AUTO COMPONENTS INDIA JULY 2022 by Next Gen Publishing Pvt Ltd

www.autocomponentsindia.com Vol 8 Issue 05

` 100

July 2022

Upfront | Exclusive

COMPONENTS

INDIA

Voice of the Automotive Suppliers

Rajesh R, Vice President of Defence and Power Solution Business, Ashok Leyland Ltd.

Tyre Exports And Replacement Demand

Top 5 Export Markets for Indian Tyres

USA

19% Germany

FY21-22

Brazil UK

4% 4%

France

Cover Green Engine Castings Mobilised Recycled Polyester Tyres

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Jammu Udhampur Highway, Jammu, India Jammu Udhampur Highway, Jammu, India Jammu Udhampur Highway, Jammu, India

Content

july 2022

COMPONENTS

INDIA

Voice of the Automotive Suppliers

Cover Story

Tyre Exports And Replacement Demand The tyre industry is banking on exports and replacement demand to drive growth.

OTR To Stay On Course

Satisfying Customer Base

Advanced Aggregates

JK Tyres with a new series of premium off the road tyres wants to ensure CEVs stay on course.

Green Engine Castings

Volvo Group in partnership with Brakes India launched the first green engine castings.

Driving The Transition To Cleaner CEVs Ashok Leyland has taken a step for cleaner CEV engines.

BKT is satisfying the customer base to enhance its market acceptance.

Dependable Innovation

Cummins vows to deliver dependable innovation at Excon 2k21.

auto components india // July 2022

BPW Trailer Systems is offering advanced trailer aggregates.

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content

july 2022

COMPONENTS

INDIA

Voice of the Automotive Suppliers

08 Newscast l

Appointments on the Central Board of RBI

Agniveers: A job-ready pool

16 Mobilised

l Recycled Polyester Tyres

MoEVing and Sona Comstar MoU

ACMA and Hero MotoCorp collaborate

All Eaton India sites certified

Freudenberg to augment capacity

TPEML and Ford India MoU

Covestro CEO stays on

Young Entrepreneur Innovation Award

Priyadarsi Bastia is new CFO at Pricol

Tata Power partners with Kolte Patil

STMicroelectronics digital car access

Symbio and Schaeffler join forces

Fully integrated e-drive systems

33 Trending

l Building Cost-effective And Safe Battery Packs

36 Globescan l Influencing Tech

40 6

auto components india // July 2022

#Trendsmap www.autocomponentsindia.com

hotspot

Aggregates In A Circular Economy

AUTO COMPONENTS INDIA

608, Trade World, 6th floor, C wing, Kamala Mills Compound, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel (W), Mumbai - 400013, India. Tel +91 9321546598, Email us at a.bhatia@nextgenpublishing.net Executive Editor Ashish Bhatia Editorial Advisory Board H. S. Billimoria, Aspi Bhathena Head - Design & Production Ravi Parmar Correspondent: Deepti Thore, Prateek Pardeshi Sumesh Soman Asst Art Director Ajit Manjrekar Production Supervisor Dinesh Bhajnik Publisher Marzban Jasoomani Associate Publisher & General Manager (North & East) Ellora Dasgupta General Manager – South Girish Shet Deputy General Manager – North & East Chanchal Arora (Delhi) Regional Advertising Manager Raghul Krishnan R (Bengaluru) Regional Manager Rajesh Gogate (Mumbai) Manager Circulation - North and East Kapil Kaushik (Delhi)

The industry is leveraging technology for aggregates and layering it with stringent circular economy checks to design out waste and pollution, keep products and materials in use, and regenerate natural systems.

he revised axle load norms came into force in 2018 after first being notified in 1983. The repercussions were beyond just the creation of higher load carry capacity owing to the enhanced load limits, per axle of commercial vehicles. The permissible safe axle weights of goods vehicles were revised and attributed to the over the years improvements made in the tyre technology, and the vehicle design etc. The move was also to inch closer to global axle weight norms, deemed higher in comparison. While it was believed that the evolution of aggregates forced brought about the major shift, the increase in the permissible axle weight of transport vehicles compelled few Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) to re-engineer the vehicles altogether. With help of suppliers, they were able to offer higher-quality aggregates and adhere to the needs of a circular economy. The July issue rounds up key enhancements that have impacted the drive ability and business. The industry is leveraging technology for aggregates and layering it with stringent circular economy checks to design out waste and pollution, keep products and materials in use, and regenerate natural systems. Ashish Bhatia Executive Editor | a.bhatia@nextgenpublishing.net

Subscription Supervisor Sachin Kelkar Tel +91 9321546598 Apple Newsstand & Magzter Queries: help@magzter.com Territory Sales Incharge (Circulation) Srinivas Gangula (Hyderabad) Cell +91 09000555756 Territory Sales Incharge (Circulation) Vidyasagar Gupta (Kolkata) Mob: 09804085683 Regional marketing offices Next Gen Publishing Pvt. Ltd. 608, Trade World, 6th floor, C wing, Kamala Mills Compound, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel (W), Mumbai - 400013, India, Mumbai -400013. Tel +91 22 9321546598 26 B, First Floor, Okhla Industrial Estate, Okhla Phase III, New Delhi - 110020, India Tel +91 11 42346600/78, Fax +91 11 42346679 S.No.261/G.L.R.No.5, East Street,Camp Pune - 411001.

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/autocomponentsindiaofficial /autocomponentsindia ACI Mag /acimagazine 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., 608, Trade World, 6th floor, C wing, Kamala Mills Compound, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel (W), Mumbai - 400013, India.. Published by Marzban Jasoomani on behalf of Next Gen Publishing Pvt. Ltd., 608, Trade World, 6th floor, C wing, Kamala Mills Compound, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel (W), Mumbai - 400013, India. Printed at Uchitha Graphic Printers Pvt. Ltd., 65, Ideal Industrial Estate, Mathuradas Mills Compound, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel, Mumbai 400013, India., India. Published at Next Gen Publishing Pvt. Ltd., 608, Trade World, 6th floor, C wing, Kamala Mills Compound, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel (W), Mumbai - 400013, India.

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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

auto components india // july 2022

Newscast

Appointments on the Central Board of RBI The key industry veterans from the automotive industry have been appointed to the Central Board of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). TVS Motor Company, Chairman Emeritus, Venu Srinivasan has been appointed as the non-official director on the central board of the RBI. Mahindra & Mahindra, Chairman, Anand Gopal Mahindra, has also

been appointed as part-time, non-official Director on the Central Bank Board. Part of the 10 non-official directors on the Central Board of RBI, the four new appointees take over effective June 14, 2022 for a four years tenure. The official fulltime directors of the RBI consist of the Governor and four deputy governors.

Agniveers: A job-ready pool

The Agniveers have found backing from Industrialist Anand Mahindra, Chairman, Mahindra & Mahindra Group. Citing their rigorous training known to impart both skill and discipline, he backed them up as a job-ready pool. Responding to a tweet questioning their industry fit, Anand Mahindra opined they were job-ready and fit for roles across operations, supply chain and administrations. With a fear looming large on only 25 per cent making the cut eventually, he expressed, “There is a large potential of employment of Agniveers in the corporate sector. With leadership, teamwork and physical training, Agniveers provide market-ready professional solutions to the industry, covering the full spectrum from operations to administration and supply chain management as may be deemed fit.

auto components india // july 2022

MoEVing and Sona Comstar MoU for data collaboration MoEVing, a leading full-stack commercial electric mobility platform has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Sona BLW Precision Forgings Ltd for data collaboration. The collaboration is expected to enable the companies to develop technologies and design components suitable for various commercial emobility applications in India. With a common vision of developing cost-effective technologies and driving faster adoption of emobility in India, MoEVing will bank on deep data intelligence around vehicle performance, driver behaviour, geospatial intelligence, and duty cycles said to be the vital inputs to a high-quality component design. Sona Comstar will in turn use the databacked insights to innovate and develop high-quality products. Vivek Vikram Singh, CEO of Sona Comstar, said, “This collaboration is yet another step towards offering cost-effective solutions to drive faster adoption of electric mobility in India.”

