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www.autocomponentsindia.com Vol 7 Issue 11
Upfront
January 2021
COMPONENTS
INDIA
Creating Real Value For Customers
Warren Harris, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Tata Technologies
VOICE OF THE AUTOMOTIVE SUPPLIERS
Stepping Up To The Plate UPFRONT | EXCLUSIVES
Discounting 2020
New Highs
Automotive R&D, Homologation and Test Calibration l Portable Calibration Tools l Freudenberg Filtration Technologies l #Trending: Aftermarket Growth @autocomponentsindiaofficial
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Content January 2021
COMPONENTS
INDIA
VOICE OF THE AUTOMOTIVE SUPPLIERS
Cover Story
17 Regaining Lost Momentum
The Pune-based Central Institute of Road Transport is regaining the lost momentum in 2020 to attain new highs.
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TKM bids farewell to Shekar Viswanathan Michael Clarke is COO at Hero MotoCorp DS Rawat is the new CEO of Sun Mobility ACMA iAutoConnect 2020 Maxxis Tyres plan Deepesh Baxi is Castrol CFO and Wholetime Director VECV commissions Bhopal plant Mitsuhiko Yamashita to drive EV strategy at Tata Motors? Greaves Cotton pursues operational efficiency for growth XP100 – India’s first 100 Octane petrol ARAI proficiency improvement programme Change of guard at its leadership in ARAI Manolito Vujicic is Brand Head, Porsche India MSIL Chairman: India can beat China in low-cost manufacturing Prabhakar Kadapa quits PAPPL RBI stance on economic growth
Playing To Strengths
The International Centre for Automotive Technology is playing to its strengths in the automotive domain, to help the industry fastrack recovery.
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Freudenberg Filtration Technologies
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Portable Calibration Tools
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The Nerve Centre
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Gearing For Aftermarket Growth
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CII Autoserve 2020 TAGMA Tooling Summit 2020
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AUTO COMPONENTS INDIA
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A stellar effort that went into the last year, extending beyond just the call of duty, will now be redirected to discounting the cumulative degrowth.
hether you were in your growing years or parenting for that matter in the late 80s or early 90s, you would recall the ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’. An adventure series of a quartet of humanoid warrior turtles and their friends, the premise revolved around Leonardo da Vinci (Leonardo), Donato di Niccolò di Betto Bardi (Donatello), Raffaello Sanzio (Raphael), and Michelangelo Buonarroti (Michelangelo). Blame the #mutation strain of Covid-19 identified in the United Kingdom followed by the discovery of a new genetic mutation linked to a surge of cases in South Africa for this time travel. Just when the world seemed to be opening up at a slow and steady pace, 2020 has handed over the baton of tackling fresh lockdowns, night curfews and travel restrictions to the new year 2021. It is clear, the definition of the ‘new normal’ has far from stabilised in the industry parlance. It will only re-evolve in the coming months. As the voice of the auto component suppliers, we know for sure, the industry continues to iron out the chinks in its armour. A stellar effort that went into the last year, extending beyond just the call of duty, will now be redirected to discounting the cumulative degrowth. Even though growth plans may have deferred by six months to a year or more in some cases, the survival instinct should take the industry through. In the first issue of 2021, we travel down the road to commercialisation starting at automotive R&D, homologation, testing and calibration. I would also like to take this opportunity to invite you to start collating nominations for the fifth edition of Auto Components India Awards - 2021, to be announced soon. Until then, anybody for a webinar on Ninjutsu? Ashish Bhatia Executive Editor | a.bhatia@nextgenpublishing.net /autocomponentsindiaofficial /autocomponentsindia ACI Mag
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Views and opinions expressed in the magazine are not necessarily those of Next Gen Publishing Pvt. Ltd. Next Gen Publishing Pvt. Ltd. does not take responsibility for returning unsolicited manuscripts, photographs or other material. All material published in Auto Components India is copyright and no part of the magazine may be reproduced in part or full without the express prior written permission of the publisher Printed by Marzban Jasoomani Next Gen Publishing Pvt. Ltd., 105-106, Trade World, B-Wing, 1st Floor, Kamala Mills Compound, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel (W), Mumbai - 400013, India.. Published by Marzban Jasoomani on behalf of Next Gen Publishing Pvt. Ltd., 105-106, Trade World, B-Wing, 1st Floor, Kamala Mills Compound, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel (W), Mumbai - 400013, India. Printed at Spring Graphics, 215 & 238, Shah & Nahar Industrial Estate, Sun Mill Compund, Lower Parel (West), Mumbai 400013, India. Published at Next Gen Publishing Pvt. Ltd., 105-106, Trade World, B-Wing, 1st Floor, Kamala Mills Compound, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel (W), Mumbai - 400013, India.
All readers are recommended to make their own independent enquiries before sending money, incurring expenses or entering into commitments in relation to any advertisement appearing in the publication. Auto Components India does not vouch for any claims made by advertisers for their products and services. The editor, publisher, printer and employees of the publication shall not be held liable for any consequence in the events of such claims not being honoured by the advertisers. All disputes are subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of competent courts and forums in Mumbai only. Editor Ashish Bhatia
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AUTO COMPONENTS INDIA n JANUARY 2021
General Manager – South Girish Shet
Just in Time
Mutant Ninja
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Newscast
TKM bids farewell Michael Clarke to Shekar is COO at Viswanathan Hero MotoCorp Toyota Kirloskar Motor Pvt. Ltd. (TKM) bids farewell to Shekar Viswanathan. The erstwhile Vice-Chairman and Whole-time Director for over seven years, Viswanathan is credited for building the TKM foundation in India ever since he joined the Board of Directors in 2008. As the former director of Toyota Kirloskar Auto Parts and Deputy Managing Director of TG Kirloskar Automotive, he will be remembered for playing a pivotal role. He additionally holds leadership position across nodal agencies including in the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI), Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), Automotive Component Manufacturers Association of India (ACMA) and the Bangalore Chamber of Industry and Commerce (BCIC). Providing invaluable counsel and strong leadership in numerous capacities across Toyota and other group companies, Viswanathan, commented Masakazu Yoshimura, Managing Director, TKM, has been one of the strongest pillars for TKM, fostering its India growth story.
Hero Motocorp Ltd. has appointed Michael Clarke as the Chief Operating Officer (COO). Effective from January 01, 2021, Clarke will also take up the additional responsibility of Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) and report to Dr Pawan Munjal, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO). With an over 25 years of global experience in publicly listed companies in the USA and the UK, Clarke has worked extensively in building, leading and managing teams across geographies and functions. He started his career with Delco Electronics Overseas Corporation (a subsidiary of General Motors) in Liverpool. Since then, Clarke is known to have worked across several organisations like Fiat Group SPA, Delphi Technologies, Tenneco Automotive, and Hertz Corporation Breed Technology. In addition to his appointment, Hero MotoCorp has also assigned the role of Head of Strategy to Malo Le Masson and expanded the role of Ravi Pisipaty as the Head of Plant Operations. Sanjay Bhan returns as the Head of Global Business and Mahesh Kaikini, the current Head of Gurugram plant, will be the Chief Quality Officer. Ashutosh Varma has been elevated to the role - Head of National Sales.
AUTO COMPONENTS INDIA n JANUARY 2021
DS Rawat is the new CEO of Sun Mobility
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Sun Mobility has appointed Devender Singh Rawat as its Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for India. Rawat will assume the responsibility of enhancing the company’s growth and expansion plan in the country. The new CEO brings onboard experiences from across complex telecom businesses and in scaling infrastructure
rollouts and managing regulatory challenges. Commending Rawat’s leadership experience of more than 25 years, Uday Khemka, Co-Founder and Vice-Chairman, SUN Mobility, expressed confidence in his potential to drive the company’s next phase of growth. “Inducting a stalwart like DS Rawat in our management cadre
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is a significant milestone for the company,” said Sun Mobility, Co-Founder and Vice-Chairman, Chetan Maini. Of the opinion that the Electric Vehicle (EV) sector in India can outpace other countries in terms of technological innovation and adoption, Rawat said he was looking forward to reliving the giant leaps made by the Telecom sector.
Newscast
ACMA iAutoConnect 2020 At the fifth edition of iAutoConnect 2020, Automotive Component Manufacturers Association of India (ACMA) witnessed participation from around 65 Indian auto component manufacturers. Concluding on a high note, the virtual event focussed on aftermarket exports and attracted participation from over 307 international auto component aftermarket distributors and buyers from across the ASEAN, Middle East, Africa, SAARC, and
Europe. Navistar, Paccar, AAM, BMW, COBO, Mercedes Benz, Cummins and Ford were among the
participants. Organised in association with the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India, the seven daylong virtual conferences saw Indian manufacturers display their excellence in manufacturing. They also supported the government’s ‘Make in India’ initiative and expressed will to drive the ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan’. Referring to iAutoConnect as the key global networking platform for domestic component manufacturers
and international buyers, Deepak Jain, President, ACMA commented, “The auto component industry exports over twenty-five per cent of its products and our ambitions are to capture a substantial proportion of global trade in the next five years.” Vinnie Mehta, Director General, ACMA mentioned that the success of the event was testimony to growing interests and confidence of buyers in India as a global automotive manufacturing and sourcing hub.
Maxxis Tyres is on an expansion spree. In South India, it is aspiring for a five per cent premium market share, in Tamil Nadu, by 2021. The company is looking to capture a market share of at least 15 per cent of India’s two-wheeler tyre market by 2023 and become one of the top five tyre manufacturers in the world by 2026. With close to 600 dealers in South India currently, the company announced plans to add an additional 200. Claimed to be a strong growth market, in two-wheelers, the company is looking at promoting its high-quality range for the scooter and motorcycle segment for which it is banking on bestsellers like Maxxis 2.75-17, 2.75-18, 3.00-17, 3.00-18, 90/100-10, 140/70-17, and the 80/100-18. Top-level tyre dealer showrooms remain a focus area in an attempt to strengthen the current channel partners and dealer network besides improving customer engagement. Apart from setting up five more plants in India, to also cater to the fourwheeler tyre market, the company has export aspirations for its Sanand, Ahmedabad facility in South Asia, Africa and the Middle East. 2020 marks five years of Maxxis in India.
Castrol India Limited has appointed Deepesh Baxi as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Wholetime Director. Currently working as the Financial Controller for Castrol’s global businesses, he will take up the new role and join the Board effective from January 01, 2021. Baxi brings along an experience of over two decades across several leadership roles spanning finance, strategy, M&A, planning, audit, risk and compliance apart from business transformation. He succeeds Rashmi Joshi who is slated to step down on December 31, 2020, serving Castrol as a CFO in a seven-year-long tenure. While bidding farewell to Rashmi, R Gopalakrishnan, Chairman, Castrol India acknowledged her efforts of offering financial expertise, strategic guidance and commitment to strengthening the overall financial health. www.autocomponentsindia.com
AUTO COMPONENTS INDIA n JANUARY 2021
Maxxis Tyres plan Deepesh Baxi is Castrol CFO and Wholetime Director
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Newscast
VECV commissions Bhopal plant VE Commercial Vehicles Ltd. (VECV) recently commenced operations at its new, eighth state-of-the-art truck manufacturing unit at Bagroda, Bhopal, in Madhya Pradesh. Furthering its investment in the state to Rs.5500 crore, the new plant is claimed to have been set up with Industry 4.0 standards. At the launch, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, flagged off the new trucks rolled out from the plant. The plant is expected to play a catalyst in creating an ecosystem for ancillary units expected to be set up as a result. In phase one, the plant will hold the manufacturing capacity of 40,000 trucks. Averred Vinod Aggarwal, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, “Apart from meeting the domestic demand, this facility will also be used for catering to new export
markets thus contributing to the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat as well as ‘Make
in India’ initiatives by our commitment to ‘Make in Madhya Pradesh’.”
