to scale up the operations over the next few years. The worldwide Group handles two calls every second and provides one assistance intervention every two seconds.