Aftermarket - February 2013

INDIA’S FIRST MAGAZINE FOR THE AUTOMOTIVE AFTERMARKET

Vol. 2 No.8 February 2013

52 Pages `50

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Fiat India is ready to roll out new dealer and aftermarket strategy for increased market share.

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Focus

36

Autobook is here for cars.

Interview

25

Gaurav Kulshrestha of Pioneer.

Enrico Atanasio, MD, Fiat Group Automobiles India Pvt Ltd.

Brought to you by

Auto Monitor

EDITORIAL Heady Potpourri

W

e have tackled some interesting themes in this issue of Aftermarket. Of course, the fact that our correspondent was also carpet bombing meeting several industry people helped. We have realized over the last few months that several smaller companies have sprung up in the country keen to cater to the aftermarket industry.

While manufacturing may not be their priority, imports top the list. So it is possible that going forward, you will read of interesting products and its strategies for the Indian vehicular aftermarket.

Our cover story this month details the one aftermarket parts replacement brand (and the largest) that most in India were waiting for long. Fiat Group Automobiles India Private Limited plans to bring in Mopar. While the company is still working on the technicalities, the company has said that a formal launch will take place probably in the second or third quarter of this year.

While it will change of dynamics of the aftermarket for Fiat, it will also mean access to a host of products that one only read of so far. Simultaneously, the company has also tuned itself to showcase some aggressive moves in Indian market. For too long, the company has been receiving a beating and the new strategy should change a few things for the company.

In another story, Autographix has launched an interesting and interactive online application, Autobook. Interesting because it means giving your vehicle a new lease of life in terms of breathing into it. Give your vehicle an identity on Facebook and watch it grow into a family. While the company is slowly divulging details, it intends to go all out to make proud vehicle owners make their vehicle come alive.

Our third and big interview is with Harman International who is bringing in a better range of premium audio and infotainment solutions. Although present in the country last three years, the company is making decent strides with its range of audio aftermarket products. Innovation is the key and while being a late entrant may slow down progress considering that it has competitors that have an established presence, it is still gung-ho. Way to go.

Comments can be sent to jayashree.mendes@network18publishing.com

FEBRUARY 2013 AFTERMARKET

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CONTENTS NEWS

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08 Mercedes app for iPhone and iPad users 10 Monroe Struts Into India 12 Audi opens second showroom in Uttar Pradesh 14 Scania’s Metrolink make global debut with launch in India

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COVER STORY 18 Fiat adopts new dealer and aftermarket strategy to improve its brand perception and increase market share.

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FOCUS 36 Autographix launches Autobook, a social networking site for your vehicle to interact with other vehicles

INDIA’S FIRST MAGAZINE FOR THE AUTOMOTIVE AFTERMARKET

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32 Vol. 2 No.8 February 2013

52 Pages `50

www.afmonline.in

Scan this code on your smart phone to visit www.afmonline.in

SERVED

SMART Fiat India is ready to roll out new dealer and aftermarket strategy for increased market share.

18

Focus

36

Autobook is here for cars.

Interview

25

Gaurav Kulshrestha of Pioneer.

Enrico Atanasio, MD, Fiat Group Automobiles India Pvt Ltd.

Brought to you by

INTERVIEW 28 Pioneer’s Gaurav Kulshrestha talks about marketing activities and plans for the future.

INTERVIEW

Auto Monitor

Cover Design: Mahesh Talkar

32 Harman International’s Anand Ramamoorthy is looking to increase market share in India through innovative marketing FEBRUARY 2013 AFTERMARKET

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Mercedes App For iPhone, iPad The three-pointed star experience now enters the digital space, with an iOS app from Mercedes Benz’s finance arm.

myMBFS iPhone app

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ercedes-Benz India in association with Daimler Financial Services (DFS) has launched an app for iPhone and iPad users in India.

The company claims that its myMBFS application is the first app to be launched by an automotive financial services provider in India. This application allows

The key functions provided by myMBFS include promotions, estimator, get quote, dealer locator, and contact us.

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myMBFS iPad app

iPhone and iPad users, both customers and prospects of Mercedes-Benz, to track the nearest Mercedes-Benz dealer, contact a DFS finance & insurance manager, determine a monthly payment amount on a vehicle of their choice, and check for current promotions from Daimler Financial Services.

“Our customer base today, which aspires to own a Mercedes-Benz car, is tech savvy and likes to stay connected on the go. Our myMBFS app not only gives them access to the world of Mercedes-Benz, but also helps them in their purchase and finance decisions. This app will help us deliver customer-centric

This app is specifically tailored for India, ensuring that customers have access to information relevant to them. services in the digital world, through devices to the palm of our customers. The fascination for innovative technology has always guided us to pioneer better ways to connect with the customer. This app is specifically tailored for India, ensuring that customers have access to information relevant to them,” said Sidhartha Nair, Managing Director, Daimler Financial Services India Private Limited.