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Newscast

ACMA and Hero MotoCorp Collaborate The Automotive Component Manufacturers Association of India (ACMA), and Hero MotoCorp organised a one-ofits-kind EV Technology Expo. Held between June 08-09, 2022 in Jaipur, the expo witnessed more than 35 EV component manufacturers participating in the show. They showcased their latest technological innovations and products in the realm of motors and controllers, inverters, DC-DC converters, battery technology, BMS, thermal management system, charger and charging systems, telematics and remote diagnostics, vehicle tracking systems, e-braking, energy recovery and digital stimulation technology, to name a few. In

All Eaton India sites certified for zero water discharge In alignment with its 2030 sustainability targets, all Eaton India’s facilities are now zero water discharge certified. On the global front as well, the company aims to certify 10 per cent of its manufacturing facilities as zero water discharge by 2030. They have achieved this target by reviewing and understanding the needs of the zero water discharge process and using the predefined checklist to identify gaps and fill them in with the right solutions according to Mukul Kadam, Sub-regional Manager, EHS corporate Eaton. He said, “Our plants are concentrating on reducing waste generation within the plant by recycling and reusing.” To become certified as zero water discharge, sites must consistently achieve an industrial wastewater discharge rate of two per cent or less. www.autocomponentsindia.com

a first for ACMA, organising a tech show dedicated specifically to components of Electric Vehicles (EVs), Vinnie Mehta, Director General, ACMA said, “Our combined efforts are bound to give impetus to localisation of e-mobility solutions in the country and would become a model for the industry to follow.” While inaugurating the expo Dr Arun Jaura, Chief Technology Officer (CTO), Hero MotoCorp said, “The EV segment is a crucial part of this journey and we are glad to be collaborating with ACMA to engage with the supply chain ecosystem and provide them an apt platform to showcase their latest EV technologies.”

Fredudenberg To Augment Capacity With 90 per cent of its order book reserved for automotive, Freudenberg Filtration Technologies India is aligning with the demand. Manufacturing an estimated 7,00,000 filters from the Sanaswadi Village plant, in Pune, of which 90 per cent is allocated to the automotive segment, the company expects demand to rise by ~50 per cent (~11,00,000). To cater to this projected demand by end of the year, the company has begun the process of capacity augmentation at the facility. It will install two new machines of German make to manufacture cabin air filters revealed Ashok Pandey, Head of Automotive, Freudenberg Filtration Technologies Pvt. Ltd. Known to contribute 70 per cent of the production load as of current in a 24by7 operation, the capacity augmentation is expected to help distribute the load. India investments amount to Euro 7.1 mn. This includes the investment at SIPCOT, Sriperumbudur. auto components india // july 2022

Newscast

TPEML and Ford India MoU Tata Passenger Electric Mobility Limited (TPEML) and Ford India Pvt. Ltd. sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Government of Gujarat (GoG). Under the Mou, TPEML will potentially acquire Ford India’s Sanand vehicle manufacturing facility which includes land, vehicle manufacturing plant, machinery and equipment and transfer of all eligible employees of the latter’s Sanand vehicle manufacturing operations, subject to the signing of definitive agreements and receipt of relevant approvals. Ford India will operate its powertrain manufacturing facilities by leasing back the land and buildings of the powertrain unit from TPEML. Given the increasing capacity utilisations, Tata Motors through the subsidiary company is looking to augment the EV manufacturing capacity in the coming years. Shailesh

Chandra, Managing Director, Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles Limited and Tata Passenger Electric Mobility Limited, said, “Tata Motors has had a strong presence in Gujarat for more than a decade with its own manufacturing facility at Sanand. This MoU further reinforces our commitment to the state by creating more employment and business.” It will invest in new machinery and equipment which is necessary to commission and make the unit ready to produce its vehicles. With the proposed investments, it would establish an installed capacity of 300,000 units per annum, scalable to more than 400,000 units. This MoU will be followed by the signing of the definitive transaction agreements between TPEML and FIPL over the next few weeks.

Covestro CEO Young Entrepreneur stays on Innovation Award Markus Steilemann will remain Chief Executive Officer of Covestro for a further five years. The Supervisory Board has extended his contract, which runs until May 2023, to May 31, 2028. Steilemann has been a member of the Covestro Board of Management since September 2015 and its Chief Executive Officer (CEO) since June 2018. “Markus Steilemann has provided Covestro with outstanding leadership as a CEO during his tenure to date, setting important strategic direction and driving the Group’s sustainable growth. We look forward to continuing our successful cooperation,” Richard Pott, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Covestro AG stated in a company release. “By extending his mandate ahead of schedule, we are emphasising our confidence in Steilemann to successfully continue the transformation Covestro has begun to attain a fully circular economy,” he said.

auto components india // july 2022

Pragun Jindal Khaitan, Vice Chairman and Managing Director, Jindal Aluminium was honoured with the prestigious ‘Young Entrepreneur Innovation Award 2022’ at the second International Conference on Startup ventures: Technology Developments and Future Strategies (SV-TDFS 2022) jointly organised by Manipal University Jaipur and Shri Vishwakarma Skill University, Haryana. Pragun Jindal Khaitan, Vice Chairman and Managing Director, Jindal Aluminium mentioned, “It was great to witness top universities coming together to promote start-up India, a flagship initiative of the Government of India. Such measures and industry participation is required to motivate young and budding entrepreneurs and ensure the success of startup India. “No matter what, just keep going,” he averred, quoting Dr Sitaram Jindal, the Founder and Chairman of Jindal Aluminium. www.autocomponentsindia.com

Newscast

Priyadarsi Bastia is new CFO at Pricol Pricol announced the appointment of Priyadarsi Bastia as its new Chief Financial Officer (CFO) in place of P Krishnamoorthy who has tendered his resignation. The company in a regulatory filing informed that Bastia, aged 44 years comes with an overall experience of 22 years across corporate finance, accounting, taxation, treasury, product costing, budgeting, pricing, process controls and improvements, cost optimisation, investment

evaluations, amongst others. A qualified Chartered Accountant (CA), he currently works as the General Manager (Finance) in the company. Prior to this he was associated with Murugappa Group, KPMG and Sastri & Shah. Coimbatore-based Pricol is a supplier of diversified auto components like instrument clusters, sensors and switches, pumps and mechanical products, telematics solutions and wiping systems amongst others.

Tata Power partners with Kolte Patil Developers With an aim to establish charging stations across Pune, Mumbai, and Bengaluru, Tata Power has partnered with leading Pune-based realtor, Kolte Patil Developers. Through this partnership, the companies will provide comprehensive charging solutions to Electric Vehicle (EV) owners. Tata Power will deliver EV charging facilities to Kolte-Patil Developers’ residential clients, easing their e-mobility journey and providing a standard and ubiquitous EV charging experience, with the over arching goal of encouraging EV adoption as per the company. Through Tata Power’s EZ Charge mobile app, customers will be able to monitor charging and make e-payments 24x7.

auto components india // july 2022

STMicroelectronics paves way for digital car access STMicroelectronics announced a new platform to accelerate the introduction of digital car keys giving consumers keyless access to vehicles via their mobile devices. The company claims that digital car keys can deliver greater owner conveniences including customised usage privileges while continuing to secure the vehicle. “Leading automotive brands can now quickly build standardsbased, secure car-access solutions that deliver added value for vehicle owners and users,” states Laurent Degauque, Marketing Director, Secure Microcontrollers, STMicroelectronics. The solution is known to be based on automotive grade, embedded secure element that ensure state-of-the-art protection to lead widespread market adoption of digital keys for connected cars. As per Mario Feuerer, Global Vice President Product Management Connectivity at G+D, the G+D Digital Key® application, based on the new ST chip platform is highly resistant to attacks and features smart and convenient customer access solutions based on NFC, Ultra-WideBand and BLE. www.autocomponentsindia.com

Newscast / international

Symbio and Schaeffler join forces Symbio, a Michelin and Faurecia hydrogen company, and Schaeffler have joined forces to establish Innoplate, their global Joint Venture (JV). Holding equal stakes in the JV, both the companies plan to produce fuel-cell Bi-Polar Plates (BPP), a strategic fuel-cell component through this collaboration. The first plant of the JV will be located in Haguenau, France and will target the production of 50 million bipolar plates annually for the global market with an initial capacity of four million BPP per year. It will employ more than 120 people by 2030. Expected to be established by the end of 2022 subject to customary conditions precedent such as applicable merger control clearances, the JV while accelerating the production of BPP for the entire Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cell market, will enhance

performance, capacity, and cost competitiveness for its customers. The production is planned to get started by early 2024. Symbio has received a

first major nomination for their fuel cell system from a leading automotive OEM and plans to use the JV to supply the BPP for this program.

