Best & most cost-effective minor denting/touchup job

Hi,

Looking for some advice on what to do. I scratched my new Logan (Fiery Black). In fact it’s bit more than a scratch… a rather deeply indented dent but thin, narrow one… say half inch by 2 inches, just above the front tyre. Also some scratch marks and some slight surface plastic peel-off on a small part of front fender. Actually, the scratch is not at all obvious, unless one looks closely, but the metal beneath is exposed. And definitely don’t plan to leave it as-is.

My rough estimate based on another friends’ Logan’s body-repair costs, is that if the metal panel (the one just over the wheels) is changed, it’d cost me atleast 8-10K at the dealer’s authorized workshop. Is there a cheaper alternative ?? How reliable are they, and what are the pitfalls to be aware of.

Thanks in advance to all fellow petrol-heads for their advice.

cheers,
BD