The key functions provided by myMBFS include promotions, estimator, get quote, dealer locator, and contact us. As the names suggests, the promotions feature allows one to track Mercedes Benz promotions, while the estimator allows one to calculate the monthly payment amount. Detailed vehicle price quotes can be obtained with get quote, dealer locator allows you to search for Mercedes dealers, and contact us provides contact information for Daimler Financial Services. myMBFS is compatible for devices running iOS 5.0 or later, including the new iPhone 5, and is available for free download from the Apple App Store.

The app has been jointly developed in the USA and Singapore, and localized to suit Indian requirements. It also features dual language functionality to support international as well as local target groups.

With BMW and Audi going all out to retain and increasing their market share in the luxury car segment, Mercedes Benz cannot afford to go unnoticed.

Their new app is sure to expand their digital footprint in the short-term, but only time will tell whether the app will succeed in drawing in more customers and increasing sales.

NEWS

Monroe Struts T

Into India Tenneco recently opened its first Monroe Stock Shop in India. Report: Pradeb Biswas

enneco has inaugurated its first specialized shop for shock absorbers and struts, catering specifically to the automobile aftermarket. The Monroe Stock Shop is the first to be opened by Tenneco in the country, and is located at Opera House in Mumbai. The shop has been launched in association with their distributor Rane.

Tenneco chose Mumbai for its first Monroe shop since it is a vital market for them. Mumbai accounts for nearly 34% of its aftermarket sales in the western region. The retail outlet aims to be a single point of purchase for the entire range of Monroe brand shock absorbers and struts for aftermarket buyers.

Need for a Shop After the opening, Pankaj Kapoor, Deputy Managing Director, Tenneco India, said, “A buyer can see the entire range on display in this shop. We will also have technical support available here for our customers. If a customer is having an issue regarding the technology, or they want to understand something about shock absorbers, we will have an expert ready to explain things. This shop will offer a complete customer experience. “ “We have a very wide range of products. We have launched 50 new spare parts for Indian OEMs in the past year. So we can say that every second or third car is fitted with Monroe shock absorbers. The trend is likely to continue into the future. We

The retail outlet aims to be a single point of purchase for the range of Monroe brand shock absorbers and struts.

Pankaj Kapoor, Deputy Managing Director, Tenneco India.

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As a global leader, we want to bring our aftermarket knowledge and expertise to India also.

occupies the number one position. The company aims to leverage its global learnings in India. “As a global leader, we want to bring our aftermarket knowledge and expertise to India also.

In light vehicles, in OEMs for shock absorbers and struts, we are already one of the leading players with the largest market share. We want to be a key player in the Indian aftermarket also,” he said.

New Experience will be in the new models also. From time to time as per requirements, we will launch more new products,” he added.

Tenneco has plans to expand the Monroe Stock Shop to all the metro cities in the country. It entered the Indian market in 1974, and has been associated with Rane since then. Over a period of five years, Rane has emerged as one of the leading distributors for Tenneco in India.

Future in India Despite the sluggishness in the OEM market since the last quarter, Kapoor is upbeat about the opportunities in the aftermarket. “We have often seen that the aftermarket kicks up when the OEMs are down. Instead of spending on a new car, people start spending on the existing car. This leads to an increase in aftermarket activity. We are quite upbeat about aftermarket demand in this quarter,” he said.

The company is also working on improving its supply chain and

distribution model. “In our case, in the Indian aftermarket there has always been a push because of the OE demand. We are trying to change that model. Since the past year we have been making sure that there are enough supplies and availability for the aftermarket. That is important for a dealer or distributor, since it will give them a repeat order. We have been working on this for the past one year and that has definitely brought about a lot of change,” said Kapoor.

In the Indian market, Monroe currently has a wide product portfolio of shock absorbers and struts. Findings from a Tenneco analysis show that the Monroe brand accounted for over 20% of shock absorber sales in the light vehicles segment in 2012. The product range offered under the Monroe brand caters to over 80 percent of the vehicles sold in the country.

Global Presence With respect to the European and North American aftermarket, Tenneco

“We have undertaken a lot of initiatives in the last two or three years.

Our growth in the aftermarket because of these initiatives is more than double that of the industry. We are growing very fast and catching up on market share. Certain factors like distribution, greater coverage, better technology products quality-wise -- and this event is part of the chain of initiatives which we have planned. This gives customers a new experience while buying a product from the shop,” responded Kapoor, when asked about the company plans for the aftermarket.

Based in the US, Tenneco is among the globe’s biggest manufacturing companies with a net worth of $7.2 billion. It designs, manufactures, and markets emission and ride control products and systems. It caters to the automotive and commercial vehicle original equipment markets and the aftermarket. Tenneco products are marketed under the brand names Monroe, Walker, and Clevite Elastomer.