Saietta boosts transition to fully integrated e-drive systems Saietta Group has expanded its product offering for the lightduty electric vehicle sector. The Group’s Axial Flux Technology (AFT) electric motor range has been enhanced and expanded with integrated power electronics, a modular gearbox and a bespoke axle architecture in direct response to growing demand. This enables providing light-duty vehicle manufacturers with a fully integrated one-stop-shop for e-mobility system solutions. The acquisition of e-Traction in November 2021 has been key in Saietta advancing the development of its in-house developed www.autocomponentsindia.com

integrated inverter for the AFT motor range. Commenting on Saietta’s expansion and enhanced AFT product range, Wicher (Vic) Kist, Chief Executive Officer of Saietta, said, “The acquisition of e-Traction has enabled us to reach this point sooner than expected and customer engagement has convinced us that this is the best commercial opportunity for delivering our AFT technology to market. Owning the power electronics and software development capabilities should allow us to help our customers to get their vehicle platforms to market faster.” auto components india // July 2022

Mobilised

Recycled Polyester Tyres Continental has found a use case in PET Bottles. Sumesh Soman looks at the commercialisation of recycled polyester tyres.

@SumeshSoman_

auto components india // JULY 2022

olyester is in vogue! Tyre manufacturer Continental realised it and was quick to tap the pool of recycled PET bottles or PolyEthylene Terephthalate commonly used for packaging 70 per cent of the soft drinks. Hailed as ight, durable, safe and with a smaller carbon footprint compared to alternatives, it’s the most recyclable plastic globally. Using PET bottles in production makes the manufacturer the first to make use of recycled polyester yarn in a new process for volume production. The new high-performance material will be initially used in selected sizes for Continental’s PremiumContact 6 and EcoContact 6 summer tyres, and in the AllSeasonContact tyre. In effect, the company claims to have replaced the conventional polyester in the carcass of the selected tyres. A set of standard passenger car tyres uses the material from around 40 recycled PET bottles. In September 2021, Continental unveiled the in-house Contyre.Tex technology for the first time. It uses polyester yarn obtained from used PET bottles without any intermediate chemical steps. This is said to make the technology much more efficient than other standard methods for processing PET bottles into high-performance polyester yarns. The bottles used for the technology come exclusively from regions without a closed recycling loop. As part of a special recycling process, the bottles are sorted and mechanically cleaned, after the caps are removed. After mechanical shredding, the PET is further processed into granulate and finally spun polyester yarn. According to Ferdinand Hoyos, Head at Continental Tyre Replacement Business in Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), the tyres are manufactured using only high performance materials. “We only use high-performance materials in our premium tyre range. From now on, these will include polyester yarn from PET bottles, made in a particularly efficient recycling process,” he assures. Adding that the company brought its

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Mobilised innovative Contyre.Tex technology to the production stage in just eight months, he states, the company is constantly looking at expanding the share of renewable and recycled materials in its tyres. By 2050 at the latest, we want to use only sustainable materials in our tyre production, he expresses. All tyres with Contyre.Tex technology produced in the upcoming market launch phase come from the Continental tyre plant in Lousado, Portugal. Tyres with Contyre.Tex technology have a special logo on the sidewall with the marking ‘Contains Recycled Material’. Notably, Polyester yarn made from PET has long been used as a material in passenger and light truck tyre assembly. The textile cords absorb the forces of the tyre’s internal pressure and remain dimensionally stable even

www.autocomponentsindia.com

q Contyre. Tex Range PremiumContact 6

EcoContact 6

AllSeasonContact

225/45R17 91Y

205/55R16 91V

205/55R16 91H

225/40R18 92Y

195/65R15 91V

225/45R17 94V

235/45R18 98Y

205/60R16 96H XL

205/60R16 96H

235/40R19 96Y

185/65R15 88H

215/65R16 102V

245/40R19 98Y XL

235/55R18 100V

235/55R19 105V

under high loads and temperatures. To make tyres even more energyefficient and eco-friendly across life cycle stages of manufacturing, use and recyclability, Continental continues its intensive research for alternative materials. As a testimony, the premium tyre manufacturer debuted the Conti GreenConcept last year (September 2021) known to make use of polyester from recycled plastic bottles in the

carcass at IAA Mobility. For the second season of the all-electric Extreme E racing series held in February 2022, Continental has developed the Contyre. Tex. The support vehicles for this year’s Tour de France will also ply Contyre.Tex tyres. Continental is initially offering the PremiumContact 6, the EcoContact 6 and the AllSeasonContact with Contyre.Tex technology in five sizes each. ACI

auto components india // JULY 2022

cover story

Tyre Exports And Replacement Demand The tyre industry is banking on exports and replacement demand to drive growth. Ashish Bhatia weighs in on the tailwinds and the headwinds.

@atashishbhatia

auto components india // JULY 2022

ll through the pandemic marred fiscal, the tyre industry turned adversities into opportunities. If there were headwinds like the availability of Natural Rubber (NR) and the shortage of performance tyres, the industry tactically dealt with them to the extent possible with an emphasis on encouraging local produce by Indian growers. The segment also benefitted from the tailwinds like government interventions restricting high volumes of import, revised axle-load norms compelling OEMs to re-engineer, demand for replacement tyres and the buoyancy of Indian exports. At a time when international trade was faced with disruptions owing to the Covid-19 pandemic, tyre exports from India are known to register a 70 per cent growth. “The export performance bears testament to the ability of the Indian tyre industry to meet the rising expectations from India in the new geopolitical scenario despite the odds of challenging times”, averred Satish Sharma, Chairman of Automotive Tyre Manufacturers Association www.autocomponentsindia.com

cover story

Top 5 Export Markets for Indian Tyres USA

19% Germany

FY21-22 (ATMA) and President - the Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa (APMEA), Apollo Tyres Ltd. Compared to the Farm/Agri and Off The Road (OTR) tyres and or Industrial tyres as erstwhile the largest exported tyre categories from the country, the Truck & Bus Radial (TBR) tyre exports are said to have improved their ranking. The TBR exports have registered a 2.5X growth over the last three years, from Rs.1263 crore in FY19 to Rs.3095 crore in FY22. Sharma attributes the growth to the new radial facilities set up by Indian tyre manufacturers said to be attaining global, technology benchmarks for this impressive run. The renewed positioning is further bolstered by www.autocomponentsindia.com

Brazil UK

4% 4%

France

Satish Sharma, Chairman of Automotive Tyre Manufacturers Association (ATMA) and President - the Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa (APMEA), Apollo Tyres Ltd.

India’s global standing as a reliable supplier of products as a whole. “The industry is vastly helped by the Atma Nirbhar policy of the Government aimed at creating an enabling environment for the growth of the industry. The curb on indiscriminate import of tyres has helped the industry increase size and scale of production and align with global supply chains,” explains Sharma.

Source: Ministry of commerce, Govt. of India

Notably, the Indian make tyres are exported to over 170 countries in the world including some of the most discerning markets in North America and Europe. Led by the US which dominates as the largest market for Indian tyres at 19 per cent of the overall tyres exports, the top five export markets in FY22 also included Germany, Brazil, the UK and France as per the Ministry of Commerce, Govt. of India data (Refer adjoining chart). Optimistic auto components india // JULY 2022

cover story about the export potential, Sharma opined that the tyre industry has the potential of further doubling exports from India over the next three to four years (~ Rs.6190 crore). The Industry is also optimistic about the demand for replacement tyres (recommended to be changed every five to six years ) inclusive of the demand from the used Passenger Vehicles (PV) and the Commercial Vehicles (CV) business. Here, the estimates of the used PV market (at ~ 7X of the new PV market) and the used CV market (at ~ 3X the new CV market) are expected to play their part. The sector is known to derive 60 per cent of its volume from the replacement market and 27 per cent from Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs). The rest (~13 per cent) is attributed to exports. Setting expectations right, Anuj Sethi, Senior Director, CRISIL Ratings states in a study, “Demand from the replacement market is expected to normalise to ~ four per cent growth this fiscal from ~12 per cent last fiscal. OEM demand should grow ~12 per cent driven by CVs owing to higher government spending on infrastructure and improving fleet utilisation. OEM demand from the PVs should be healthy given the rise in personal incomes and strong consumer preference for personal mobility. However, demand from the two-wheeler and tractor OEM segments will continue to be modest.” He drew attention to exports growing at the rate of 13-15 per cent on a high base of over 45 per cent growth last fiscal owing to cost-competitiveness, and benefits from China plus one strategy of global OEMs. He also cited the buoyant demand for OTRs in the US and Europe.