AUTO COMPONENTS INDIA n JANUARY 2021
Mitsuhiko Greaves Cotton Yamashita to pursues operational drive EV strategy efficiency for growth at Tata Motors?
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New non-executive and non-independent director, Mitsuhiko Yamashita could well drive the Electric Vehicle (EV) strategy at Tata Motors. The erstwhile Nissan EV expert has been handed down the responsibility soon after being appointed as the independent director in October. Yamashita’s experience spans across setting up an EV supply chain with an over 40 years experience in developing electric vehicles, autonomous drive and various other technologies said to have supported Nissan’s goals of zero fatalities and zero emissions. www.autocomponentsindia.com
In pursuit of operational efficiency, Greaves Cotton has decided to shut its Ranipet (Tamil Nadu) plant and consolidate operations at the Aurangabad plant, in Maharashtra. Confirmed Nagesh Basavanhalli, Group CEO and Managing Director, “As a part of the commitment towards the consolidation of plants, the company plans to take out over 10 per cent of fixed costs for overhead cost reduction and enhance focus on working capital management, and cash flow”. Focussed on penetrating new markets with new products and offerings, said Basavanhalli, the company will focus on profitable growth going forward.
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.com ponentsindia www.autocom January 2021
Upfront
Vol 7 Issue 11
COMPONENTS
Creating Real Value For Customers
INDIA
Warren Harris, cutive Officer, r and Chief Exe Managing Directo ies Tata Technolog
p U g n i p p Ste ate l P e h T To PPLIERS
MOTIVE SU E OF THE AUTO
VOIC
S
EXCLUSIVE UPFRONT |
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Discounting 202
New Highs
ation and Test
&D, Homolog Automotive R
Calibration
ration Tools l Portable Calibtion Technologies Filtra rg be en ud th Fre l termarket Grow l #Trending: Af
Available on
Digital Platform
Newscast
XP100 – India’s first 100 Octane petrol Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) launched premium-grade petrol (100 Octane) recently. XP100, the premium grade petrol was launched across ten cities by Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas and Steel, in the virtual presence of Tarun Kapoor, Secretary, MoP&NG, Shrikant Madhav Vaidya, Chairman, Dr SSV Ramakumar, Director (R&D), Gurmeet Singh, Director (Marketing), IOCL, among other senior officials. “With this fuel, India has joined the league of select countries worldwide where petrol with 100 or higher Octane number is sold. Launch of world-class products such as XP100 proves that we are focussing on providing better energy solutions to all,” expressed the minister. Shrikant Madhav Vaidya, Chairman, IOCL, said, “XP100 is an ultra-modern, ultra-premium product designed to
thrill your senses. It is the finest grade of petrol to give your vehicle higher power and performance and give you a delightful drive.” Produced at IOCL’s Mathura Refinery using the indigenous OCTAMAX technology developed by
IOCL R&D, it is a notch higher than the 91 Octane petrol in the country. Exceeding the IS-2796 specifications, IOCL will roll-out XP100 premium grade petrol in 15 identified cities across the country in two phases.
AUTO COMPONENTS INDIA n JANUARY 2021
ARAI proficiency Change of guard at improvement its leadership in ARAI programme
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To promote e-mobility in India and to accelerate its growth, ARAI has identified the need to develop, validate and certify electronics like motors, controllers, batteries and battery management systems associated with proper electromagnetic interference and electromagnetic compatibility. The government in association with ARAI, through the ‘Center of Excellence in e-Mobility’ is offering courses like M.Tech.in Electric and Hybrid Vehicles and Post Graduate Diploma in e-Mobility. In order to address the requirements better, it has also announced a three-day proficiency improvement programme. Priced at Rs.3186.00 (incl. GST) for industry professionals or teaching faculty and at Rs.2389.50 (incl. GST) for students, the program offers insights on the Indian EV market scenario covering motors and controllers, battery technology, simulation tools, vehicle thermal management and vehicle to grid integration. www.autocomponentsindia.com
After the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) approved the appointment of Dr Reji Mathai as Director – ARAI, in early September 2020, Dr Mathai officially took charge from Neelkanth V. Marathe, Officiating Director, on December 02, 2020. From Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) where he worked as the Chief General Manager, Dr Mathai is known to have contributed immensely in the field of engine and vehicle testing, emission studies, alternative fuels, ambient air quality, BSVI and beyond. A recipient of the PetroFed Award for “Developing lubricant for marine engines” in the year 2006-07, he is also credited with publications at national and international forums besides holding patents.
Premium luxury carmaker Porsche India has appointed Manolito Vujicic as Brand Head effective from February 2021. Vujicic, currently Brand President at Porsche China, will soon take charge of Indian operations where he will report to Gurpratap Boparai, Managing Director of Skoda Auto India Private Ltd. (SAIPL). Since 2004, he has been working with Porsche Holding Salzburg, Europe’s largest automotive retail company in China. Prior to Porsche, Manolito is known to have worked in Belgrade, Serbia, as the Brand Manager for Volkswagen and Audi.
Prabhakar Kadapa quits PAPPL Prabhakar Kadapa, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) firmed up his decision to quit PSA AVTEC Powertrain Pvt. Ltd. (PAPPL). Responsible for playing a key role in the creation of the PSA-Avtec Powertrain JV, Kadapa is known to have helped in the development of the on-going business and the future roll-out of the major programs for the PSAAvtec Powertrain project. Before getting elevated to this role in 2018, Kadapa served as the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Avtec, a CK Birla Group Company known for manufacturing engine and transmission and supplying to OEMs like Daimler India Commercial Vehicles and Ashok Leyland.
Newscast
MSIL Chairman: India can beat China in low-cost manufacturing India has the potential to surpass China in low-cost manufacturing if the government and industry work in a cohesive manner, opined Maruti Suzuki India Ltd. (MSIL) Chairman RC Bhargava, speaking at the All Indian Management Association virtual event. Urging the government to focus on increasing the competitiveness of the Indian industry, he mentioned, “The only objective of government policies should be to increase the competitiveness of Indian industry so that it can make things at the lowest cost and with the best quality in the world. He also called upon the MSMEs to be as globally competitive as the large companies emphasising that the entire supply chain determines the overall competitiveness. He urged the industry promoters and managers to treat workers as partners and claimed it to be the secret mantra responsible for MSILs’ success backed by appropriate policies and actions.
RBI stance on economic growth The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) revised its forecast of economic growth for the current fiscal year FY2021 to (-)7.5 per cent up from the earlier (-)9.5 per cent forecast. RBI kept the repo rate at four per cent citing surging inflation as a worry. Cautioning against being overly optimistic about the recent spurt in demand, said Governor Shaktikanta Das, it is a result of pent-up demand. There has been an across the board revision in FY21 growth estimates with a slower than expected contraction for the current fiscal year being forecasted. www.autocomponentsindia.com
AUTO COMPONENTS INDIA n JANUARY 2021
Manolito Vujicic is Brand Head, Porsche India
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Freudenberg Filtration Technologies Freudenberg Filtration Technologies India has introduced advanced in-cabin air filtration solutions and services.
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Story by: Deepti Thore e’ve all learnt the importance of breathing in clean air by now. It can’t be stressed enough! With Covid-19 persistent, Original Equipment Manufacturers are laying greater emphasis on in-cabin filtration. Freudenberg Filtration Technologies (FFT) India has tapped this opportunity by introducing advanced in-cabin air filtration solutions and services targeted at offering surface protection in vehicles. The new range is backed by ISO18184 tests conducted by Guangzhou Institute of Microbiology, in China. The tests have concluded that FFT’s micronAir® proTect line filters offer a unique anti-viral filter layer capable of deactivating 99.9 per cent of viruses as per Ashok Pandey, Head, Automotive Filters at Freudenberg Filtration Technologies, India. “We at FFT believed that the first step to preventing viral airborne aerosols from causing harm was to produce a highly efficient cabin filter that directly filters them from the ambient air,” he averred. “Secondly, to inactivate the critical virus load by an antiviral filter media layer to
keep the passengers safe,” he stated. The company, according to Pandey, is pursuing the penetration of the new range, on priority, having reached pre-Covid levels of production for most segments. With an experience of more than three decades to leverage for the in-cabin’ air-filtration range, Freudenberg is seen shifting the focus from the drive train to vehicle occupants. “With the invention of the first cabin air filter in 1989, Freudenberg Filtration Technologies has invested huge resources in terms of research and product development. “We are catering to the ever-evolving needs and situations thus setting new standards in health protection and safety within vehicles,” asserted Pandey. Comparing High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters with cabin air filters, he opined that the former (HEPA) are rarely used. “They form just one element of the holistic hygiene concept. Their filter properties alone do not automatically translate into effective anti-virus protection for passengers since vehicle cabins completely differ from medical cleanrooms,” he opined.
micronAir® cabin air filters
AUTO COMPONENTS INDIA n JANUARY 2021
Despite emissions getting cleaner with the rollout of EuroVI/BSVI emission norms in India, Pandey explained that a major chunk of particulate emissions would continue to be a threat. He blamed factors like environmental change, industrial pollution and agricultural residue for the menace. “In closed environments like vehicle interiors, there is a higher risk of infection through inhalation. Therefore, filtering airborne aerosols is key for safety,” he cautioned. “The filtration acts as an effective shield against airborne aerosols transmitting pathogens such as H1N1 and HCoV229E,” he claimed. The filtration process works such that the virus is rendered inactive by the antiviral filter media layer where the viruses are made to
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micronAir® cabin air filters
Four-layer filtration
The new range is made up of a unique multi-layer design that effectively filters, captures and suppresses noxious environmental gases as well as inorganic and biological particles and aerosols. The first two layers (particle filters) capture most of the ultrafine aerosols, fine dust and microorganisms like fungal spores. The optional third layer (a combi filter) made of activated carbon protects against harmful gases and reduces unpleasant odour coming in from interior emissions. An innovative, fourth functional layer coated with a unique fruit extract basis deactivates nearly 100 per cent of the detected viral load thus preventing the release of active viruses back into the cabin air. This layer is claimed to be free of nano-silver ions and offer high
Mobilised
long-term stability. These cabin air filters come with a micronAir Gas Shield developed with three distinct formulations to tackle varying types of pollution. The micronAir® proTect line filter captures aerosol droplets and droplet nuclei within 0.05-16 μm range. As per the recent studies by the World Health Organization (WHO), these aerosols contain the critical virus load, causing harm during breathing, talking, coughing or sneezing.