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Audi Arrives In The

City Of Nawabs Audi opens a showroom in Lucknow, its second in Uttar Pradesh.

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udi has opened its second showroom in the state of Uttar Pradesh. The new showroom of the luxury car manufacturer is located on the Lucknow-Kanpur road in Lucknow. This new dealership is the 25th showroom of the German car maker in India. Audi is

planning to open a further nine showrooms in the country, with one likely to be inaugurated in Noida.

The new Lucknow dealership is spread over 12,000 sq ft and the entire model range will be available to prospective customers. The showroom was inaugurated by Niraj Srivastava,

Niraj Srivastava and Gautam Garg at the inauguration.

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Head, Sales, Audi India and Gautam Garg, Managing Director, Audi Lucknow (Four Wheels Auto Pvt. Ltd).

The existing 16,000 sq ft Audi service facility located in Sarojini Nagar on the Lucknow-Kanpur road will also be managed by Audi Lucknow.

The showroom exterior features

NEWS

an attractive aluminium honeycomb facade and a display area which can accommodate nine cars. Audi Lucknow also includes an Audi Shop and an Audi exclusive outlet, where customers can order customized products and purchase a variety of Audi branded merchandise.

“This is the 2nd showroom inaugurated in 2013 and we plan to expand our dealer footprint to 34 showrooms across India this year. Further plans include showrooms in Noida and Vadodara, among others.” said Michael Perschke, Head, Audi India, in a press statement.

“We opened Audi Kanpur in October last year, and in less than four months we are opening a new dealer network point in Lucknow. This shows the importance we attach to the Northern market. The response to our brand and products has been tremendous, and we do not want to be lacking in our efforts in any way in reaching out to Audi enthusiasts in the Northern region,” said Perschke.

“With the opening of this new showroom in Uttar Pradesh, we will be able to further strengthen our foothold in the region and capitalize on the increasing demand for luxury automobiles. We are happy to extend our association with

This is the 2nd showroom inaugurated in 2013 and we plan to expand our dealer footprint to 34 showrooms across India this year.

Four Wheels Auto Private Limited, and utilize Gautam’s rich market experience to make Audi the number one luxury car brand in Uttar Pradesh,” Perschke added.

Audi currently occupies the numero uno position among luxury car makers in China, Europe, and also in Germany.

India is currently its fastest growing strategic market worldwide. But its competitor BMW is currently leading the sales chart with Audi placed second.

Audi is focusing on strengthening its footprint across the country to attract more customers in new territories.

The company recently opened a new showroom in Mumbai South as well.

Audi’s product portfolio in India comprises of the A4, A6, A7 Sportback, A8L, Q3, the new Q5, Q7, S4, RS5 Coupé, the TT Coupé along with its super sports car R8, and the R8

Spyder. The car manufacturer currently has showrooms in Chandigarh, Delhi South, Delhi West, Indore, Jaipur, Kanpur, Lucknow, Ludhiana, Bhopal, Ahmedabad, and Surat. It is also present in Mumbai South, Mumbai West, Nagpur, Navi Mumbai, Pune, Goa, Bengaluru, Chennai, Coimbatore, Gurgaon, Hyderabad, Kochi, Raipur, and Kolkata.

The Audi Group delivered 1,455,100 cars to customers in 2012. Audi manufactures its vehicles in Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm (Germany), Győr (Hungary), Changchun (China), and Brussels (Belgium). The Audi Q7 is built in Bratislava (Slovakia). In India, its Aurangabad facility began producing the A6 towards the end of 2007, the Audi A4 in early October 2008, the Audi Q5 in July 2010, and the new Audi A6 in June 2011. In November 2012, CKD production of the Audi Q7 was added to the existing Audi A4, A6, and Q5 manufacturing operations in Aurangabad. Audi is currently expanding its sites in Győr (Hungary), and will start production in Foshan (China) in late 2013, and in San José Chiapa (Mexico) from 2016.

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Scania Has Three Luxury Bus Models in India Scania’s Metrolink range of buses make world debut with launch in India.

S

cania has launched Metrolink in India, which marks the company’s entry into the bus and coach market. The commercial vehicle manufacturer claims that the Metrolink is a purpose-designed coach for luxury intercity or charter travel in

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head-turning style. The coach will be offered in three models with a capacity to accommodate 45, 49, and 53 passengers.

Scania has introduced the Metrolink exclusively to the Indian market at this point of time. In a few years’ time, the Scania Metrolink will grow into a global

range of complete vehicles with network support.

The commercial vehicle manufacturer says that its Metrolink will stand out from other competitors as a premium product.

The Metrolink features Scania’s ‘wrapping T’ styling motif that sweeps

NEWS

from the front into the window line along the sides. The first batch of deliveries to customers is expected to begin from mid-2013 and assembly of complete coaches will start at Scania’s new facility in Bengaluru in early 2014.