Anuj Sethi, Senior Director, CRISIL Ratings

the need to address headwinds in the domestic market, on a war footing. “Certain roadblocks faced by the tyre industry domestically need to be addressed on priority to provide a fillip to the exports,” he mentions. The domestic issues cited are access to Natural Rubber (NR) a key raw material on which India needs to overcome a substantial deficiency. As an example, the tyre industry needs to adhere to pre-import conditions for NR import against (tyre) export obligation. According to Sharma, it makes the operations very constrictive with a direct bearing on the export performance. Echoing a similar viewpoint, Sethi cited the over 20 per cent surge in NR, and that of crudebased inputs such as carbon black

and nylon tyre cord by 40-50 per cent. “These account for ~70 per cent of the raw material cost of tyre makers,” he informed. In a domino effect, growth realised on the exports front is expected to benefit the entire rubber value chain that includes key stakeholders like the million tyre growers largely dependent on the tyre industry’s growth prospects. On the supply-side, the industry expects operating margins to rise to ~ 12 per cent from a low of 10 per cent (2012 levels ) courtesy of price hikes to ease the inflationary pressures. The study expects better cash accruals should help fund higher capital expenditure and keep debt metric healthy at the top six manufacturers accounting for ~80 per cent of the Rs 75,000 crore sectorial revenue. Sethi concluded, that CapEx is expected to rise to ~Rs 5,000 crore this fiscal on the back of improving demand in comparison to ~ Rs.3,700 crore on an annual basis over the past two fiscal. Notably, capacity utilisation at manufacturers is still below 70-75 per cent pulling the CapEx outlay lower than the annual average of ~Rs.6,200 crore between 2018-20. All eyes will be on further waves of the pandemic, semiconductor shortages weighing on the PV demand and the raw material prices from hereon, concludes, Rajeswari Karthigeyan, Associate Director, CRISIL Ratings. ACI

qSupply chain bottlenecks Like the affected industries, globally, weighed down by the supply-chain bottlenecks, the industry value chain is expected to be streamlined in due course of time. Sharma emphasises

auto components india // JULY 2022

Courtesy International Rubber Study Group www.autocomponentsindia.com

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cover story

Green Engine Castings Volvo Group in partnership with Brakes India launched the first green engine castings. Ashish Bhatia with inputs from Raghul Krishnan looks at the strategy to supply India make and developed castings, globally for select Volvo engines.

@atashishbhatia

auto components india // JULY 2022

olvo Group in India together with Brakes India has launched the first green engine castings. The green engine castings will include bearing caps, bearing housing, anchorage and exhaust manifolds developed and made in India by Brakes India. These will be redirected to select Volvo Group engines, globally. Speaking at the landmark launch event held at Naidupeta, Tirupati, in Andhra Pradesh, Kamal Bali, President and Managing Director, Volvo Group committed to becoming a climate-neutral company by 2040. To give a backdrop of the new development, he cited the re look at the Volvo supply chain and global suppliers based out of India. Bali drew attention to India being the key procurement source for Volvo Group’s global casting requirements. “India is a home base for the Group and we not only ‘Make in India’, but also design, process, sell and source from India to the world. In line with our global sustainability targets and ambitions, we aim to create an environment that is safe and sustainable for future generations - while being immersed in advanced technology that goes into making world-leading commercial vehicles,” he stated. Bali opined green castings has the potential to kickstart a revolution in the casting manufacturing business for a sustainable future. The commercial production of the green castings will begin in June 2022 itself. Through the full adoption of the green engine castings process, Volvo Group expects to give shape to a potential www.autocomponentsindia.com

cover story reduction in CO2 of up to 0.86 million tonnes at Volvo alone. This is expected to amount to 210 million tonnes for the industry across global foundries. A reason for the green castings to have been certified by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) - Green Products & Services Council. The Brakes India manufacturing process involves the elimination of toxic chemicals and elements and is claimed to have a zero carbon footprint. It makes use of minimal resources in a manner wherein products are recycled and reused and are topped with eco-friendly packaging. In the process, the company will utilise scrap alloys and raw materials that are 100 per cent radioactive materials free. It also entails recycling 100 per cent of the metallic scrap generated by other industries to be able to manufacture a usable product as the end output. At the plant level, operations will be 100 per cent green powered from solar and wind energy to round off the green cycle. Special attention has been paid to eliminating the use of diesel with ‘Electric Ladle Preheater’ a unique solution from AFECO India. Explained Sriram Viji, Managing Director at Brakes India, it results in the elimination of pig iron, known to be produced in the blast furnace with coal. Added Bali, Volvo has developed a unique technology that helps to eliminate Pig Iron usage with the deployment of Zirconium-based inoculation, controlled chemistry and a specific charge ratio. Green alternatives previously were known to include wet sand moulds. Here green is known to refer to the moisture content ahead of sand being dried out as a result of molten metal being poured into the mould. It is the clay that helps bind the moisture and the sand helping them stick together. Bentonite clay and the sand mixed are said to provide strong moulds created on an automated assembly line. To give a perspective, ~42 per cent of cast parts in the USA make use of green sand moulds with no-bake www.autocomponentsindia.com

coming in as a second-most economical choice at ~40 per cent. In the past though, critics have questioned the two choices on account of disadvantages like casting defects, a rough surface quality, bad casting dimensions or an unstable casting quality which are expected to be addressed by the new green castings from Volvo Group and Brakes India. Notably, Brakes India started its journey with Volvo in 1998. Since then, it has been supplying gray iron, ductile iron, Si Mo and ADI to name

a few. Supplying 18,000 tonnes per annum of fully machined, painted and assembled supply conditions, the parts weigh an estimated 0.75 kilograms up to 22 kilograms. These are known to be produced in vertical moulding lines and horizontal moulding lines. Brakes India ensures a consistent delivery precision and PPM of less than five. The manufacturer supplies to over 15 Volvo locations across the European Union and North America. It also supplies to several Volvo tier1 suppliers directly.. ACI auto components india // JULY 2022

Cover story

Driving The Transition To Cleaner CEVs Ashok Leyland has taken a step for cleaner CEVs. Prateek Pardeshi looks at the ENGINE exhibited in line at Excon 2k21.

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(Centre) Dr N Saravanan, Chief Technical Officer, Ashok Leyland Ltd.

he rollout of CEV Stage IV emission norms last year was deemed by many as the tipping point for manufacturers to deliver cleaner engines. Those like Ashok Leyland leveraged the Bharat Stage VI Research & Development (R&D) and the learnings from the rollout of BSVI models to take an early mover’s advantage in CEVs. Dheeraj Hinduja, Executive Chairman, Ashok Leyland in a company release stated, “Ashok Leyland aims to make India’s CNG engine sector selfreliant, and to be one of the leaders in the ‘Make in India’ narrative.” Ashok Leyland showcased the CNG H-series four-and six-cylinder engine variants for its off-highway and CEV customers and launched it amidst much fanfare. At Excon 2k21, Ashok Leyland also displayed the six-cylinder A-series of diesel engine alongside. The company also displayed its aftermarket solutions including an Exhaust After Treatment System (EATS) at the trade fair. Speaking on improving fuel efficiency with the use of alternative fuels, Dr N Saravanan, Chief Technical Officer, Ashok Leyland Ltd. shared, “With the increasing need for better fuel efficiency and use of alternate fuels, we have a solid pipeline of such technologies.” In the H-series four-cylinder CEV IV engine range, through three engines, the company will cater to power output requirements ranging from 74-130 hp at upto 2200 rpm. With all the three engines known to be suitable for scaling up to CEV Stage-V emission norms with SCR or DPF, the base engines are a testimony to the automotive major being in the game for the long run. Offering the best-in-class power, these engines come with a 500-hours drain interval. Under its H series six-cylinder CEV Stage-IV range, the company will work with four engines on the desired power outputs. H4 airless EATS, DEF tank (airless), and H6 Air assisted EATS were on display too. The H series CNG engine stands out with the turbocharge resulting in a higher torque, ECU-controlled gas leak detection, improved cold-start capability, better fuel economy, durable engine valves and valve seats for CNG operation with better drive ability, and claimed transient response. In the case of the A-series six-cylinder CEV Stage-IV engine, the company has the 300 hp A6C430022 and the 360 hp A6C436022 in its portfolio. ACI

auto components india // JULY 2022

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Industry Talk Migrating to CNG CEVs

In an exclusive Industry Talk session, Rajesh R, Vice President of Defence and Power Solution Business, Ashok Leyland Ltd. spoke to Prateek Pardeshi on CEV engines taking a cleaner route. we see an opportunity to partner with them on a case-to-case basis. We are also looking at a self-service model that will take care of the requirements in those specific projects.