Engine intake filter
Combustion engines need clean air to maintain high performance but the ambient air in traffic situations is known to impair the combustion process with the sensors damaging the engine. As a resolution, FFT offers micronAir engine intake air filters claimed to offer outstanding filtration properties and energy efficiency values. With up to 150 per cent longer service life and improved initial arrestance, a measure of the ability of an air filtration device to remove synthetic dust from the air performance, these filters come with a large dust holding capacity. It offers favourable pressure loss properties over their entire service life causing the pressure difference to increase only slowly. It is also claimed to reduce the pressure losses, lower fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. Developed with fully synthetic materials, it also offers ageing and water shock resistance properties. The use of non-flammable materials is for improving fire-resistance.
Fuel-cell solutions
FFT has also developed small fuel cellspecific filters and humidifiers. Known to react sensitively to salts, nitrous oxides or compounds with sulphur or ammonia, which can enter the process via the intake air, the new range protects sensitive components. The micronAir filters protect the catalyst material and the membranes used in the stack and system components from
Ashok Pandey, Head, Automotive Filters at Freudenberg Filtration Technologies, India
contaminant gases and particles. A high arrestance performance ensures lower pressure losses, reliable processes and maximum service life for the fuel cell components. Reliable membrane humidification or a high-quality humidifier is crucial to maintaining fuel cell drive efficiency. It ensures a flawless reaction and is claimed to prevent early degradation as an outcome of the electrolyte drying out. FFT offers long-lasting humidifiers with exceptional water transfer rate at a low-pressure drop and guarantees stable humidification. The hollow fibre technology enables various housing geometries claimed to be tested in real-world scenarios. It is optimised and adapted as per the system requirement without any major investments. On the filters eliminating the need to wear a mask while commuting in a vehicle powered by the FFT filter, concluded Pandey, “for safety purposes, passengers will still need to wear a mask as it is a wellknown fact that the infection can transmit through greater than a single probable cause.” ACI -----------------------------------------Watch out for the upfront interaction with Mr Ashok Pandey, Head, Automotive Filters at Freudenberg Filtration Technologies, India, in the upcoming issue of Auto Components India. www.autocomponentsindia.com
AUTO COMPONENTS INDIA n JANUARY 2021
interact with a fruit extract acidic environment. “Once captured on the filter, the viruses are inactivated through a two-pronged approach based on natural fruit extracts to prevent secondary contamination. The reaction causes the rendering or denaturation of the virus’ protein structure, in turn, restricting the pathogen from infecting human cells,” he explained. It is the filtration system and the air exchange rate that decide the efficiency of the filter in ‘recirculation’ mode, where it is said to eliminate the viruses. This needs to be backed by a frequent replacement cycle for optimum protection. “Before the launch, these filters have been extensively tested in labs and also in the field by almost every car manufacturer,” Pandey assured.
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Portable Calibration Tools A CII-Fluke joint live workshop pointed at the critical role of portable calibration tools in process optimisation.
AUTO COMPONENTS INDIA n JANUARY 2021
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Story by: Ashish Bhatia alibration aids better productivity be it helping in reduce the downtime or ensuring quality adherence and people and process safety. This formed the ethos of the Confederation of India Industry (CII) and Fluke Corporation’s jointly held live workshop, on process optimisation with portable calibration tools. Part of a six-series initiative, the live workshop offered testing, validation and calibration, test accuracy ratio required for a field asset, the decision on the final calibration or lab and workshop calibration, area and zone classification for intrinsically safe instruments, and tips for handling pressure
Fluke 730G Digital Pressure Calibrator.
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calibration instruments as its key takeaways. It proved to be a runaway success with close to 200 delegates including instrumentation engineers having attended from across 21 states, spanning varied industries like manufacturing, heavy industries and automotive.
Process instruments
Drawing attention to process instruments for their productivity enhancement capabilities, K Joseph Selvakumar, Product Marketing Manager – Process Tools at Fluke Technologies ran the attendees through an array of process and test instruments. Making clear, the critical role of portable calibration tools in process optimisation, he drew attention to the capabilities of instruments in process plants like the models - Differential 750POO and Differential 750PO1. Taking the attendees through the fluke instrument’s specifications, he touched upon metrics spanning parameter range, burst rating, Hi and Lo side media, reference uncertainty and total uncertainty over a six month to one year period and metrics like subjected exposure to a 15-35 degree operating range. Spending time on the test uncertainty ratio, explained Selvakumar, it is the ratio of the tolerance or specification of the test measurement
in relation to the uncertainty in measurements. Scenarios of the ratio pertaining to different in-tolerance probability, from 1:1, 2:1 to 4:1, correlating to the per cent of Unit Under TEST (UUT) tolerance band were touched upon in the session. In the case of 4-20 mA loops, a known standard for signal transmission and electronic control in control systems since the 1950s, these are especially suited for automating a factory floor or taking field measurements. Popular for the fault detection in systems, explained Selvakumar, it enables process measurement of process variables like temperature, pressure, flow and others. It also helps to communicate 4 to 20 mA signal to the control system or control output and is digital. Fluke, he stated, offers reliable, rugged and accurate loop tools required for basic maintenance of analog process loops. The Fluke range of tools range from the lowest cost best-in-class performance tool 705, highest precision portable mA/V - 715 to 787 and 789, claimed to be the world’s only 1000 volt IEC1010 Cat III DMMs with a 20 mA current source. The range also consists of 707 and 707Ex models for high-
Mobilised Fluke 190-204 ScopeMeterÂŽ Test Tool
Fluke NORMA 6000 series Precision Power Analyzers
Fluke 754 Documenting Process Calibrator-HART
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K Joseph Selvakumar, Product Marketing Manager – Process Tools at Fluke Technologies
performance, one-handed operation. The Fluke 773 milliamp process clamp meter can measure mA signals without breaking the loop. Zero and span check, step function and ramp function are some of the other USPs. Temperature instruments troubleshooting tools range includes the Fluke 714B Thermocouple Calibrator, Fluke 712B RTD Calibrators and the Fluke 724 Temperature Calibrator. The tools are known to simulate process sensors for testing temperature instrumentation. In the pressure instruments troubleshooting tools range known to help instrumentation technicians calibrate and maintain pressure devices in process plants, Selvakumar familiarised the attendees with the range including model range without pump, built-in handpump, in-built motorised pump, dual pressure input, with the motorised pump, digital pressure gauge, automatic pressure generation and adjustment, pneumatic and hydraulic variants with the likes of Fluke 718 Pressure Calibrator, newly launched Fluke 730G Digital Pressure Calibrator, Fluke 730 RG Digital Pressure Calibrator and Fluke 719 Pressure Calibrator, Fluke 721 Pressure Calibrator, Fluke 729 Automatic Pressure Calibrator and Fluke 750P Series Pressure Modules. Add to it, Fluke also offers the Multivariable Transmitter and Pressure Transmitter troubleshooting tools in testimony to Fluke offering its customers the best of comfort, convenience and confidence while on the job. Multifunction calibrators enable operators to the source, measure and simulate varied process parameters and with the documenting versions additionally document the results. HART transmitters popular in the automotive industry are offered with basic/universal commands compatibility. In the workshop, it was emphasised, that the test tools be certified to new Atmospheric Exolsibles (ATEX) regulations in view of making them intrinsically safe. Effective July
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Fluke Thermal Imagers
01, 2021, industries will be required to assess and categorise explosion risks at their plants and sites. Here categories 1G, 2G and 3G as per Selvakumar are the classification for gas explosion protection with 1G suitable for use in zones 0,1 and 2. 2G equipment for use in zone 1 and 2 and 3G equipment suitable for zone 2. Fluke, for instance, has the intrinsically safe true RMS digital multimeter that boasts of the ATEX, NEC-500, IEXEx safety certifications. Fluke ii900 Sonic Industrial manager offers acoustic imaging blended live sound map with a visual image. Using a seven inch 1280x800 LCD with capacitive touch screen, sensitivity detects 0.005 CFM leak at 100 PSI from up to 32.8 feet. With an operating frequency of 2kHz to 52kHz, it has a maximum operating distance of up to 164 feet (50 meters). Speaking on the evolution of instrumentation in the auto components industry, expressed Selvakumar, that the industry was an early adopter of instrumentation, case-in-point, Madras Institute of Technology, in Chennai. He drew attention to the turbocharger where based on the input pressure, the output boosts power and fuel supply. Instrumentation additionally also plays a critical role in automotive
Prabhakaran PV, Head - ICS Business & Business Development (SAARC Countries), Fluke Technologies
comfort, air-conditioning, lighting and power drives besides in power windows and in power steering. On the tipping point, he opined that there was a major change in the offing with EVs coming on to the mobility scene. Prabhakaran PV, Head - ICS Business & Business Development (SAARC Countries), Fluke India in his closing remarks thanked the delegates for wholeheartedly participating and making the live workshop success. ACI
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Fluke 190-202 ScopeMeterÂŽ Test Tool
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Fluke 729 Automatic Pressure Calibrator
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Fluke ii900 Sonic Industrial Imager
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Regaining Lost Momentum The Pune-based Central Institute of Road Transport is regaining the lost momentum in 2020 to attain new highs. he Pune-based Central Institute of Road Transport (CIRT) was no exception to plans going awry for organisations in a pandemic-hit 2020. Braving the catastrophe with cautious optimism, CIRT is fast regaining the lost momentum in 2020. It is nearing pre-Covid capabilities of tackling a fullload en route to attaining newer highs. Averred Capt. (Dr.) Rajendra B. Saner-Patil, Director, CIRT, “Initially we resumed operations at 30-40 per cent levels. It involved dealing with State Transport Undertakings (STUs).” CIRT, according to Capt. (Dr.) Patil was quick to overcome limitations, like resuming physical training sessions for industry and academia, by commencing virtual trainings in August. “We were able to reach out to stakeholders of the industry despite the odds stacked against us on critical subjects like the new motor vehicle
bill in a bid to cover its amendments,” he claimed. In quick succession, CIRT expanded the virtual sessions to an array of topics in the usual, in-depth manner, as is expected from the joint initiative of the Ministry of Shipping and Transport and the Association of State Road Transport Undertaking. Taking over the baton from Capt. (Dr.) Patil, Shekhar Dhole, Scientist - C & Head Safety & Homologation/Certification added, “We have now reached a stage of getting approvals from all our labs. It’s an achievement this year despite the unprecedented delay of close to two full quarters.” Citing the addition of new facilities at CIRT being in the pipeline, Dhole drew attention to the spare capacity earmarked for higher assignment load-bearing capacity that may be needed. CIRT is banking on select intermediate aggregators in case of availability issues, he stated.
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Photometry lab testing head lights, tail lights, direction indicators, reflectors, lenses, etc.
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Capt. (Dr.) Rajendra B. Saner-Patil, Director, CIRT Tyre plunger test bench
Taking a considerable effort to be by the component and vehicle Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) side, at CIRT, shared Dhole, the approach is to have an unbiased take on designs submitted even in the hour of the crisis. “No design is perfect so we often come across manufacturer designs that have scope for improvement. It’s a continuous improvement process and when approached positively, it has yielded positive outcomes for the stakeholders,” he exclaimed.