The Metrolink HD 45-seater variant is a 12-metre 4x2 model with 45 seats, a Scania 9-litre 310 hp Euro 3 engine, and Scania Opticruise 8-speed automated gearchanging. The vehicle is 2.6 m wide, 3.7 m high, and fitted with a 465-litre fuel tank.

The Metrolink HD 49-seater variant is a 13.7-metre 6x2 model with 49 semisleeper seats (or 53 without calf support).

It gets power from a Scania 13-litre 360 hp Euro 3 engine, and Scania Opticruise 8-speed automated gearchanging. The third axle is hydraulically steered for easy manoeuvring. The vehicle is 2.6 m wide, 3.7 m high, and equipped with a jlk7&#., 5 / &5. (%85R5 The Metrolink HD 53-seater is a 14.5-metre high-capacity 6x2 model featuring 53 semi-sleeper seats (or 57 without calf support). It has the Scania 13-litre 410 hp Euro 3 engine, and Scania Opticruise 8-speed automated gearchanging.The third axle is hydraulically steered for easy manoeuvring. The vehicle is 2.6 m wide, 3.7 m high, and fitted with a 465-litre fuel tank.

“It is with great pride that Scania makes India the first market worldwide to enjoy the benefits of the Scania Metrolink, a new range of intercity coaches, with a distinct Scania character, and bristling with state-of-the-art technology. Scania has been at the forefront of developing new coach concepts and technologies for more than a century. It gives us great pleasure to now bring the world-renowned Scania buses and coaches to India,â€? said Anders GrundstrĂśmer, Managing Director, Scania Commercial Vehicle India, and Senior Vice President of the Scania Group. “Our products are known for their outstanding fuel economy and high uptime, while ensuring low operating costs.“ Scania Metrolink is a premium product that is completely in line with Scania’s mission to be a trusted partner for the transportation industry in India,â€? added GrundstrĂśmer. The company aims to sell about 2,000 trucks and 1,000 coaches per year in the Indian market

(From l-r): Anders Grundestormer, Henrik Fagrenius , and Krister Thulin.

within the next five years.

Scania is investing about Rs.2.5billion in an industrial facility located near Bengaluru. The head office, complete with a service workshop and a central parts warehouse, will be housed at the same site. The Scania Regional Product Centre, will also be the centre of the company’s commercial operations in the country. Production is expected to start in early 2013. It is estimated that some 800 people will be employed at the facility in the long term. The industrial operations will consist of final assembly of trucks with bodywork, and building of complete coaches with bodywork.

Scania has been represented in the Indian market since 2007, when a partnership was initiated with Larsen & Toubro (L&T). L&T has successfully established Scania’s trucks and services and has developed a close partnership with customers in the mining industry.

L&T currently operates about 10 Scania service workshops at various mining sites in the country.

In 2011, Scania established the company Scania Commercial Vehicles India in order to boost its presence in India through sales to additional segments of the Indian commercial vehicle market. Scania recently launched a new range of on-road haulage truck models specially adapted for the Indian market -- the R 500 6x4, the G 460 6x4, the P 410 6x2 and the P 360 4x2. The P 410 8x4 mining tipper was launched in December 2012. „

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Mercedes-Benz India’s

Performance Drive Program Mercedes-Benz launches a program to bring the thrill of performance driving to aspiring race car drivers and motoring enthusiasts, finds Anand Mohan.

M

ercedes-Benz India has launched a comprehensive driver training program to allow motoring enthusiasts, and corporate and racing enthusiasts to experience the thrill of driving performance cars. Christened ‘MercedesBenz Performance Drive’, it offers six different programs: Star Off-road Experience, Track Day Experience, Star Drive Experience, AMG Driving Academy, International Driving Experience, and Young Star Driver. Mercedes-Benz has also built an off-road track at their Chakan plant where some of these programs will be conducted.

“Mercedes-Benz has been a performance brand and committed to performance driving since the beginning of motorsports. Being a performance brand, our engagements are not limited to race drivers alone but encompass motoring enthusiasts as well. In India, the Mercedes-Benz Performance Drive program will address people across interest levels and skill sets through a multitude of engagement opportunities to further the spirit of motoring and performance driving,” said Eberhard Kern, Managing Director & CEO, Mercedes-Benz India.

“One may be an enthusiast desiring an adrenalin fix. One may be a high flying corporate, or one may be an enthusiast: whatever the ambition or skill level, the customized driving programs under the Mercedes Benz Performance Drive umbrella offer exciting possibilities. We are happy that this platform will address the needs of enthusiasts and hope that

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it will prove to be a catalyst in heralding the culture of performance driving,” added Kern.

Track Day Experience The Track Day Experience lets individuals drive highperformance AMG cars under the controlled environment of the Buddh International Circuit. There will Eberhard Kern, MD & CEO. Mercedes-Benz India launching the be a qualifying event Mercedes-Benz Performance Drive Experience spread over two days, plus training by professionals on braking, days and covering 17,000 km. cornering, and slalom.