Q. What is the ideology behind introducing CNG in CEVs? A. For the automotive industry, CNG already exists in our portfolio. However, for the CEV segment, I do agree it’s a new concept. We believe the migration will happen much faster than expected. Q. Could you highlight the differentiators of CNG CEVs? A. Ashok Leyland has been a prominent player in the Automotive segment. The industry has been occupied with diesel-powered engines for a long time. We want to be a pioneer in the CNG automotive segment and leverage the learnings from the automotive segment for the CE segment. CNG may not be used in some industrial applications, for example, the portable compressors per se as the latter can work on natural gas. In the terms of efficiency of the platform, CNG has a better TCO and better reliability. Speaking overall, it’d be a win-win for the customer. Looking at the long term prospects of the CNG migration, the customer will still have the option to choose between diesel and CNG. Q. Is there a void in CNG infrastructure that needs to be addressed? A. I don’t think there are availability constraints in the case of CNG. More and www.autocomponentsindia.com

more mines already have diesel storage, and similarly, the CNG filling stations can also be a possibility for them. Q. Is the new H-series CEV CNG engine the same as on the Ecomet CNG? How does the emission compliance vary? A. It is not a one-on-one match as the power and torque of CEVs as we know is more as compared to commercial vehicles. But yes, the base platform remains the same. Also, as of today, there are no emission compliance requirements for CEV CNG engines. Q. How promising are the export opportunities in the CEV segment? A. Exports is a different ball game altogether, nevertheless, we would like to look at options where more company’s set shop in India. They also export some of the equipment built in India. As our country is considered a manufacturing hub for most of the companies and the whole equipment is exported to neighbouring markets,

Q. What are the recent developments in the Defence segment? A. We already have the Stallion which has come a long way from 4x4 to 6x6, and now in the Super Stallion, we have brought in the 12x12 combination. We are now looking at developing smaller platforms to cater to the automotive requirements as it’s a large volume game. We don’t want to stop at soft cabs. We also want to develop armoured cabs in line with the light, bulletproof vehicles segment. Q. Is an electric Dost on the cards? A. I think it’s already in the pipeline. My team from Switch Mobility is already working on it. Q. How are you tackling the supplychain bottlenecks?? A. It’s a global shortage, for instance, semiconductors and everyone is facing this issue. But we are trying to build alternates. In effect, it is an alternative chip that we are talking about. We are working closely with the manufacturers on how we can migrate, from being a one complete chip dependency to another design as an alternative. auto components india // JULY 2022

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Dependable Innovation Cummins vows to deliver dependable innovation at Excon 2k21. Prateek Pardeshi brings out the CEV engine range capabilities.

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auto components india // JULY 2022

T Anjali Pandey, Engine Business and Components Business Leader, Cummins India

echnology agnostic engine manufacturer, Cummins Inc. has its hands full with the innovation, development, commercialisation and after-sales of commercial vehicle engines including off-highway and Construction Equipment Vehicles (CEVs). At Excon 2k21, the company reminded of its diverse offerings from fossil-fuel based engines to cleaner engines like alternative engines including BEV solutions like range extenders, from a 2.8-95-litre engine displacement. Speaking on brand presence in India, Anjali Pandey, Engine Business and Components Business Leader, Cummins India said, “This year’s EXCON is special as we are celebrating 60 years of our presence in India. We are proud of our legacy, and we will continue to deliver on our brand promise of innovation and dependability.” Anjali Pandey won the Women Building India- Committed Leader Award for her outstanding contribution to diversity and inclusion at the workplace. At Excon 2k21, the company marked its 60th Anniversary in India with the showcase of the B4.5 and B6.7 CEV IV compliant engines. The B4.5 CEV IV engine as per the nomenclature is a 4.5-litre engine with a power range of 121-173 hp that develops a peak torque of 705 Nm. The overall weight of the engine is 397 kg (dry). Measuring 825 mm in length, 850 mm in width, and 890 mm in height, the engine is deemed suited for applications like soil compactors, 14-20-tonne excavators, and three-to 3.5-tonne wheel loaders, pavers and motor graders. Compared to six-cylinder engines, the B4.5 is claimed to offer better fluid economics. To prove its mettle, the engine has been subjected to over 18,000 hours of test cell and field validation in Indian conditions. The B6.7 engine with a 6.7-litre displacement churns out 173-260 hp at and develops a peak rated torque of 1100 Nm. With a 610 kg (dry) weight, the engine measures 1015 mm in length, 780 mm in width, and 1140 mm in height. Claimed to be the highest-selling engine variant globally, it is deemed apt for motor graders, five-tonne wheel loaders, 25-35-tonne excavators, cranes, and harvesters. In India, Cummins is known to have deployed the B6.7 BSVI variant for haulage applications. The company is known to have sold an estimated 90,000 units. Both the engines are fitted with the Fleetguard fuel filter. LF16015 on the B4.5 and FF5421 on the B6.7 engine. It also showcased the compact nine-inch single module after treatment system. Claimed to be 60 per cent smaller and 40 per cent lighter than its predecessors, it is claimed to not only improve the emissions reduction but also offer improved heat management and retention claimed to in turn better the fuel efficiency. With a UL2 urea dosing system integrated, it offers enhanced NOx reduction. With a Cummins 250 kVA QSB 6.7 Diesel Genset on display, the company also showcased aftermarket solutions including funnel fuel filters, consumable, genuine parts, and overhaul kits. In line with the spirit of ‘OneCummins’, the company was joined by Joint Venture (JV) partners in Valvoline Cummins Pvt. Ltd. and Fleetguard Filtrum Pvt. Ltd. for the joint product and solutions under the respective JV. ACI

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Globe Scan

OTR To Stay On Course JK Tyres with a new series of premium offhighway tyres wants to ensure CEVs stay on course. Prateek Pardeshi shares first impressions.

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rip and traction decide the acceptance of Off-highway Tyres (OTRs). These are two major aspects driving off-highway applications, especially in the mining and construction segments. VK Misra, Technical Director, JK Tyre & Industries Ltd. presiding the launch of the wheel loader tyre 45/65-45 58PR VEM 63 L5 TL, motor graders and telehandlers 14.00-24 GTL Champ 16 PR G3 TT, 12.00-24 Hard Rock Champion 20PR E4 TT and 16.00-25 VEM 045 44PR E3 TT, said, “Our new premium OTR range is created with an advanced technology and is particularly designed to deliver increased mileage and exceptional traction in the most demanding of situations.” “The new tyres feature a longer tread life and wear and cut resistant tread compounds to provide extended service life and be tailored to offer superior stability,” he claimed. Keeping in mind the requirements of niche customers, under the premium offhighway segment, JK tyre is banking on the 45/65-45 58PR VEM 63 L5 tyre designed for wheel loaders. The tyres are claimed to offer an extra load carrying capacity and casing reliability. The tubeless tyres with large, broad lugs and a large contact surface offer higher stability. These have a tough nylon casing that aids in the extra loading capacity on offer. This tyre is the most recent addition to the wheel loader portfolio. Further, 14.00-24 GTL Champ 16 PR G3, designed for motor graders and telehandlers are backed by a larger tread claimed to enhance stability while working with heavy loads. According to Misra, the tyres are developed using a sample tread designed first at the software layer of the product development life cycle leveraging 3D printing. On examining it, once the desired properties are attained, a mould is manufactured with an opex of Rs.50-60 lakhs. In this manner, the company is able to save development costs, upfront, as a result of eliminating a trial and error risk associated with a fully built prototype. For the mining segment, the company’s 12.00-24 Hard Rock Champion 20PR E4 TT stands out with reduced block shuffling ability which reduces tread shuffling and reduces tyre wear. The lesser stone entrapment refers to the tread cuts and debris holding as a result of the plying on off-road terrains. Explained Misra, it was designed to leverage the centrifugal force to ensure optimal traction. For the new age tippers, suited for harsh terrains, the company is banking on the 16.00-25 VEM 045 44PR E3 TT. These tyres are designed using low heat dissipating tread compounds for efficient running and longer tread life. Misra drew attention to the synergies with the Raghupati Singhania Centre named after Dr Raghupati Singhania, Chairman and Managing Director at the company as a global tech centre. He also highlighted the role of the new CoE built as a Joint Venture (JV) with IIT Madras. Treel Mobility Solutions, one of the JK tyre acquired companies, showcased various ‘Smart tyre’ technologies powered by IoT-based telematics solutions. ACI auto components india // JULY 2022

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Satisfying The Customer Base BKT is satisfying the customer base to enhance its market acceptance. Prateek Pardeshi looks at the strides forward.