AUTO COMPONENTS INDIA n JANUARY 2021
Truck driving simulator at IDTR.
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Post-BSVI-rollout
CIRT worked closely with the stakeholders of the industry for a seamless rollout of Bharat Stage VI (BSVI) norms in April 2020. Admitted Dhole, that while the testing agencies like itself were ready along with the OEMs much ahead of time, BSVI fuel distribution was a big fear factor for the industry. Post the gradual easing of lockdowns, in the unlock phases, he said, the availability of BSVI models is at a higher level than in Q1FY2021. For instance, CIRT has only recently
certified almost eight models for Mahindra & Mahindra alone. Dhole opined, by the end of the calendar year 2020 or up to the next financial year, a new stream of BSVI models are expected to hit the market. On the industry preparing for future norms like BSVII, quipped Dhole, it was a little too premature for the planned rollout in 2027. “For now the resources are being utilised for gathering Real Driving Emissions (RDEs) and making it available from 2023. It is this data that will lay the foundation for the transition to BSVII.
Flex-fuel engines
The industry is pursuing flex-fuel engines cautiously. “They are also not fully aware of the norms being fixed,” opined Dhole. Sharing that the industry was working on select engines to test the technology and based on the success a series of engines could well be certified. “By the time the financial year ends, more variety will be available and we are positively looking at the developments around it,” he expressed. Dhole advocated in favour of shaping up a buyers market rather than a seller’s market with the stream of engines made available eventually, for customers to choose from. CIRT has gone on to certify ED95 for use with diesel and is claimed to be running trials with the help of STUs
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on end-of-life vehicles. “It’s a good sign as STUs are very innovative. For fuel savings, they will go all out and readily lap up such experiments.” “After all the second-biggest cost to STUs, other than tyres, is the fuel,” he quipped.
Ecosystem for EVs
Vocal for local
In the Indian context, manufacturers often rely on base standards and are found to rely on overseas partners to import it in an alternative approach to taking advice available on home ground. Advocating the use of domestic expertise coupled with the support from the ministry can be as effective in tackling India specific issues, he opined. “We are very positive about government policies coming to the industry’s way. We assure the industry complete support for shortest lead times and a frugal approach to keep the costs low,” expressed Dhole. As the industry explores the use of alternative materials and indigenous ways of testing, sooner than later, it will present a compelling case for the industry to go indigenous, he opined. He cited the example of bus bodybuilders taking the lead, for instance. CIRT, as per Dhole, played
Climatic chamber helps simulate freezing cold and piping hot conditions
a big role in the development of the ‘Made In India’ tarmac bus that is CMVR certified. Like the bus bodybuilders came forward proactively, we have to make good use of the skillsets at hand, and offer support and guidance that may be needed to attain the desired objective of localisation. Dhole called for the need to shift focus from overheads and be rest assured that the market is willing to absorb technically superior products. “It is the durability of the product and the faith that will help the strategy
sustain in the long run,” he exclaimed. Cautioning against compromising on quality, Dhole was quick to classify component grades as A, B and C stemming from the manufacturing process itself. “You have to aggregate them and we advise the OEMs to either schedule these components for the country with modification or scrap them instead,” he opined. Calling out the practice of flooding the replacement market, he warned, it would only earn negative feedback from end-users.
Car driving simulator at IDTR
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Contributing to the infrastructure for a new breed of electric vehicles, CIRT is relying on its close synergies with STUs. Citing the example of Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Ltd. (PMPML) fleet of 142 plus buses, Dhole explained the model wherein the buses are financed by OEMs thereby reducing the liability of STUs. “It is an investment of the individual manufacturer or the financier and kilometres are fixed and traffic congestion is factored,” he stated. Expecting the use of vehicles in city operations backed by the 2030 roadmap stipulated by the ministry to be fruitful, CIRT has certified one intercity bus. As per Dhole, it is ready to explore tougher terrains like hilly regions. Add to it, a project on retrofitting ICE-diesel buses as electric, for operation from the MP house to Parliament is claimed to have been a big success.
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Veera Vahana Tarmac Bus certified by CIRT.
Pointing that many of the component manufacturers were already exporting their products, he said, the industry was familiar with the Economic Commission of Europe norms, a mandatory requirement for all automotive components and vehicles sold in the European Economic Area. “The standards are ready, people are aware of the export homologation to be carried out and are well prepared,” he mentioned. As a nodal agency for nearly 85 STUs, CIRT, said Dhole, sets the standards based on IS and AIS specifications, and reverse engineering.
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Tyre load testing bench
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“We have made more than 500 specifications, which are called ASRTU specifications. These are commonly used by component manufacturers. We are dealing with the specification for 50 years now,” shared Dhole. The initiative translates to an Rs.350 crore turnover potential for component manufacturers, benefitting both OEMs and the STUs owing to the deemed price competitiveness.
Driver Training and Research
At CIRT, broadly four categories are defined for training programmes
based on which vehicles are made available for hands-on training purposes. “We are looking at offering exposure to electric buses where knowing the battery State of Charge (SoC) is very crucial for the driver. He needs to be always aware of when and how to utilise the optimum electrical energy at source and optimise acceleration to avoid panic braking,” explained Dhole. CIRT is also in the process of involving such nitty-gritty in its bus training programmes. To help the cause, it is considering using the experience of running 142 plus PMPML buses plying in Pune. Dhole added that the objective is to attract commuters to public transport with modern-day requirements like low Noise, Vibration and Harshness (NVH) levels coupled with efficient HVAC units. CIRT is expected to announce proposals on the lines. Add to it, CIRT is also getting a good response to its camera-based driver-training systems which offers driving test results within an hour and sans any manual intervention. A reliable technology, claimed Dhole, it is among the initiatives that have made the Institute of Driver Training and Research (IDTR) a profitable venture since its inception. Unique initiatives like the 23-day driver training programme along with spouse recommended by the Transport Minister, claimed Dhole, have also earned CIRT a very good response from the driver community. Following social distancing norms, CIRT is additionally through with the second batch of training owners of driver training schools. Calling them the pillars of the safety ecosystem, Dhole shared how in batches of 30-40 these owners were being trained on modernday technologies, on CMVR requirements and the transport bill through both the offline and online channels it has developed. ACI
Upfront In an upfront interaction, Shekhar Dhole, Scientist - C & Head Safety & Homologation/Certification spoke about Automotive Research Association of India striving for newer highs post 2020. Q. How has CIRT added to its efficiencies in the calendar year 2020 and FY2020-21, Year-To-Date, in the midst of the pandemic? Are you close to functioning at pre-Covid levels of operation? A. When we started functioning as
per the government guidelines, the operations resumed an around the clock manner and not the usual nine to five office hours. We went beyond our comfort zone and distributed employees across notification wise divisions to deal with the respective
certifications. However, we knew our limitations when it came to real-time turnarounds so we prioritised tasks and began completing assignments. That brought some cheer and a sense of achievement within the team. After a gap of nearly three-four months, we www.autocomponentsindia.com
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New Highs
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Upfront AUTO COMPONENTS INDIA n JANUARY 2021
were succeeding in our ways and are now gearing up to be fully loaded. Even though we could not achieve last year’s goal but we’ll close upon it. The last quarter (Q2FY2021) worked well for us. Together with the CIRT Director, we ensured full support was extended to the employees. We are fortunate to have a safe atmosphere complete with all precautionary measures carried throughout the campus. I am proud to share that there is no fear in the minds of the employees pertaining to the pandemic. Depending on the scope of work, we are confident of landing with more revenue and hope to cross previous benchmarks. At least, we are sure the lost momentum will not result in a big blow for us.
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Q. How have you responded to the needs of the automotive component and vehicle OEMs including ancillaries? How have you supported the quick go-to-market strategy and commercialisation needs for products across segments? A. We have been in constant touch with the component and vehicle manufacturers and OEMs. When there are correct versus good designs to choose from, we fall back on our experience in testing to make accurate decisions. We advise the respective manufacturers on the ideal thing to do and then it is up to the concerned OEM to accept it or not. Many who have taken our guidance positively are getting good outcomes as a result. No design is perfect so we often come across manufacturer designs that have scope for improvement. It’s a continuous improvement process and if approached positively, it stands to benefit every stakeholder. Q. With the call for localisation, how are you geared for component-level testing and standardisations? A. In the Indian context, manufacturers often rely on base standards and are found to rely on overseas partners to import it. An alternative approach to taking advice available on home www.autocomponentsindia.com
ground. One has to understand that the domestic expertise, coupled with the support from the ministry, can be as effective in tackling India specific issues. We are very positive about government policies coming to the industry’s way. We assure the industry complete support for the shortest lead times and a frugal approach to keep costs low. As the industry explores the use of alternative materials and indigenous ways of testing, sooner than later, it will present a compelling case for the industry to go indigenous.
of involving such nitty-gritty in the bus training programmes. We could also use the experience with PMPML buses plying in Pune. An estimated 142 plus buses are plying successfully over the last one and a half years, a highest for the country. We want people to be attracted to public transport. Low Noise, Vibration and Harshness (NVH) levels here are a big boost coupled with efficient HVAC units. We are working in that direction, so very soon we will be coming with some proposals.
Q. There has been a lot of talk on balancing price and quality of components? How are you helping the industry turn frugal with a stringent compliance mechanism? A. Pricing is a tricky subject and best left to OEMs. There is always a possibility to reduce the cost of the vehicles but in India, the cost of labour cost and investments add to overheads significantly. From the commercial angle, it is not an easy one to tackle. From a technical perspective, I feel, even though the product may be costly people will buy it if there is the assurance of durability. It is a matter of changing the mindset.
Q. Any recent initiatives that you would like to highlight to enhance better vehicle utilisation and onroad safety? A. As I speak, the second batch is in the process by CIRT where we are training owners of driver training schools who in turn are the pillars of the safety ecosystem. It is quintessential that they are aware of the latest technologies being introduced in modern-day vehicles. It is they who will pass on the knowledge to drivers. For instance, wearing a seat belt is important as unless you wear it the airbags will not inflate. Given the compliance with social distancing norms, we are able to aggregate only 30-40 people batches. We are also offering online training programmes as part of our training calendar complete with the latest CMVR requirements. We are also creating awareness around the new and innovative Transport Bill by factoring in all the different stakeholders.
Q. What advancements have been made at the state-of-art Institute of Driving Training and Research (IDTR)? How many drivers have been trained in the midst of the pandemic here? A. It’s been an overwhelming response since we resumed operations in June. There are broadly four categories we have defined for our training programmes based on which we make the vehicles available for hands-on training. We are looking at offering exposure to electric buses where knowing the battery State of Charge (SoC) is very crucial for the driver. He needs to be always aware of when and how to utilise the optimum electrical energy at source and optimise acceleration to avoid panic braking. We are in the process
Q. How mature is the CIRT data bank on STUs? Any key recent findings that you could share with us? A. We have the latest data from 2018 onwards. In the last year, we could not gather data as there were no operational issues added to the database. We have received last month’s data from eight STUs and by the end of the month, we should get last year’s data. The data spans fuel economy and the tyre economy. In addition to it, we have tabulated best practices to be
Upfront undertaken in the future. Credit goes to the Association of State Road Transport Undertakings (ASRTU).
making it available from 2023. This will then lay the foundation for the transition to BSVII.