Star Off-road Experience

Star Drive Experience The Star Drive Experience provides enthusiasts a passenger seat ride in powerful AMG cars. Mercedes conducts nine such drives every year, however, this time it has been increased to 21. The international driving experience is for those who have been dreaming of driving in international locales. They now have a chance to do so via Mercedes.

AMG Driving Academy It will impart intensive training to participants to exploit performance.

International Driving Experience This includes driving the entire range of Mercedes-Benz cars on snow, or embarking on a world tour lasting 47

This allows one to enjoy off-road driving. It has been created to teach basics of off-road driving to participants.

Young Star Driver The Young Star Driver is an attempt to encourage participation in international motorsports. The program will nurture young talent for the F1 and DTM platform. It will be conducted in association with FMSCI and is open to drivers aged 15-25. The top performers will get an opportunity to undergo further training in Germany, and then on to pro training and eventually the masters SLS AMG GT3 training.

For details, visit www. mercedesbenzperformancedrive.in.

COVER STORY

Served Smart Fiat adopts new dealer and aftermarket strategy to improve its brand perception and market share. Pradeb Biswas reports.

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COVER STORY

A

newfound freedom can usher in a whiff of fresh air aided by the possibilities to chart out new goals.

Free from its sales and service tie-up with Tata Motors, Fiat is looking at the market afresh and making a strong bid in terms of forming strategies to increase market share. This is the third innings for the company, who is still recovering from its lacklustre first and second innings in the Indian market. But for its third innings, the company has an aggressive and methodical approach in place. It’s about time Fiat executed the needful.

In December, at a press conference in Mumbai, Mike Manley, Chief Operating Officer for Fiat Asia and President and CEO - Jeep Brand, had announced the car manufacturer's plans for India. He

Fiat’s vision for India comprises a threepronged strategy. The first is to launch new vehicles under the Jeep brand. The second is to expand their independent dealer network. The third is step is marketing initiatives to improve brand perception. said that Fiat's vision for India comprises a three-pronged strategy. The first is to launch new vehicles under the Jeep

brand. The second step is to expand their independent dealer network. And the third initiative is to launch marketing initiatives in order to improve brand perception and awareness in the country.

The strategies that Fiat India has lined up are easier said than done. However, Manley has an even more difficultto-achieve ambition. Currently Fiat has a market share of around 0.5-0.6 percent which is less than some luxury car manufacturers. Manley intends to accumulate a five percent market share of the Indian passenger car market by the end of Phase I in 2016. Somebody seems to have served a strong cup of coffee to the head honchos at Fiat.

Old Heads For A New Cycle Mike Manley is not by any means a newbie attempting to achieve a turnaround of the Fiat brand. He is credited with significantly improving the performance of the Jeep brand by achieving double-digit growth. His tryst with India, especially Asia, began when in September 2011 he was given charge of the Asian market. In the same year, he visited India for the first time to carry out a detailed study of the car market in the country.

Having understood and gained insight into the market, Manley, though aware of the challenges, seems confident of pulling off his goals. Fiat's third innings in India certainly looks more promising than before under his leadership. But there are some dangerous curves ahead.

In an interaction with Aftermarket, Enrico Atanasio, Managing Director, Fiat Group Automobiles India Private Limited, explained in depth Fiat’s aftermarket and dealership plans for the country.

Going by the press release issued after the December press conference, Atanasio had said, “We are optimistic about our prospects for growth in the Indian car market, which grew 12 percent in 2011 and is rapidly becoming a major global

FEBRUARY 2013 AFTERMARKET

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an established and known brand in India today. However Mopar has no presence at all. Hence establishing Mopar alongside FIAT will be a challenge. It’ll be a new concept for the Indian market as currently most manufacturers operate with a single brand. It’ll indeed be a challenge for us to establish a separate brand for aftermarket.

This will give us a unique differentiation point and highlight world class efficiency and customer support intention," he said.

Relief In Sight

Mike Manley, Chief Operating Officer for Fiat Asia, and President and CEO - Jeep Brand.

market. With the launch of the Jeep brand, newer Fiat products, an expanding dealer network and upcoming marketing initiatives, we will be in a strong position to capitalise on this growth.”

It is widely known that Fiat plans to launch nine models within the next three to four years in India. Additionally it will also launch its performance brand Abarth.

But there is considerable excitement about their aftermarket plans in terms of expanding their independent dealer network and bringing in its aftermarket parts replacement brand Mopar to India.

A formal launch of the Mopar brand will happen prior to the launch of the Jeep brand scheduled in the last quarter of 2013.

Simultaneously, after the launch of Mopar in India, the company will ensure that both FIAT and Chrysler are looked after by Mopar. This will also extend to all future brands of the Fiat group.