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auto components india // JULY 2022

alkrishna Industries Ltd. (BKT) is synonymous with OffRoad Tyres (OTR). With its wide domestic and international network, the company is hard to miss. Its products are even harder! With synergies of Group companies, BKT Exim Ltd, BKT Tyres Ltd., and Thristha Synthetics Ltd. in India and BKT Exim US, Inc., BKT USA Inc, BKT Tires (Canada) Inc, and BKT Europe S.R.L as its global subsidiaries, the company is making forward strides to enhance its market acceptance among the customer base. BKT recently launched the ‘Made in India’ OTR range for construction and earth moving applications showcased most recently at Excon 2k21. The attention was drawn to the E4 Earthmax SR468 TL and L5 Earthmax SR53 TL. According to Rajiv Poddar, Joint Managing Director, Balkrishna Industries Ltd., “Our R&D teams have produced these technologies to meet the demands of the sector and build even more robust tyres. This will help us better our offerings with customised products that are built around their needs and requirements.” The E4 Earthmax SR468 TL, one of the largest tyres in the range is an all-steel radial specially designed for rigid haul trucks. The company is confident that the unique tread design with special tread compounds makes it apt for hard, rocky and tough mining conditions. Its tread lug www.autocomponentsindia.com

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Rajiv Poddar, Joint Managing Director, Balkrishna Industries Ltd.,

blocks with circumferential grooves and intertwined blocks are designed to ensure effective heat dissipation, for instance. Also, the sturdy square shoulder assists in ejecting loose stones to protect the tyre from wear. BKT hails it as a development for customers looking to carry heavy loads where the company assures longer service life and a high degree of resistance to rock forced cuts and punctures. In comparison, the 45/65R45 L5 Earthmax SR53 TL, an all-steel radial from the Earthmax umbrella is specially made for large loaders known to operate in difficult rocky conditions. A cut-resistant compound makes up the deep L-5 tread classification. Additionally, the tyre is made to provide exceptional abrasion resistance while being loaded. Further BKT also introduced newly introduced rubber tracks designed for compact track loaders. Amongst few tyre manufacturers to produce rubber tracks for agricultural and industrial machines, the company is breaking into new territories, tapping new customers with initiatives like producing rubber tracks for harvesting machines used in the paddy fields.

qCapacity building

With such new launches, the company has set out on a mission to double the www.autocomponentsindia.com

The 45/65R45 L5 Earthmax SR53 Tyre global market share from ~ 5.5 per cent to 10 per cent. BKT shall continue to expand manufacturing capacities in line. BKT’s performance in 2021-22 is testimony to the long-term strategy of capitalising on its increasing scale while at the same time maintaining the business agility, paying off. With the ongoing expansion of its product range, BKT takes pride in maintaining a 3200 Stock Keeping Unit (SKUs). By no means an easy feat! On exports, which are known to account for 83 per cent of sales, the company has attracted 54 per cent of the export business from Europe; 17 per cent in the US and 12 per cent in the rest of the global markets. Domestic sales are estimated to account for 17 per cent in comparison. To support its growth aspirations, the company put up the Waluj 2 greenfield facility into service; a brown field facility at Bhuj. In line with the demand, the company has kept operations agile in case there is a need to ramp up the scale by the second half of 2022–2023. The goal is to

breach the total capacity profile of 3.60 lakh Million Tonnes Per Annum (MTPA) when operating at full-scale capacities. BKT expects the initiatives to pay off and expects sales to grow by 10,000 MT, from ~ 3.20 lakh MT to 3.30 MT in FY23. To promote long-term sustainability, BKT has launched a number of initiatives including greater energy efficiency through two MegaWatts and five MegaWatts solar-powered facilities. The focus on recycling and waste management covers a disciplined waste management system for safe storage, disposal, and waste re purposing. The future targets to achieve carbon neutrality include Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) at all plants by 2025 and a reduction in GreenHouse Gas (GHG) emissions of 25 per cent (scope-1 and scope-2) by that same year. Over the next decade, the aim is to attain a 20 per cent waste reduction from current levels. By 2025, all manufacturing facilities must switch to renewable energy. ACI

auto components india // JULY 2022

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Technologically Advanced Aggregates BPW Trailer Systems is offering advanced trailer aggregates. Ashish Bhatia with Prateek Pardeshi looks into the compliance driven strategy.

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auto components india // JULY 2022

International trailer norms set the benchmark for the largely unorganised domestic trailer industry. With compliance codes like AIS-113 in place, the Ministry of Road, Transport and Highways (MoRTH) found it easy to model domestic norms on the lines of international markets. This led to the transport vehicle dimensions being standardised. And so, trailer aggregates have been forced to come of age too. Organised players like BPW Trailer Systems India Pvt. Ltd., specialists in the trailer running gear systems as a one-stop-shop, have spared no effort in meeting customer requirements like low Total Cost of Operations (TCO) and technologically advanced aggregates like axles, suspension systems and landing gear that includes lighting and cable system, brake cylinders, and air bags and axle lift systems to name a few. Commenting on the growing compliances forcing a technological advancement, Nagaraj Ubale, Director at BPW Trailer Systems India Pvt. Ltd, said, “On the trailer side, we can see the new pneumatic suspension technology, which justifies a 55-tonne capacity with a 4x2 tractor.” He quipped that on the tractor side, the customer expectations are higher today. “In order to deliver on the performance benchmarks like better fuel and operating economy, Ubale claimed that it took www.autocomponentsindia.com

Cover story

Nagaraj Ubale, Director at BPW Trailer Systems India Pvt. Ltd.

a careful understanding of the axle load norms on the company’s part.” “It changes the geometry of the vehicle completely. And because there is a lack of understanding, we are working with different agencies to cope with it .”

q Driving the change

Back in 2018, axle load norms underwent a change to overnight increase the load-carrying capacity. The www.autocomponentsindia.com

law came in after a gap of 35 years since the previous notification in 1983. The ripple effect was old aggregates were subjected to legitimate concerns of safety in the eye of the law. The axle up-gradation was inevitable and at the core of this mandate. It was to address lower axle weights resulting in higher logistics costs. The bearing on Gross Vehicular Weight (GVW) led to standardisation with combinations of axles in trailers being permissible subject to the capping on the GVW limits. In the case of modular hydraulic trailers, it necessitated the inclusion of appropriate axle row modules. With the notified changes, it was also decided that GVW must not exceed the safe axle weights and must not exceed the 49-tonne rigid vehicles and 55-tonne semi-articulated trailer specifications with the exception, with the exception of modular hydraulic trailers. The MoRTH through GSR No. 414 (E) dated June 26, 2020, published a notification to amend Rule-93 relating to dimensions of motor vehicles under the Central Motor Vehicle Rules (CMVR) 1989. Expected to have a significant bearing on the logistics efficiency, the enhanced dimensions translated to extra carrying capacity and result in transporters requiring trailers with robust aggregates. For example, the pneumatic trailer under the notified changes was upgraded to be a part of the modular hydraulic trailer. It is expendable to 50 MTR without raising load to facilitate the transport of goods with exceptional length. Road trains with lengths at par with EU as 25.25 metres were proposed to be included on select routes. On the trailer aggregate companys’ part, the struggle is to overcome regulatory conflicts witnessed in inter-state travel. “The registration aspect of it is because a lot of changes have come into the axle norms that need to be sorted immediately otherwise the industry is doing fairly good,” opined Ubale. BPW is catering to the global Original

Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) like Volvo Trucks in India who are placing these trucks on the road in segments like haulage and mining. It is also working closely with logistic firms like Express Logistics, to in turn help them meet their global requirements. Despite sales showing signs of a pickup hinting at growing customer acceptance, the company continues to iron out creases in order to fulfil the requirements of customers from the distiller industry.

qCustomer acceptance Admitting to wide acceptance in the domestic market turning a challenge, BPW is leaving no stone unturned. It is extending its lead in the axle and suspension systems by expanding state-of-the-art assembly and manufacturing capabilities at its Pune facility. Claimed to have localised its mechanical suspension with tier suppliers, the company is meeting regulatory requirements with offerings in the 13-13.5-tonne confined capacity. A testimony to the company growing beyond the domestic pool of customers, on the export front, the company is exporting to quality conscious markets like Germany to name a few. Ubale credited this feat to its synchronisation with global quality systems and global supply chain management. This has helped the company offer localised products validated and tested to global standards.

q Pushing limitations

Previously, for a higher Gross Combination Weight (GCW) realisations, trailers with Over Dimensional Cargo (ODC) were pulled by a 6x2 or 6x4 axle combinations on a tractor. With the new regulations, 4x2 tractors explained Ubale, can now have the same GVW on the trailer side. Citing it as a significant change, Ubale admitted to taking time for settling down and working out the perfect market fits backed by compliance. “People are realising that there is a auto components india // JULY 2022

Cover story monetary benefit from these changes. Because, without any modifications, the vehicle is a 4x2 tractor with a sixwheeler trailer. So it is given the same GVW with the same three axles on the trailer, and it is a transition from an erstwhile preferred 10-wheeler. After sales offerings at BPW, the goal is to monitor all trailers with an AMC contract. When technological changes occur on the ground, periodic maintenance is critical, asserted Ubale. “With the BPW service portal, we can track all these trailers and their behaviours technically, like the brake system, the suspensions, the driver pattern which until now was the OEM’s responsibility,” he mentioned. With technologies like tyre inflation and monitoring system said to be under work, the company is pushing the boundaries in the after sales segment as well. “I’m very happy

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to tell you that the BPW axle feature trailers are the first independently registered trailers. So this is a new requirement for the future, I think

the tier2 and tier3 customers will realise the benefit in the near term, he concluded. ACI

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Building Resilient Supply Chains - Part 1

To survive and grow, the Automotive supply chains have turned resilient. Deepti Thore looks at continued efforts to modernise and withstand disruptions in the first part.