5000 kilometres in Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation. Both CNG and LNG are safe to operate.
Q. How do you ensure OEMs are not required to recall vehicles by integrating checks across the testing, safety and homologation stages? A. At the time of testing and homologation, all the litmus tests are carried out on the vehicle. It covers 70-75 per cent of the parts. Individual vehicle manufacturers are in control of the parts used and are required to test the vehicle for quality purposes to decide acceptance or rejection. However, a 100 per cent testing is not conducted by any of the OEMs including on the component front where parts typically range from 1000s, 10,000s to 20,000 plus. For vehicles plying, it is often an issue beyond the design and with external factors like bad road conditions, bad driving habits and poor maintenance leading to on-road failures. One has to look at recalls positively where the role of the OEM is to replace/correct the faulty part/mechanism. Beyond the 99 per cent control on performance, there are the few exceptions that have to be dealt with.
Q. How are you contributing to the call for flex-fuel engines? Do you see it being pursued aggressively by the industry since dual-fuel engines have been around for some time now? A. The industry is pursuing flex-fuel engines cautiously. They are also not fully aware of the norms being fixed. However, the industry is working on select engines to test the technology and based on the success, a series of engines could well be certified in the near term. We have certified ED95 for use with diesel and are in the midst of running trials with the help of STUs on end-of-life vehicles.
Q. How are you helping OEMs comply for exports as an approved authority in global markets? A. For the export homologation, one person is assigned as a dedicated resource. The report submitted by us is endorsed by a further agency. It’s high time we try for endorsement as many more test agencies will benefit from carrying export homologation facilities inturn helping ease the process for OEMs.
Q. Taking the learnings from BSVI how is CIRT gearing for higher emission norms like BSVII? A. It is a little too early for the planned rollout in 2027. For now, the resources are being utilised for gathering Real Driving Emissions (RDEs) and
Q. How far have we come on testing long-haul applications powered by ‘Type-4’ cylinders being used for CNG buses? And on Hydrogen and LNG-based applications? A. For the composite cylinder testing, there is no authorised agency as yet. ‘Type-4’ cylinders have the potential to reduce the weight of the vehicle which is the biggest advantage. We have been insisting on its use for over a decade now. Today, many cylinders are available. LNG on the other hand uses a cryogenic tank. On an LNG tank, we have tested a Tata Motors bus for
Q. What are the key focus areas for the near-medium and long-term? Any budgetary allocations and nontraditional auto revenue streams that may have opened up, and you could share with us? A. At CIRT we certify two-wheelers, buses and heavy commercial vehicles, special application vehicles like ambulances and fire tenders. We also certify construction equipment and tractors. We might be slow in many new areas that we’ve entered but we are firm. We also have many firsts to our credit like multi-axles, tarmac coach, diesel conversion, e-rickshaws and multi-axle sleeper coaches. Having grown at 65 per cent growth in 2019, we are positive about 2021-22 matching our past achievements. In third party inspection, we’ve tested more than 10,000 buses. It’s a wild card entry for us, from Uttarakhand to PMPML. We’ve tested for buses in Jammu and Kashmir too. ACI www.autocomponentsindia.com
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Q. Post BSVI rollout, how is the requirement for compliance across fuel types and vehicle segments? Any new engines certified on the lines? A. In the unlock phases, the availability of BSVI models is at a higher level than in Q1FY2021. CIRT has only recently certified almost eight models for Mahindra & Mahindra alone. By the end of the calendar year 2020 or up to the next financial year, a new stream of BSVI models are expected to hit the market.
Q. How are you responding to the call for localisation and standardisation of components across ICE and EVs? A. Many of the component manufacturers are exporting their products to the globe. It’s not that the norms are fixed by MoRTH. These are based on the Economic Commission of Europe norms. The standards are ready, people are aware that the export homologation is to be carried out. Indian OEMs are well prepared for it. Cost is also not an issue as the workforce, and the material cost will be cheaper in India, as compared to Europe. So we are not far behind in that sense.
Q. Any recent new product development initiatives at the component and vehicle level? Including in ADAS? A. Manufacturers are welcome to visit us for these requirements. We can help them further their development and assess test worthy parameters. On a customer supplied document we are testing the components and helping OEMs on all possible fronts, from development to testing.
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Playing To Strengths The International Centre for Automotive Technology is playing to its strengths in the automotive domain, to help the industry fastrack recovery. he International Centre for Automotive Technology (ICAT) is playing to its strengths across automotive design and engineering, research and development, testing and validation services. The objective is to help the stakeholders of the industry with an ecosystem that will aid in fast-tracking recovery from the slump on both the supply side and demand side. Forced to shift its 10-year target and the five-year vision plan by an additional year owing to a tough 2020, ICAT, according to Director Dinesh Tyagi has its task cut out. Averred Tyagi, “Because of the Covid-19 pandemic, this financial year is going to be a bad one for us. So we have to really discount the performance for this year.” “Hopefully, 2021, will look like what 2020 should have ideally looked like in terms of our 10-year target plan and five-year vision plan given that whatever targets we attached for 2020 were failing miserably,” he quipped. In 2021, ICAT will look to recover as it factors an additional year in its future roadmap by starting afresh. Like in the past, ICAT continues to work ahead of time, and ahead of the mandate of
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rollouts coming the industry’s way. Assured Tyagi, “When the discussion for BSVI had started, for instance, we began investing in the BSVI related infrastructure. We did this at least three years ahead of the implementation.” He said that within the three years, ICAT helped the industry carry out the fundamental work in its laboratories with many Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) having used the engine test labs in turn for their development purposes. Refuting claims of the ecosystem starting to gear for a BSVII rollout in the same manner next, asserted Tyagi, “There is no talk of BSVII today. Not even a discussion which has started. Once the discussion starts and the directions are given, be rest assured we at ICAT will be quick to align.” On gearing up to validate Real Driving Emissions (RDEs) post the BSVI rollout, he stated, the implementation was in the data collection stage with the help of Portable Emission Measurement Systems (PEMS) validating the deemed vehicle onroad compliance only by 2023. While the product development lead times, explained Tyagi, are primarily a baby of the OEMs
and suppliers, ICAT will continue to back the requirements and needs of the industry in a timebound manner. He explained, in exceptional cases, it could translate to the creation of a groundup testing infrastructure or a new set up altogether with the desired sense of urgency. ICAT, since July 2020, has resumed 60 per cent of the operations compared to preCovid-19 levels, he claimed.
Building muscle
On adding to efficiencies during the lull in business and operations, Tyagi admitted to infrastructure up-gradation being put on the backburner. He stated, “Infrastructural development could not happen as it was not the right time and nobody could really predict what would happen during the pandemic.” “It came down to each and every penny being saved during this time which in turn
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translated to spends being judiciously monitored.” ICAT, however, utilised the time to train its critical asset – manpower, helping them use the time constructively in gaining new skill sets. Helping to respond to the needs of the OEMs and suppliers, efficiently, the objective is to support the quick go-tomarket strategy and commercialisation requirements owing to the festive fervour and the anticipation of a pent-up demand leading to a ‘V-Shaped’ recovery. ICAT according to Tyagi continues to play to its strengths and experiences over the past many years. Working closely under the aegis of the Ministry of Road, Transport and Highways (MoRTH), ICAT, said Tyagi, is enhancing its capabilities Year-overYear in a continuous development and evolution process. At ICAT, 60 per cent of the business is a direct outcome of product development related projects. In effect, the certification business is limited to being one-third with 60-65 per cent of the business, an outcome of supporting product development requirements of the OEMs and the tier-component suppliers. In addition, ICAT is also focussed on preparing for the government’s call of a higher degree of localisation. In an ongoing process, it
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Engine Test Cell (ETC), ICAT Centre 1
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ICAT Centre 2, Manesar, Haryana
continues to liaise with more than 1000 active clients and gauge the resultant requirements and assistance needed. In an effort to cut down its logistics cost and time and serve customers better, ICAT, mentioned Tyagi, is meeting most of the track testing requirements through its captive resources at the ICAT Centre II in Manesar, Haryana. About 75 per cent of the needs are met through its own test tracks helping it serve customers better, he confirmed. On helping the industry
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build an ecosystem to comply with the requirements of electric vehicles and hybrids under the FAME outlay, Tyagi mentioned that ICAT over the last year committed to the transition with an investment of Rs.45 crore earmarked for augmentation of facilities including other auto-electrical laboratories for an additional support system. At the service level for fuel, lubricants and additives, ICAT, according to Tyagi, is fully equipped with fuel-consumption and engine
There are six technology platforms created under the Department of Heavy Industry (DHI), out of which two are designated for automotive. One of them is created by ICAT called Automotive Solutions Portal for Industry, Research & Education (ASPIRE) with the other created by Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI). The key objective of the ASPIRE portal is to enhance the technological capability of Indian automotive sector through exchange of knowledge and expertise, in order to promote selfreliance and to facilitate the growth of the automobile sector beside aiding in the overall socio-economic progress of the country. This technology platform is expected to facilitate the automotive industry (including OEMs, Tier 1 Tier 2 and Tier 3 companies), R&D institutions and academia (colleges and universities) to come together for combined
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tear-down analysis included in the domain of emission analysis. “We have done few projects for fleet testing,” he revealed. It has recently launched the Certification with high-security features. A first of its kind initiative taken by any automotive certification agency in India for enhancing the security of the CMVR certificates it includes Type Approval Certificates (TAC) and Conformity of Production (COP) Certificates for vehicles, engines and components. The USPs include
R&D, technology development, shop floor or quality and or warranty issue’s resolution, and for expert opinions which include issues involving technology advancements. The e-portal is claimed to act as a one-stop solution.
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high-security paper, printing using the ultraviolet ink, troymark, microprint, pantograph, reverse pantograph, secure code, print code and digitally printed stamp and seal of ICAT.
NVH lab (Noise Vibration & Harshness), ICAT Centre 2
Resource allocation
On contracting services due to the sheer scale of operations through the dedicated automotive solutions portal – ASPIRE, the director confirmed that ICAT was taking the requisite help from both the government and the industry including the start-ups under the aegis of Startup India, a government of India initiative. ICAT is also expanding its
revenue earning potential by focussing on the non-automotive businesses where it serves aviation, the general lighting industry, general electronics and also in the realm of medical equipment. “We are letting go of no opportunity where we find synergies with our facilities and with what we are doing,” the Director concluded. ACI
Testing Track, ICAT Centre 2
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Claimed to be working with lean resources like a reduced human resource pool, at ICAT, priority allocation to work in an efficient manner has superseded all strategies. For instance, with a few of the laboratories post-April 2020, BSVI rollout, devoid of work, the additional extra manpower had to be re-allocated to meet new business requirements and restore the balance. Tyagi explained, “The engine development laboratory had a lot of work prior to the BSVI rollout but once BSVI was rolled out, the sudden slump in business meant we had to re-allocate the idle workforce to laboratories with a relatively higher workload.” With the shuffle, ICAT is claimed to have been better positioned to certify many BSVI products at the vehicle and the engine level including hundreds of vehicles, engines and models in a ballpark estimate.