Considering the method in which the company is working on several targets simultaneously, it will be hard to ignore

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the company’s efforts. One begins to wonder the reasons that held the company back from targeting the fifth largest car market globally.

To prepare themselves for the onslaught in the Indian market, the company is currently busy with its awareness campaigns. "We are busy creating awareness for Mopar internally with the FIAT India Team. Simultaneously there will be a change in parts packaging from current FIAT brand to Mopar brand.

During 2nd (or 3rd) quarter of 2013, we’ll introduce Mopar to our network of dealers. Subsequently in Q3 or Q4 – 2013, it will be launched in India.

After that, this brand will be promoted in every group event as well as in all major automobile Industry events (Auto Expo/Racing etc)," said Atanasio about the company’s marketing strategy for introducing Mopar in the country.

"Our main priority is to launch Mopar along with Jeep/Chrysler brand in India and then extend the same to FIAT. The challenges are that FIAT is

The immediate expectations from Mopar in India are to be responsible for all aftersales activities of Fiat as well as Chrysler brand. "In India initially we’ll establish Mopar for aftermarket and then make it grow for other areas globally beginning with the US and then move on to other global markets. We will evaluate customer response and based on that will take advantage of the huge portfolio of product and services we offer worldwide," he added.

Enrico Atanasio, Managing Director, Fiat Group Automobiles India Private Limited

COVER STORY

Fiat vehicle owners have always complained about poor after-sales owing to difficulties in procuring spare parts for their vehicles. It is a known fact that the Fiat brand has suffered from poor brand perception owing to after-sales issues. It has been the primary reason for buyers to stay away from a Fiat vehicle.

But Atanasio says that vehicle owners need not wait till the Mopar launch to have an improved after-sales experience. He elaborates, "These issues will be curbed with the launch of FIAT exclusive dealerships. Mopar launch will further enhance customer experience in after-sales."

Similar to other countries where Mopar is present, in India too it is expected to improve the car makers brand value and perception. It is a very well established brand in the United States under the Fiat Chrysler brand. Fiat is expecting the same charm to rub off on customers out here too. "Mopar will definitely attract new buyers to the Fiat Chrysler brand.

Mopar will be mainly focusing on after sales and service parts and will enhance

customer satisfaction & customer experience in aftermarket," he said.

The breakup with Tata Motors for the sales and service agreement has charged up Fiat to aggressively pursue its independent dealership goals. According to the previous agreement with Tata, Fiat vehicles were being sold through Tata dealerships and vice versa. The Tata dealerships were more widespread

Mopar is expected to improve the car makers brand value and perception. It is a well established brand in the US under the Fiat Chrysler brand. The company is expecting the same charm to rub off on customers here too.

than Fiat and the Italian manufacturer obviously expected this deal to benefit them.

But buyers visiting the showrooms found out that despite the common showrooms, the sales people across Tata showrooms were more eager and pushed towards selling cars from their own stables. The after-sales service network was already below par than the competition and buyers suffered a poor experience at the showroom too. This turned off prospective buyers even more from the Fiat brand.

But this is likely to change soon. “We want to establish 100 functional Fiat exclusive dealerships by 2013 end. These are getting operational in a phased manner. These will cover Metros, and A & B grade cities as well. From there on we will continue to establish dealerships to be present in 126 cities across the country,” said Atanasio about Fiat independent dealer network expansion plans.

“For now, we have identified and are working on five key factors. A few of them have already been completed

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COVER STORY

while the others will see execution and completion soon. The first is the formation of the new sales & marketing company. Then we need to put in place an organization. And the third is the setting up of Fiat dealers. This will be followed by evaluating the market to finalize a product portfolio for India. The final step is to increase our market share,” he further added.

Despite all this, the manufacturing tie-up between Fiat and Tata Motors is likely to remain unaffected. “The manufacturing facility at Ranjangaon near Pune continues to operate as usual. There are no changes and all is progressing as per plan. The 50:50 JV remains unaffected. Both companies maintain their independent brand identities. Both companies will continue to produce their brand of vehicles as the market may so demand from time to time,” said Atanasio.

Here Come The Warriors

Under the Chrysler brand, Fiat is bringing in the Jeep Grand Cherokee and the Jeep Wrangler by early this year.

Fiat Chrysler has also revealed plans to launch an SUV for the B-segment in

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2015 and an SUV for the C-segment by 2016. Fiat is aiming to have the Chrysler brand present in 25 cities with 32 dealerships after its launch. There will be separate Chrysler showrooms with Fiat

Buyers visiting the showrooms found out that despite the shared showrooms, the sales people across Tata showrooms were more eager and pushed towards selling cars from their own stables.

Chrysler having complete distribution control with a national sales company and 100 percent group subsidy.

Asked about the immediate dealership expansion plans for Chrysler and Jeep, Atanasio said that 14 Chrysler Jeep brand outlets have been planned till the year end.