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utomotive supply chains continue to add layers of resilience. Coming out of one disruption after the other, the rising commodity prices continue to put margins under pressure. The supply-chain bottlenecks like semiconductor shortages, container shortages, growing port traffic, western sanctions as a fallout of the Russia-Ukraine war crisis are known to have had a direct bearing on the Automotive supply chains. To deal with these, the Automotive industry has identified technological advances to realign the supply chains as a means to remain competitive and sustain business. According to a Deloitte study on the supply-chain disruptions with the backdrop of recent turn of events, to deal with crisis, there is a need to ensure that the risk management frameworks and systems are in place. Through technology, companies must understand risks in the tier2 market and beyond. They must activate alternate sources of supply, consider onshoring wherein they could relocate business to lower cost locations within national borders or consider friendshoring wherein they could partner countries with a strong adherence to norms and values for operating in a global economy. Sreedevi R, Assistant Professor, Operations and Supply Chain Management, wrote a paper titled ‘Multi-dimensional auto components india // JULY 2022

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Rajesh Jejurikar, Executive Director, Auto & Farm Div., Mahindra Group

supply chain flexibility and supply chain resilience: the role of supply chain risks exposure’. According to the paper, natural disasters and unexpected disruptive events have forced practitioners and researchers to build resilience capability into their systems to survive and grow in tempestuous and turbulent times. This study empirically examined the effect of Multi-Dimensional Supply Chain Flexibility (MDSCF) in improving Supply Chain Resilience

Debmallya Chatterjee, Professor and Head Operations & Supply Chain Area, SPJIMR

(SCRES) in a high risk environment. It is suggested that companies must consider updating inventory policy and planning parameters for critical materials, understand the impact of commodity inflation in supplier and customer contracts, and monitor logistics constraints and increase focus on cyber security risk monitoring internally with key suppliers and prepare for disruption in operations in the conflict region besides planning on a global scale

for multiple scenarios. Lauding the resilience of organisations Rajesh Jejurikar, Executive Director, Auto & Farm Div., Mahindra Group spoke of creating success for an organisation by giving back. The need is to play a game for a long term, he exclaimed. “Building resilience is to have purpose and the ability to bounce back,” he opined. While drawing attention to the potential disruptions at multiple levels in the supply chain, he stressed on the need to put in place processes to pick up warning signals. Citing organisations with a streamlined process as better placed with inventory management to face a crisis, he urged organisations organisations to antcipate a changing tide could test the company’s mettle. According to a study presented by Kearney, the larger the company, the larger the network of suppliers. This in turn implies that a fluctuation would have a larger impact from a complex and interconnected supply chain. At the same time, digitalisation is having a disruptive impact on the automotive industry, changing the requirements for speed, agility, flexibility, and complexity.

qIntroducing transparency

Debmallya Chatterjee, PhD, MTech, MSc, MIT | Professor and Head Operations & Supply Chain Area, S.P. Jain Institute of Management & Research, in one of his papers wrote about ‘Modelling the barriers of supply chain transparency in the post-COVID-19 scenario’. According to him, transparent supply chains have slowly gained prominence because of their utility in resolving sustainability concerns and improving operational efficiency and decision making. It requires companies to know more about their upstream chain and communicate it to their internal and external stakeholders. This in

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turn helps build resilience into the supply chains, making it possible for companies to respond quicker in the face of disruptive events like the Covid-19 pandemic. Despite both the necessity and obligation, companies are struggling with implementing a transparent supply chain because of non-definite reasons. In his paper, he identifies and models the barriers. Results suggest that customer privacy forces other barriers in the system and requires they be given an adequate importance while forming the data pipeline for transparent supply chains. Vague short-term ROI, low technology adoption, and underdeveloped infrastructure also emerged as critical barriers that managers should carefully mitigate while striving for transparent supply chains.

q Mitigating risks

As per a recent Mckinsey report, organisations should take action to mitigate risk and build towards a more resilient future. The need is to transform the supply chain and for that the companies need to reskill and redeploy their workforce to achieve the required levels of efficiency in their operations. Dr. Sajeev Abraham George, Professor, Operations & Supply Chain, Chairperson, PGDM Programme, S P Jain Institute of Management and Research (SPJIMR) explained, “Matching capacity with demand is crucial. If there is no match then there is inventory involved.” The need is to navigate through the disruption to emerge stronger. It is also crucial www.autocomponentsindia.com

Dr. Sajeev Abraham George, Professor, Operations & Supply Chain, Chairperson, PGDM Programme, SPJIMR

to identify the gaps in the supply chain and modernising supplychain IT too. In addition to this, creating end-to-end transparency, investing in digitisation, improving communication and collaboration, embracing e-commerce and building talent are some of the other measures which the companies can adopt. He drew attention to the introduction of flexibility into the supply chains to cope with different demand and supply scenarios and seizing new opportunities caused by shifts in consumer behaviour as crucial focus areas for companies. As part of its efforts to address the global supply chain crisis, India has also collaborated with the U.S. As per the US Trade Representative (USTR) promoting a transparent, rules-based trading system for market economies and democracies is crucial.

q SCRI initiative

India and Australia have become strategic partners under Supply Chain Resilience Initiative (SCRI). The two nations recently signed the Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA), an interim trade agreement. Both the countries will work towards contributing to the resilience of the supply chain and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. The agreement will provide zero duty exports to 100 per cent tariff lines from India to the Australian market, besides benefiting labourintensive sectors. A similar bilateral agreement is in place with Japan. The Trade Ministers of India, Japan and Australia formally launched the SCRI in 2021. Acknowledging the fact that the pandemic had an unprecedented impact due to various factors, the ministers from these countries noted the importance of risk management and continuity plans in order to avoid supply chain disruptions and affirmed their commitment to further strengthen resilient supply chains. Some of the possible policy measures included supporting the enhanced utilisation of digital technology and supporting trade and investment diversification. Some of the initial projects of the initiative included sharing of best practices on supply chain resilience and holding investment promotion events and buyer-seller matching events to provide opportunities for stakeholders. ACI

auto components india // JULY 2022

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Influencing Tech

Automotive technology firms the world over continue to break new technical grounds. Deepti Thore draws attention to select offerings that may influence a mass adoption.

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auto components india // JULY 2022

ith the advent of advanced and electric powertrains, autonomous driving technology and connectivity, the automotive technology firms are gearing up to embrace the change and influence technology. At CES 2022 show at Las Vegas, more than 190 automotive companies exhibited. Companies including ZF Friedrichshafen AG, REE, HERE Technologies, NXP among others Gary Shapiro, President and CEO, Consumer Technology Association (CTA) TM, Owner and Producer of CES on the last day of the show commented, “Innovation came to life this week at CES 2022 – with technologies that will reshape industries and provide solutions to pressing worldwide issues from healthcare to agriculture, sustainability and beyond. ” According to Nakul Duggal, SVP & GM, Automotive, www.autocomponentsindia.com

Globe Scan ZF Friedrichshafen AG

Gary Shapiro, President and CEO, Consumer Technology Association (CTA) TM, Owner and Producer of CES.

Nakul Duggal, SVP & GM, Automotive, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.

Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., a growing customer demand for unique features and use cases for next-gen automobiles and transportation solutions is steadily increasing. It is creating tremendous opportunity for modernisation that is led by electrification and Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs), advanced semiconductors and software, always-connected vehicle platforms and automated driving. With features like adaptive cruise control, collision prevention and lane guidance, technology is paving the way to safer roads. Vehicle technology is driving the innovation behind connected vehicles, autonomous mobility and concept cars. It addresses the requirements of navigation, road safety, IT security, vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) connectivity. The transportation industry, on the other hand, is also rapidly evolving. As per the study presented by McKinsey there will be fast adoption of latest ADAS or autonomous technology until 2030. There will be an increase in e-truck penetration (potential regulatory push could increase penetration further) and more than 80 per cent of rolling fleet in TRIAD will be connected by 2030. Gartner predicts that by 2025, 50 per cent of the top 10 automotive OEMs will design their own chips and establish direct, strategic, long-term working relations with chip companies, while giving up Justin-Time (JIT) inventory management practice. By 2028, 70 per cent of vehicles sold will utilise Android automotive operating system, up from less than one per cent today. Adoption of open-source vehicle architecture operating systems and open electric vehicle (EV) platform will result in the increase of new partnership models in the automotive sector in 2022. Gartner analysts predict that by 2023, half of the top 10 auto makers will offer unlocks and capability upgrades through software updates that can be purchased after the sale of the vehicle. Gartner analysts also predict that by 2030, there will be four times as many L4 autonomous robo taxis operating globally than there are taxis in 2022. ACI www.autocomponentsindia.com

At CES, ZF showcased intelligence in advanced safety, automated driving and electrification across the mobility spectrum including passenger cars and automated shuttles. By leveraging Microsoft’s comprehensive set of cloud, Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things, and data technologies, ZF is becoming a cloud-native mobility services provider, delivering clean, safe, convenient, and affordable mobility solutions to its customers. One example of this is the greater scalability and modularity ZF brings to e-drive inverter technology through its highly intelligent software and semiconductor expertise. It showcased advanced sensor technologies and intelligent functions that add value for consumers. During the demonstration, ZF also announced expansion of ZF ADAS sensor business and arrival of Next generation radar, camera and LiDAR systems in the market.