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Discounting 2020 In an upfront conversation, Dinesh Tyagi, Director at ICAT spoke of the need to discount 2020 from the five-year vision and 10-year target plan of ICAT.
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Upfront Q. To give us a sense of scale, how does ICAT compare to similar authorities in the European market? A. If you look at the volume of work and the kind of business volume that we have been handling, it is quite large when compared to that of authorities in the European market. However, our testing fees and other charges are lower due to which our revenues are also at a comparatively lower scale. Q. In a volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous environment, how did you allocate resources across the various ICAT services offered? A. We had to freeze all our recruitments. Some people also left the organisation during this pandemic which was very surprising as they were being paid a full salary. We have refrained from hiring any new resources. The idea is to operate very efficiently and in a very lean frame, sweating all our resources. Q. Post the BSVI rollout, what requirement are you dealing with for compliance across fuel types and vehicle segments? What has been the scale of testing and certification? A. We have certified many BSVI products at the vehicle level and the engine level. So we have tested more than hundreds of vehicles, engines and models to give a rough idea. Q. Taking the learnings from BSVI how is ICAT gearing for higher emission
norms like BSVII? What measures are you taking to help reduce the lead time of the product development cycles? A. There is no talk of BSVII today. Not even a discussion which has started. Once the discussion starts and the direction if given, we will align accordingly. When the discussion for BSVI had started, we started to invest in the BSVI related infrastructure. We did it at least three years ahead of the implementation. Within three years we helped the industry to carry out the fundamental work in our laboratories. Many OEMs also used our engine test labs for developing their engines. Q. With the call for localisation driven by the ‘China + 1’ strategy and incentivisation like the PLI scheme, how geared are you to meet the expected rise in component-level testing and standardisation? A. The PLI scheme is still new and we will have to study it deeper. So, I have asked my team to study the implication of such a kind in terms of ensuring readiness required by ICAT. However, for localisation, we are very active in the dialogue with more than 1000 clients to gauge their requirements and the level of assistance needed. Q. How are you aiding in compliance with Global NCAP and is a Bharat New Safety Vehicle Assessment Program on the lines feasible? Is it fair to criticise failed vehicle models until then? A. We have carried out a few global NCAP tests in our laboratories and helped few OEMs to export. The NCAP test is optional. If a competitor is getting it done and publicising its ratings, then in order to have equivalent chance at marketing, companies undertake it. It has not completely started in India as nobody is taking a lead on the lines. There is a well-drawn Bharat NCAP program, for instance, but nobody is taking the lead. Somebody has to start. The government
is also not currently for it but in Europe it is well-established. Peer pressure there is a major driving force. Q. How are the new site II test track and tyre testing facilities aiding a superior methodology for varied vehicular segments? A. Most of our track testing requirements are met through our captive stretch. However, still, for most of our needs, we have to go through some of our Indore or Chennai test tracks. About 75 per cent of our needs however are met through our own test tracks. So we have been able to cut down the logistics cost and time incurred otherwise. That way, it has helped us to serve our customers better. Q. The government is pushing for flex-fuel engines? What role do you see ICAT play in helping the industry make a seamless transition and do you see manufacturers pursuing it aggressively yet? A. Nobody can pursue it very aggressively at this point and time. First of all, a policy has to be rolled out and the future roadmap has to be made clear. For flex fuels, in many respects, to develop engines to comply with the requirements and to optimise all the performances of vehicles around the flex-fuel is no easy task. You have to first clear the policy, roll it out and then announce an implementation date. It is then that many manufacturers will be able to start work in this direction. It’s not something you can change overnight. Up to a certain mix, the present generation engines can take it but that percentage is not more than five-10 per cent. The moment you start to go beyond 10 per cent, it has serious concern areas. Even at up to 10 per cent, there are concern areas like there is a loss of power and the emission needs to be optimised. But the moment you go beyond, the challenges are plenty as then you are dealing with different characteristics. My best guess is that if you announce any high content of flex-fuel, it will call for whole new engine development. The vehicle level optimisation will be a project of nothing less than four or five years. www.autocomponentsindia.com
AUTO COMPONENTS INDIA n JANUARY 2021
Q. How did the pandemic influence operations spanning product development and innovation, testing and compliance? A. During the pandemic, ICAT, in April, was fully shut. When the Haryana government allowed us to operate, we opened up at full capacity. While the employees were back in the laboratories, work was still limited. The month of May and June were not good in terms of operations. July onwards, we attained 60 per cent of our pre-Covid-19 operational levels at about two-thirds of the expected levels.
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Upfront Q. With the growing penetration of ‘Type 4’ cylinders powering long-haul commercial vehicles how will you ensure compliance with CAFE norms? How does the equation change with composite cylinders and biofuels coming in the mix? A. Compliance has to be ensured by the OEMs themselves. We are a CAFE secretariat so we only monitor, review and control it. The composite cylinders are basically for hydrogen storage. LNG Storage again has a different kind of mechanism with low temperatures. Internally insulated buses are required for it.
AUTO COMPONENTS INDIA n JANUARY 2021
Q. How does CAFE norm compare to RDEs under the same umbrella? A. RDE is a Real Driving Emission which means that the emission when you test in the laboratory, on a test track. On a dynamometer, we also tried to see the results by mounting Portable Emission Measurement Systems called PEMS. So, RDE is a requirement of BSVI. All the models that are certified for BSVI also comply with RDE requirements, however, right now the exercise for data collection is going forward and the compliance factor will be validated by 2023.
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A. Yes, I think everybody is geared up. All OEMs have recertified their products including the tyre manufacturers. Q. On the export front, are you partnering with international certification authorities and synergising with them for Indian make vehicles and parts? A. Yes. We have international certification partners like TUV (Rheinland, Sud) and IDIADA among others. Q. How big an exercise is it to bring OEMs and tier suppliers, institutions and academia under one roof through an automotive solutions portal like ASPIRE alongside institutions like ARAI? A. Our portal is called ASPIRE and ARAI have their own portal which is on similar lines. There are six technology platforms created under DHI, out of which two are designated for automotive. One of them is created by ICAT called ASPIRE and another one created by ARAI. Requiring a dedicated approach, ICAT has created the concept of a governing board which consists of 39 people from the industry including all the important CTOs and CEOs. In addition, we have created 19 sub-boards
which are technology-specific which again are represented by the industry and from ICAT. So that way we have onboard the industry leaders to in turn benefit the industry by getting the wheel rolling and starting to serve the purpose of its creation. It is progressing well. Q. How is the simulation and testing MoU with Altair progressing? And with South Korea based KIAPI? A. With KIAPI we have done a few projects in Korea but with Altair a few training sessions, nothing big yet. Maybe in the future, we might see something materialise out of the latter. Q. To sum it up, what is it that you expect from 2021 and what according to you are the growth and challenge areas for the medium to long-term? A. Because of Covid-19, this financial year is going to be bad for us. So we have to really discount the performance for this year. Hopefully, 2021 will look like what this year should have ideally turned out for us in line with our 10-year target and five-year vision plans. So, whatever targets we attach for ourselves for this year, though that’s failing miserably, hopefully, we should soon be in a position to catch up shifting the roadmap timelines by one year. ACI
Q. How do you look at the appeal for its deferment? What according to you is a priority to ensure RoI for manufacturers leapfrogging to newer standards with heavy investments? A. Well, I cannot answer in RoI terms because the government reinforces regulations and we only assist in the process. BSVI has been enforced by the government no matter what the margin of investment that could have been lost in the BSIV compliance process. These are business risks. Regulatory compliance can change the RoI calculation at times and everybody has to be aware of what is coming their way. Q. How has the ecosystem responded to the revised axle-load norms? Are ancillaries like tyre manufacturers able to comply in tandem? www.autocomponentsindia.com
2-Poster and 4-Poster Test Facility in Fatigue Lab of ICAT
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Business Filing
The Nerve Centre Tata Technologies and GKN Automotive, in a strategic move, have got together for emobility. A global software engineering centre is their first byproduct. It is expected to be the nerve centre for growth. t’s no longer about resuming prior investment plans. It’s about earmarking capital expenditures for growth and expansion. Digitisation, research and development spends and emphasis on upskilling for an efficient ecosystem are gaining prominence in long-term strategic plans. Testimony to it is the Tata Technologies Ltd. and GKN Automotive Ltd. partnership which was firmed up earlier this year with an agreement. Within three months of signing it, the two companies with close coordination got the new nerve centre up and running. The softlaunched global e-mobility software engineering centre (in Q2FY2020) located at Bengaluru will power next-generation e-powertrains (e-drives). Elaborating on the development in hindsight, averred Warren Harris, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Tata Technologies, “The launch of the global e-mobility software engineering centre will help both companies
AUTO COMPONENTS INDIA n JANUARY 2021
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Story by: Ashish Bhatia
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expand and accelerate growth channels in the e-powertrain segment.” Explained Harris, that the centre will fuse Tata Technology’s expertise in e-powertrain and embedded systems with GKN Automotive‘s next-generation e-drive technologies essentially comprising of an electric motor, high-voltage lithium-ion battery and a smart battery management system. With a potential to reshape the future of sustainable e-mobility, the milestone centre, according to Harris, will play a pivotal role in the development of reliable and higher quality technical solutions that create real value for customers.
The milestone
Despite Covid-19 induced challenges and delays, Tata Technologies and GKN Automotive, according to Harris, completed the 12,650 sq. ft area centre in a six months time span. “Housing a design studio and laboratories besides meeting and conference rooms, by the turn
Liam Butterworth, Chief Executive Officer at GKN Automotive Ltd.
According to Liam Butterworth, Chief Executive Officer at GKN Automotive, the crucial milestone is essential for accelerating growth and expansion by way of localising products in India. It’s also a stepping stone to widening the customer base. The Government of India’s emphasis on going ‘Vocal for Local’ makes it an apt time to develop indigenous world-class engineering capabilities, he stated.