The service centres for these vehicles will be shared with Fiat. The company has already put into action its plan for training

its sales and after sales staff for its existing and planned outlets. "For Sales training we have professional trainers going across the country visiting all dealerships. For After Sales we have a full-fledged training centre in Ranjangaon where after sales training is an ongoing activity with stateof-the-art equipment," he said.

“Fiat & Chrysler are global players and have global references. In future, we want to play a more significant role in the Indian market. We will therefore maintain the core Fiat positioning on B & C segments but we will give to the brand additional product opportunities.

“In addition to the Fiat products, the growing trend of the SUV segments, which in the group is effectively represented by the Jeep brand, will be launched. A corresponding strong after sales will ensure the level of services and the support required to assist the existing car park in both service & parts activities.

Fiat vehicles owners can expect premium service from a highly motivated exclusive dealer setup,” he added further.

The Italian car manufacturer is present in India through Fiat Group Automobiles India Private Limited (FGAIPL), and has invested around 2.29 billion euros so far. FGAIPL is a fully owned subsidiary of Fiat Group Automobiles SpA, Italy. In March 2012, the company was incorporated in Mumbai, India, for distributing Fiat and Jeep vehicles in the country through an independent dealer network. Fiat’s product portfolio currently comprises of the Linea and Punto models, which are manufactured under the Tata-Fiat joint venture.

Fiat is an international auto group that designs, produces and sells vehicles for the mass market under the Fiat, Lancia, Alfa Romeo, Fiat Professional and Abarth brands, as well as luxury and performance cars under the Ferrari and Maserati brands. The Group has increased its global reach through the integration with Chrysler Group in 2009.

COVER STORY

The Chrysler Group LLC, formed under a global strategic alliance with Fiat S.p.A., produces Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, Ram, Mopar, SRT along with Fiat vehicles and products. The Fiat group contributes its technology, platforms and power trains for small- and mediumsize cars, to the Chrysler Group thereby expanding its product portfolio.

It has recently expanded its product portfolio with Jeep and Chrysler brand models that are produced in North America and now also distributed in Europe through the new LanciaChrysler and Jeep sales networks. Fiat also operates in the components sector, through Magneti Marelli and Teksid, in the production systems sector, through Comau in the robotics sector.

The Jeep brand’s vehicle line up outside North America includes Cherokee, Compass, Grand Cherokee, Patriot,

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Fiat has recently expanded its product portfolio with Jeep and Chrysler brand models. All Jeep models are available in right hand-drive versions and with petrol and diesel power train options.

Wrangler and Wrangler Unlimited.

To meet consumer demand around the world, all Jeep models are available in right hand-drive versions and with petrol and diesel power train options.

Jeep was the Chrysler Group’s topselling brand outside North America, rising by 46 percent versus the prior year

and comprising 63 percent of Chrysler Group’s total international sales. Chrysler Group LLC manages vehicle marketing, sales and service – together with alliance partner Fiat Group – in more than 120 countries around the world.

Fiat India has a definitive plan for strengthening its dealer network in the country and improving its customers after sales experience. The company will have its hands full in establishing an independent sales network and setting up a separate brand identity for the aftermarket with Mopar. But this time there is clear plan with time bound goals and work has already started towards achieving the same. It’s unlikely for things to go askew this time. Only with time we shall know, if the plans continue to be on track.

NB: This interview was conducted via email.

INTERVIEW

Going Strong Gaurav Kulshrestha of automotive audio systems maker Pioneer talks to Pradeb Biswas about marketing activities, keeping up with technology, and plans for the future.

What are the challenges for Pioneer in the automobile aftermarket with respect to distribution?

I don’t think there are any challenges for us. We currently cater to more than around 1800 counters a month. These counters sell a wide range of products, and it is a huge territory for us to cater to.

So distribution is not a big problem for us. Also, the demand has always been greater than the supply. There are currently no issues as far as distribution is concerned.

What are your marketing plans for the automobile aftermarket?

We have two stages in our planning. The first stage involves our channel partners, who do the actual selling. One is their motivation plan, so we keep on undertaking in-shop branding activities, promotional activities, taking care of their training, and dealer needs.

The second stage involves the consumers. For this level we focus on promotional activities for festivals, year endings, and financial quarter endings, as car sales are on the higher side during such times. We are continuously working on these platforms.

A lot of dealers say that manufacturers are not branding their products effectively, which is limiting consumers from making purchase decisions. What branding activities is Pioneer planning?

Manufacturers not branding their products effectively: you can say that about the Chinese products which make up 50% of this market.

But as a long-established Japanese company with success Contd. on Pg 28

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INTERVIEW

Going Strong Contd. from Pg 25

stories in the United States, Europe, and other places, we are absolutely positive that brand mileage is more important.

We get a lot of response simply on the basis of brand mileage. So there is no way that we are diluting our products with the brand image or something like that.