NXP At CES 2022, NXP showcased semiconductors which enable the safe and secure software defined car with ground breaking new applications and services. NXP and partners also showcased scalable radar portfolio including radar imaging capabilities which will allow cars to “see” at an amazing accuracy, precisely classify objects and therefore enhanced safety for drivers and vulnerable road users. It enables smart data access to real-time vehicle data. The company also showcased Next-gen connected eCockpit for safer experiences that inform and entertain. It introduced industry’s first monolithic tri-radio family to support Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth® 5.2 and 802.15.4 which supports simultaneous transmit and receive for higher performance in smart solutions. The company also demonstrated it’s radar capabilities via an imaging radar sensor built in collaboration with radar platform and ADAS application expert CubTEK, showcasing enhanced 4D sensing capability with its ability to deliver image-like sensing and sub-degree angular resolution.

auto components india // JULY 2022

Globe Scan Here Technologies HERE Technologies demonstrated how location intelligence powers the future of driving at the CES 2022. It showcased its cross-industry collaboration to accelerate road safety and the steps toward a fully connected, electric and automated vehicle experience. HERE HD Live Map was deployed in Mercedes-Benz DRIVE PILOT automated driving system. Enabled with Level 3 automated driving capabilities, the cloudbased HERE HD Live Map allows an automated vehicle to effectively “see around corners” by delivering the vehicle system, in advance, with precise information about the road network and rules of the road (including detailed lane level data, road and intersection geometry, sign age and driving restrictions). In combination with the input from the vehicle sensors the HD map data is used by the DRIVE PILOT to manoeuvre a vehicle on the public road network. HERE also showcased HERE Navigation, a complete, next-generation and cloud-centric embedded navigation solution for passenger cars, electrical vehicles, commercial vehicles and trucks.

REE At CES, REE showcased disruptive tech on full display. FlatFormer from HINO Motors & REE unveiled their joint modular EV platform, the basis for endless commercial EV applications and geared for multiple target markets. Leopard AV Reveal, their fully autonomous last-mile delivery concept vehicle was unveiled for the first time. Its ultra-modular EV platform EV Platforms offer up to 35 per cent greater interior space for passengers, cargo & batteries. REECORNER™ LIVE, REE’s revolutionary EV tech packs critical vehicle components into a compact module between chassis and wheel.

Stellantis’ SmartCockpit Platform Stellantis N.V., a leading global auto maker and mobility provider collaborated with Amazon to deliver software solutions for Stellantis’ new digital cabin platform, STLA SmartCockpit. To be included in Stellantis vehicles starting in 2024, The software-defined platform will seamlessly integrate with customers’ digital lives to create personalized, intuitive invehicle experiences through AI-enhanced applications for entertainment, Alexa-enabled voice assistance, navigation, vehicle maintenance, ecommerce marketplaces, and payment services. STLA SmartCockpit will adapt to customers’ behaviors and interests, wherever their passions take them–from the start of a journey at home, on the road, or off.

TuSimple TuSimple announced its expansion collaboration with chipmaker Nvidia under the NVIDIA collaboration Aimed at developing an advanced autonomous domain controller. The collaboration will help extending Tusimple’s ability to put self-driving trucks on the road through its Autonomous Freight Network (AFN), a system the company created last year to commercialise L4 autonomous trucks in the U.S..The controller will use Nvidia’s Drive Orin system-on-chip which delivers 254 trillion operations per second and is the brains for intelligent vehicles.

Lilee Systems Veoneer Veoneer showcased it’s cutting-edge innovation at CES® 2022. Based on its theme ‘Fit-to-Drive’, the company demonstrated Thermal Sensing, LiDAR in partnership with Baraja, Driver Monitoring System in partnership with Seeing Machines, the research project Smart-RCS, and the 5th generation vision solution through the Arriver™ software on the Snapdragon Ride™ Platform, a scalable portfolio of System on a Chip (SoC) and Accelerators for advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and autonomous driving (AD), a product of Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.

auto components india // JULY 2022

LILEE Systems showcased its new autonomous vehicle and fleet management software ‘LILEE SafeRide’ at CES 2022. The complete autonomous solution includes an ADA-compliant shuttle, LILEE’s self-driving system, and a cloudbased platform enabled by LILEE SafeRide for remote monitoring and management. LILEE’s autonomous vehicles operate fixed route and on-demand services that are monitored and controlled by LILEE SafeRide from the Operations Control Centre (OCC) for greater operational awareness, efficiency and safety.

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Globe Scan Blink Charging Co. Blink Charging Co. launched seven new products at the CES 2022. The new products include the MQ 200, HQ 200 (Smart and Basic models), Vision IQ 200, and 50kW DC fast charge r, which offer nextgeneration EV charging technology across the EV ecosystem, including home, fleet, multifamily, and retail. Some charging products also feature a new vehicle-to-grid technology capable of dynamically balancing energy demand with supply. In addition, Blink is launching two new apps., Blink Mobile App and the Blink Fleet portal, to empower a more seamless, efficient, and affordable charging experience for both consumers and fleets.

Marelli Marelli, one of the world’s leading global independent suppliers to the automotive sector, showcased its latest advancements in lighting, sensing, electronics, interior and electrification solutions including sensors to Support ADAS and Autonomous Driving, headlamp with integrated radar and an illuminated front panel, Cockpit Domain Controller (CDC) to support the evolution of the vehicle’s electronic architecture, Smart Surfaces to Manage Information in an Aesthetic, Stress-Free Way. It also exhibited a dashboard for an electric crossover vehicle that features haptic buttons to provide the user with a tactile response and a 800 V eMotor. Marelli’s inverter technology for both cars and motorcycles was on display, along with its eAxle.

Mando Corporation Valeo As a technological and industrial leader in the fields of vehicle electrification, driver assistance, lighting and smart features inside the cabin, Valeo once again demonstrated its ability to pave the way for the mobility of tomorrow at this year’s CES trade show. It presented five major innovations transforming and shaping a cleaner, safer, more autonomous, more connected mobility which included its third-generation LiDAR scanner,Valeo NFL (Near Field LiDAR),Valeo VoyageXR Panorama, intelligent vehicle interior and all-electric 48V motorcycle. Making its public debut at CES 2022, Valeo’s LiDAR scanner can detect objects invisible to the human eye, cameras and radars, located at distances of more than 200 meters. It is expected to be available in market by 2024. Valeo NFL made its world premiere at CES 2022. When used on driverless, autonomous vehicles, this innovation creates a safety “bubble” around them. As soon as the vehicle starts, it can display a 360° vision of its surroundings. On a highly automated car, it provides peripheral vision, eliminating blind spots. Valeo VoyageXR Panorama offers broader, even more impressive vision. This technology provides a drone’s perspective – without the drone. Valeo Safe Insight enabling intelligent interior helps identify the driver and alert him or her in the event of distraction or drowsiness, recognises when passengers are on board and reminds them to buckle their seat belt, and detects when there is someone in a stationary car and raise the alarm in case a child has been left behind. Valeo was also named as CES 2022 innovation awards honoree with its UV Air Purifier protective shield.

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Winning the Innovation Award in the VIT (vehicle intelligence & transportation) category for the second year in a row, Mando Corporation showcased IDB2 HAD (integrated dynamic brake for highly autonomous driving). The first commercially available integrated (1-box) electronic brake with dual safety design, operates normally even in situations where single point failure occurs due to its full redundancy concept while driving. IDB2 HAD is a perfect complement to the e-brake pedal, enabling ‘auto stow’ functionality, which folds or unfolds the pedal when needed, in highly autonomous driving conditions. It is also an eco-friendly product.

auto components india // JULY 2022

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