The business case
GKN Automotive has commercialised e-drives for 13 electrified models from 10 global brands known to include four major OEMs. Spanning premium four-wheel-drive SUVs to an electric city car, the three-in-one e-drive system is known to package advances in electric motors, transmission, traction inverters, software and controls. Incidentally,
Business Filing
the market for embedded systems was expected to breach the USD 86.5 billion mark in 2020. It was projected to reach a valuation of USD 116.2 billion by 2025 at a 6.1 per cent compounded annual growth rate. Even as Covid-19 is being looked at as a big jolt to the projections for the embedded systems and related components, new product development is expected to prove lucrative for companies like GKN Automotive and Tata Technologies, ready to sweat their assets for the long-term. With the market yearning for a China plus one import strategy, the two entities continue to look at it as a strong business case. Opined Harris, “From an e-mobility perspective, we believe that the prospects have actually improved post-Covid 19 with electric vehicle sales growing rapidly across geographies. Both in China and the US, e-mobility sales have hit a new benchmark and most OEMs are accelerating the launch of their e-mobility products to meet their customer requirements.” Harris explained that the centre will be utilised for the initial focus upon delivering software to GKN Automotive which will inturn package it with their driveline and e-powertrain solutions. “We are looking at the centre as a platform for further collaboration with GKN in other areas too making it a very important milestone for our organisation,” he stated. Harris also confirmed that the centre would initially work with global customers, and over time, look at servicing Indian companies. ACI
AUTO COMPONENTS INDIA n JANUARY 2021
of the calendar year 2020, the centre is expected to house more than 100 capable engineers from the present 65 experienced on Autosar and embedded software,” he said. With adequate support staff, the centre will be opened in a phase-wise manner in strict compliance to hygiene, sanitisation and social distancing practices. At Tata Technologies, the focus is on embedded software offerings to tap the opportunities arising from autonomous, connected and electric vehicles. Recognising drive system innovation as central to mobility, the company wants to build a pool of talent with deep domain expertise, and harness it in the new centre. To bring in efficiencies, explained Harris, it will leverage the in-house manufacturing domain knowledge and the comprehensive experience of dealing with global Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and tier 1 businesses. It will also bank on the two partners’ exposure to leading European, the US and APACbased OEMs to expand globally. On the other hand, headquartered in the UK, global technology company GKN brings to the table its end-to-end capability of developing, building and supplying advanced e-powertrains with a million electrified vehicles already onroad. Having fitted its first e-drive in a production car nearly two decades ago, GKN wants to capitalise on its partner’s expertise in electric and embedded systems besides the capabilities of attracting the top talent pool in India for the dedicated automotive facility.
Design lab at the new centre
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Upfront
Creating Real Value For Customers
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In an upfront interaction, Warren Harris, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Tata Technologies spoke of offering solutions to pave the way for a cleaner and sustainable mobility solutions and for creating real value for customers.
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Q. What value additions and efficiencies do you expect to add by way of the new global e-mobility software engineering centre in the midst of a pandemic? A. The new normal amidst Covid-19 has given rise to many emerging trends. It is critical for the automotive industry to adapt and evolve in order to meet the needs of customers. From our perspective, we see clear trends of changing customer preferences pertaining to the adoption of digital and virtual engagement, a focus on enhancing manufacturing efficiency through the adoption of digital manufacturing solutions, cost optimisation across the product value chain, re-engineering of the supply chain ecosystem and last but not the least a greater adoption of alternative propulsion system like electric vehicles across the globe. Our global e-mobility software engineering centre in Bengaluru will leverage Tata Technologies’ expertise in electric and embedded systems to work on the next-generation e-drive technologies in order to bring in efficiencies backed by the manufacturing domain knowledge and rich expertise of working with global OEMs and tier 1s. In the current times, the Indian government’s impetus on ‘Vocal for Local’ to go global is driving www.autocomponentsindia.com
our commitment towards putting India on the global e-mobility map. It entails investment in R&D and attracting the right talent to develop indigenous engineering capabilities for the world. Q. Elaborate on the six-month layout to construction journey given the magnitude of challenges ranging from manpower crunch to execution hurdles? A. Developing an e-mobility software centre of this scale requires very granular planning and timely onboarding of qualified resources especially in Autosar and embedded software. When we started the project, the impact of Covid-19 was visible and we faced several challenges in getting the project team to develop the centre and get it up and running. However, through close coordination with our partners, we were able to get the centre up and running within three months of signing the agreement with GKN Automotive and started onboarding the talent needed to develop and deliver world-class e-powertrain solutions. From a talent pool of 30 people a few months back, we have now scaled up to 65 engineers and we hope to have 100 plus talented engineers working with us from this centre by the end of the year. Q. Together with GKN Automotive, how do you plan to offer sustainable
mobility solutions eventually with economies of scale? A. Right from the Tata Technologies’ vision of “Engineering a Better World” to GKN Automotive’s vision “To drive a cleaner, more sustainable world through leading-edge drive systems”, both businesses are aligned towards offering solutions that pave the way for a cleaner and sustainable mobility. The launch of the global e-mobility software engineering centre will help both companies expand and accelerate growth channels in the e-powertrain segment. As the world increasingly adopts e-mobility, the centre will utilise Tata Technologies’ expertise in e-powertrain and embedded systems as well as its ability to attract India’s software engineering talent to work on GKN Automotive‘s next-generation e-drive technologies, reshaping the future of sustainable e-mobility. The centre aims to cater to the demands of future mobility and develop reliable, higher quality technical solutions that create real value for customers. Q. Do you retain the pre-Covid outlook and strategy on e-mobility and the respective segments you are betting big on? A. From an e-mobility perspective, we believe that the prospects have actually improved post-Covid-19
Upfront Q. Have you backed it up with a phase-wise investment strategy? A. Tata Technologies has been increasingly focused on embedded and software offerings, in addition to our traditional expertise in product engineering. The fact that we have a very deep and longstanding capability and domain expertise in the automotive industry enables us to make decisions on next-gen products balancing the importance of mechanical with our growing capabilities in embedded electronics and software. The automotive industry is likely to undergo a sea change over the next ten years driven along three vectors: the move towards electrification, connected and autonomous driving. Tata Technologies is committed to aligning its investments in these vectors. While I can’t disclose specifics of customer projects, we are working on some very exciting projects across automotive hubs in North America, Europe and the APAC region. We are privileged to be involved in some of the most progressive innovations and investments that are being made towards e-mobility. Q. Will the product design and engineering capabilities be limited to GKN’s global OEMs and tier 1 OEMs
only or will you at some point want to expand your horizons? A. Today, the centre will be focussed upon delivering software to GKN Automotive which will inturn package it with their driveline and e-powertrain solutions. It will leverage our support in the contribution it makes to its customers in North America, Europe and APAC. We are looking at the centre as a platform for further collaboration with GKN in other areas. We are also looking to capitalise the experience that we are able to gather here and make that available to our customers globally. Q. How capable are the design studio and lab stations to aid a sustainable product lifecycle management and go-to-market strategy? A. Our e-powertrain capabilities are uniquely positioned to support the go-to-market strategy of the target client both from a scalability and sustainability perspective. Through our product engineering services, we help customers in the automotive, aerospace industry heavy machinery verticals including helping them conceptualise, design and develop better products. Our digital offerings, on the other hand, help businesses to manufacture, service and realise better products. The synergy between our understanding of the technology as well as products enabled by the manufacturing industry is the USP of our organisation. In the technology domain, “we use what we sell, and we sell what we use” and that is a key differentiator for our company compared to traditional IT companies operating in the space. Q. Do you expect to also draw direct benefits for the centre from the skilled resource pool you will have access to under the MoU with the Karnataka Government for upgrading ITIs? A. The collaboration with Government of Karnataka is aimed at upgrading and modernising 150 Governmentowned Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) across Karnataka as part of the initiative to conceive and implement
projects of high social impact and complement the nation-building efforts of the Government. Post-up-gradation, these ITIs will not only cater to advanced skill requirements of students as well as prospective employers but also act as technology hubs, including skill centres for the large industry as well as MSME. Those graduating from these institutes will also get preference in placement by the companies that are part of the consortium which includes Tata Technologies. However, the goal of this initiative has a much wider perspective and is not particularly limited to building the resource pool required for the Bengaluru centre. Q. To sum it up, how do you plan to leverage the centre on a short, medium and long-term basis? A. Tata Technologies has been increasingly focussed on embedded and software offerings, in addition to our traditional expertise in product engineering. We are known for our light-weighting and body engineering capabilities, for instance. We have a long-standing relationship with Jaguar and Land Rover, the investments that they have made in aluminium body structures has highlighted our differentiated experience and capability. As the industry moves from internal combustion engines to alternative propulsion systems, a lightweight body structure is an essential condition that is driving significant demand for Tata Technologies. So, our traditional strengths in mechanical continue to be relevant in the work that we are doing in the EV space. While that will continue to be important, we recognise that it will not be sufficient to position ourselves as a strategic partner to OEMs, leading us to invest aggressively in embedded electronics and software. The centre will initially work with global customers and, over time, will look at servicing Indian companies as well. We will continue to differentiate ourselves in the short, medium and long-term. ACI With Bureau Inputs www.autocomponentsindia.com
AUTO COMPONENTS INDIA n JANUARY 2021
with electric vehicle sales growing rapidly across the geographies. Both in China and the US, e-mobility sales have hit a new benchmark and most OEMs are accelerating the launch of their e-mobility products to meet their customer requirements. The collaboration with GKN Automotive is an endorsement off the capabilities and skillsets that we have built over the years. This global e-mobility software engineering centre will develop software for e-powertrain systems and components that GKN Automotive will deliver to their customers. It is a significant and strategic initiative and a major milestone for our organisation.
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Special Reads
Gearing For Aftermarket Growth In a Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers webinar, growth in the aftermarket took centre stage. Story by: Team ACI
AUTO COMPONENTS INDIA n JANUARY 2021
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he aftermarket in India is projected to attain an Rs.85,500 crore valuation by 2025. To help the stakeholders of the automotive industry tap the growth potential of the aftermarket, Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) conducted a webinar. It urged the need to take a holistic approach covering every aspect of the segment. Evaluating the needs, possibilities and challenges with an end objective of customer satisfaction, crucial topics were touched upon. These included quintessential quality, curbing counterfeit, vocal for local, simplifying the
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supply chain, amplifying accessibility and evaluating e-commerce. Averred Prashant Banerjee, Executive Director at SIAM, “The Indian auto industry is bouncing back towards positive growth with growth in September and October at an estimated 30 per cent.” “We need a higher level of collaboration with stakeholders to be able to tap the aftermarket,” he exclaimed. Curbing counterfeit emerged as a prime concern in the session. H J S Pasricha, Head CMD and Scientist-F, at Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) lauded the vehicle and component Original Equipment Manufacturers
Special Reads (OEMs) for coming together in a cleanup exercise. He mentioned, “The aftermarket needs to be more focussed and the time is ripe for introducing a graded plan to tackle the menace of counterfeits.” “The need of the hour is to focus on the substandard parts flooding the market and encourage local suppliers to ramp up their capacity with a clear focus on meeting quality standards set by the industry,” he said. Admitting to India’s fight against counterfeit being at a nascent stage, opined Pasricha, the objective must be to give the customers a healthy choice of quality products which would be possible by building an appropriate, supporting infrastructure. Quality reflects on the standard of living with the Asian culture. RK Jaiswal, Development Officer at Department of Heavy Industry, Government of India opined, the belief will raise the levels of quality consciousness in the ecosystem especially in the next year. “Quality, not only opens the doors to harnessing the export potential but also helps adhere to the cradle-tocradle design approach,” he asserted. Calling the Indian market costsensitive, he called for treading with caution to ensure quality doesn’t get compromised in the market for meeting price competitiveness. He called for a strict approach and formulation of a standard operating procedure to ensure quality at the manufacturing stage itself. Kenichi Takashima, Director at Honda Cars India expressed, “We as
H J S Pasricha, Head CMD and Scientist-F, at Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS)
OEMs have a liability or responsibility to supply quality parts. This is an obligation for us OEMs.” He too called for ensuring customer interests closely linked with the availability of quality, affordable spare parts in the aftermarket. In the absence of such an ecosystem, he said, fading demand was no real surprise. Speaking of parts being consolidated at select locations against an even distribution pattern, he added, it was a factor of people availability and demographical reasons. Takashima called for the need for the parts being traced back to the global warehouse in a bid to tackle compliance issues and lack of standardisation. He urged the government to consider higher flexibility pertaining to imports of smaller quantities as a supporting move. Remanufacturing found a mention at the session too. Rajiv Ramchandra, Founder and Director of Recreate India Research Foundation (Re:CREATe) talked about rewiring the economy. “Remanufacturing is a big part of the aftermarket industry. It connects to the aspiration of sustainable development goals,” he opined. He called for ensuring universal access to mobility, efficiency, safety, and for minimising environmental impacts. Anuj Monga, Global Research Manager - Aftermarket Mobility at Frost and Sullivan drew attention to e-commerce. “One in 12 parts sold in the automotive market will be sold online by 2026 registering a 5x growth. It will be a USD 80 billion market,
RK Jaiswal, Development Officer, Department of Heavy Industry, Government of India
covering online sales of parts and accessories,” he shared. Adding that China would account for a fifth of the global e-commerce revenue, he opined, in India, the need of the hour was to tap the emerging point of sales and get the merchants to act upon them. Vikrantt Mohan, National President, All India Automobile Workshops Association called for a larger degree of organisation and treating independent garage owners as extended arms of the OEMs. Rajesh Chaudhary, Senior Director of Solutions Development at Delhivery connected the dots and claimed to work closely with OEMs at the nascent stage of them foraying into e-commerce, driven by a mobile economy. Mihir Mohan, Founder and CEO of Pitstop urged the industry to look at a fulfilment model over just looking at an online selling platform. He opined, there was a need to match the etailers on micro-logistics as is the case of non-automotive segments to ensure agility. Manjunath H C, Senior General Manager at TVS Motor company solutions called for the adoption of data mapping between OEMs and the aftermarket players to ensure customer delight and thereby boost brand loyalty through better engagement. Sanjoy Chatterjee, Head, Bazaar Sales at, Spares Business Unit, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. said that the OEMs were required connect directly with end consumers to match the efficiency showcased today by the etailers. He hinted at the need for the industry to take a cue from segregation at the origin, a well-established concept in the field of mechanics. ACI www.autocomponentsindia.com
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Prashant Banerjee, Executive Director at SIAM
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CII Autoserve 2020 At the ninth edition of CII Autoserve 2020, the call for buying and servicing in India for the growth prospects grew louder.
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he stakeholders of the automotive industry are adapting to change in the aftermath of Covid-19. One such area is the aftermarket segment. Valued at an estimated USD 384.1 billion, it is expected to grow manifold. To tap the growth, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) organised the ninth edition of CII Autoserve 2020. Though held virtually, the call for buying, servicing in India for its growth potential had the industry in unison. Averred Nitin Gadkari, Minister of Road Transport & Highways and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Government of India, “I am fully confident that the future of the Automotive Industry is very bright and the vision plan of Atma Nirbhar Bharat will only further propel the growth prospects of the automotive and the aftermarket segments.” As the go-to event for the automotive aftermarket, the ninth edition succeeded in its objective as a month-long congress, held from November 23 December 22, 2020, over the CII Hive Platform. Held with an objective to provide a platform to the stakeholders of the automotive industry, CII Autoserve 2020, made a case for learning and
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Story by: Deepti Thore
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adopting best practices to be able to harness the growth potential envisaged. “The automotive industry is bouncing back and the global automotive aftermarket is anticipated to reach a valuation of over USD 513.1 billion by 2027 from the current USD 381.4 billion,” asserted Vipin Sondhi, Chairman, CII Trade Fairs Council and Managing Director and CEO at Ashok Leyland Ltd. A sum total of more than 75 varied stakeholders as exhibitors assessed the impact of Covid-19 on the automotive aftermarket segment. From component and spare parts manufacturers, battery and battery charger companies, charging ecosystem providers, paint booth manufacturers, tyre and retreading equipment manufacturers to stakeholders of the equipment repair and maintenance segment showcased products, technologies, demonstration videos, and technical specifications to highlight their offerings. Exhibitors at the exhibition included Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. (IOCL), Tata Autocomp GY Batteries, Bosch India, Brakes India, Motherson Auto Parts, Uno Minda, TVS EuroGrip, Hella Lighting and Lumax Industries to name a few. Using a modern world approach, complete with the instant interactions suite of video and live chat, a B2B
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learnings from efforts to stay connected to its retailer, dealers and mechanics. He suggested that data analytics is the key to attain efficient and productive growth in the aftermarket. Sanjay Datta, Chief - Underwriting, Reinsurance & Claims, ICICI Lombard General Insurance defined the role of the aftermarket in road safety. Calling the aftermarket as a growth driver for the automotive industry, Anil Bhamre, Vice President (Aftermarket) Sales & Marketing, Tata Autocomp GY Batteries added, “Tyres, batteries and lubes have benefitted the most.” Sanjeev Sharma, General Manager - Mobility Solutions and Fleet Management (Truck Bus Radial), JK Tyre & Industries called for seizing the potential opportunity, and use it to create efficiencies and inturn be profitable. The session on ‘Leveraging Change of Technology for Aftermarket Growth’ drew attention to softwareenabled components used in putting together the automobiles. Alternative fuels, IoT driven systems, and the need to revive gaps between organised and unorganised sectors found a mention too. Srinivasa Raghavan, Managing Director, TVS Automobile Solutions spoke of technology graduating from offering convenience to leading the change in business models. “Aftermarket is not just about parts anymore. It is more about parts and services where technology itself has become a service,” he concluded. ACI
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“The industry is fast moving towards automation, electrification and new powertrains,” he mentioned. He suggested stakeholders benchmark with the European aftermarket segment claimed to be in a healthier state than OEMs there. Rakesh Kher, President - Group Aftermarket, UNO Minda drew attention to the automotive distribution market facing a downturn on both the supply side and the demand side. Barring the eastern region, he said the demand distribution, though varied, had picked up in other regions especially the southern and the western regions showing promise to start with. Anjan Kumar, Regional President, Automotive Aftermarket - India, Bosch revisited the economic contraction in the early stages of the pandemic known to have negatively impacted the aftermarket. Urging the industry to stay in touch with the stakeholders digitally, he emphasised, it was the key to stay in business. Nagaraju Srirama, President and Director, JK Fenner (India) cited the period of the raw material shipped at the ports having no assistance for unloading, clearing or transporting the raw material. He called it a challenging period especially given the latter’s shelf life. A session on ‘Transitioning to Succeed in the New Aftermarket Landscape’ had Parthasarathy Srinivasan, Advisor, Business Development & Business Excellence, Rane Group share its
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Lounge, Drop Message, email and SMS facilities ensured a seamless exchange. Government officials, decision-makers and technical experts from the industry, including the bus operators and automobile dealer community, transport and logistics companies besides the transport corporations also took part. Among key sessions held over the course of the congress was a twoday conference. Themed as ‘Seizing Opportunities in New Normal’, it had the Union Minister Nitin Gadkari highlight significant achievements made by the automotive industry pertaining to design and manufacture. “The country is fast emerging as a global hub for automotive manufacturing,” he exclaimed. He promoted the use of flex engines and alternate fuels incidentally when the government is also known to be considering an advancement in the deadline of ethanol blending (at 20 per cent) in petrol, from the earlier set 2030 deadline. Gadkari apprised the gathering of the governments’ plan to install battery charging units across 69,000 petrol pumps in a pan-India move seen as an encouragement to the adoption of electric vehicles. In line with the vision to make India more self-reliant, the automotive solutions portal - ASPIRE was positioned as being capable of boosting innovation and adoption of global technological advancements. R Dinesh, Chairman, Autoserve 2020 and Joint Managing Director, T V Sundram Iyengar & Sons urged the industry to ‘Buy in India; Service in India; Grow in India’ as the renewed mantra going forward. Rama Shankar Pandey, Chairman, Aftermarket Committee, ACMA & Managing Director, Hella India Lighting drew attention to the need for standardisation of services and products to support the growth of the aftermarket. A session on the ‘Impact of Covid-19 in Mobility and Automotive Aftermarket’ had Frank Schlehuber, Senior Consultant Market Affairs, European Association of Automotive Suppliers (CLEPA) term this phase for the industry as a transitional one.
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TAGMA Tooling Summit 2020 At the first-ever virtual edition of the International Tooling Summit, the objective was to help the tooling industry chart its way through these challenging times. Team ACI
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he pandemic has spared no one. The tooling industry is no exception either and has borne the brunt of a global economy being spun out of a trajectory from the normal course of circumstances. The Tool and Gauge Manufacturer Association (TAGMA), on November 27 and 28, 2020 had organised the fifth edition and first-ever virtual edition of the International Tooling Summit-cumvirtual expo with an objective of helping the tooling industry chart its way through these challenging times. At one of the largest die and mould gathering, themed around ‘Tooling Self Reliance in India and New Frontiers of Growth’, Nitin Gadkari, Minister for Road Transport & Highways and the Minister of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises and MSR Prasad, Distinguished Scientist & Director General - Missiles and Strategic Systems (MSS), DRDO were among the several prominent dignitaries of the tooling world to grace the twoday virtual event. The event was well-received by the more than 500 professionals, who marked their presence from around the world. The event turned out to be an eye-opener, guiding toolmakers to find opportunities in the face of a crisis. Averred Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, “The tooling industry is
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like the heart of the manufacturing industry. It has immense economic importance. We cannot dream of having a strong manufacturing industry without a robust tooling industry.” D. K. Sharma, President, TAGMA India, in his welcome address, expressed, “The current pandemic has taught us a lot. For instance, adopting digital is no longer an option, but more of a compulsion. The firstever virtual ITS is the result of such learnings.” He also highlighted the challenges that Indian toolmakers face and spoke about their expectations from the government and Original Equipment Manufacturers. The welcome speech was followed by the launch of the ‘Tooling Industry Report’ at the hands of the Union Minister. Prepared by TAGMA in association with Nomura Research Institute India Pvt. Ltd., the report provides comprehensive details about the Indian tooling industry. The events’ Guest of Honour, MSR Prasad, mainly discussed the current activities and plans of the defence ministry as he spoke about the huge opportunities available for toolmakers in the defence sector. At the two day event, 15 leaders shared their insights about the industry through two panel discussions, and seven technical sessions. The concurrent virtual expo organised along with the summit had 18 partners showcase their latest technologies. DMG MORI, Makino, AMS, COSMOS, MAZAK, Mitsubishi EDM, Goel Steel, Hitachi Metals, Hurco, Schneider (L&T), Multiple Special Steels, PCK Buderus, Phillips, Schunk, Swiss Steel, Voestalpine, Mastercam and Millutensil were among the participating companies. ACI ----------------------------------Watch out for the detailed Tooling Industry Report*
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