Both go in sync. Brand value, product quality, consumer benefits, they all work together.

At the local level, do you foresee any particular sector that you need to focus more on, like, say, road shows?

Something like what JBL does with their show cars, fitted with their sound systems and displayed at auto shows.

Are you planning anything on similar lines?

We do have our cars in place. But as far as BTL (below the line advertising) is concerned, as of now we have big plans for experience stores and retail therapy.

After which there are BTL activities like dealer meets and small mall events planned, but nothing beyond that.

The new features added to your 2013 product range seem inspired by the latest smartphones, like bigger

As a long-established Japanese company with success stories in the United States, Europe, and other places, we are absolutely positive that brand mileage is more important.

fonts and larger screens. A lot of navigational companies are in the race to offer larger fonts and screens. But you guys have incorporated all of that directly into the head unit. Is your new product range an incorporation of all features in one?

I won’t mention any navigational company because they are into map data. We are into equipment. So we have to always rely on good source data. So they will always be our partners.

In case my system is navigation enabled, not navigation ready, I have to still rely on them. You can connect your iPhone, but you will still have to depend on Google Maps.

They are the map providers. But as far as other things are concerned, like mixing of tracks, they are our proprietary technology and I think we will cash in on these.

How do you come up with the DJ Mix feature?

We have a legacy of DJ products.

When you see DJ turntables and all, every DJ plays Pioneer. So we thought of extending it because consumers in the age group of 18-32 always want something different.

So we came up with this idea of incorporating a portion of technology into the head unit. So we came up with the Mixtrax. Once you plug it in, the tracks get automatically mixed according to the Beats Per Minute of the songs.

So I think this has really worked out well for us, and from Auto Expo 2012 we have seen a good response from the market.

Your products have become app

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The aftermarket is obviously our bread and butter. So there is no way we can leave the aftermarket.

friendly for 2013. Are you planning to develop any separate app for Pioneer users?

We already have an app. It’s available for the Apple iPhone, which are Mixtrax, Car Browser, and a couple of others. So we have such products available already.

Among your existing product portfolio, which are more popular among buyers?

The major portion of our revenues come from the single DIN, and around 20-30 percent comes from the double DIN and DVD systems.

We will be catching up with other players in the market in the coming times. So the double DIN and aviators are the next generation products.

What are your plans for tie-ups with OEMs? The good news is supposed to come within 12 months. So next year you will get to know about developments in the online segment and the OEM side. As far as OES supplies are concerned, we already have tie-ups.

We are in a very strong position in the aftermarket. So I think the aftermarket is also influencing these channel networks.

Are you planning to focus more on the aftermarket than on OEMs? The aftermarket is obviously our bread and butter. So there is no way we can leave the aftermarket. But yes, it is also imperative for us to understand the changing scenario like in-dash designs of the OEMs. We will surely work on that.

INTERVIEW

Music To

Our Ears American audio equipment maker Harman International aims to increase its mind share and market share in India. Pradeb Biswas speaks to Anand Ramamoorthy, Country Head and MD, Harman International (India).

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What are your priorities and challenges as the Managing Director of Harman India?

I joined the company in 2011 with a mandate from the Harman CEO (Dinesh Paliwal) to significantly grow Harman mind share and market share in India. As a corporate entity, Harman India came into force only in 2009.

Prior to that, we were represented in the country through our distributors, and brand awareness levels were quite low. In the last two years, however, our headcount has more than tripled, from 150 to over 450. We now have multiple offices in India, with large development centres in Pune and Bangalore. We will initiate local manufacturing in the Pune region by the 3rd quarter of this year. We have built sales and marketing infrastructure for our consumer lifestyle and automotive business from scratch.

We have stressed a lot on creating a culture of innovation. The number of patent disclosures and filings has more than tripled in the last 15 months. Being a late entrant in the Indian market presents many challenges, but we have the privilege of being a brand with a

great story and lineage, and that makes the job a bit easier.

What are Harman International’s marketing strategy and plans for the Indian market?

AR Rahman, who has been a user of JBL equipment from almost the beginning of his career, was signed on as the brand ambassador for JBL in India.

He joins an elite group of artists like Jenifer Lopez, Maroon 5, and others who are also Harman brand endorsees.

We launched a campaign featuring AR Rehman last year, which was promoted heavily through TV, print, and digital media, and was extremely

Being a late entrant in the Indian market presents many challenges, but we have the privilege of being a brand with a great story and lineage, and that makes the job a bit easier.

INTERVIEW

FEBRUARY 2013 AFTERMARKET

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INTERVIEW

well received. Apart from advertising in the mainstream media, we have also associated with some high profile events. In terms of below the line (BTL) campaigns, we have experimented with initiatives like corporate roadshows, college/youth engagements, etc. We launched our e-commerce website a few months ago, and plan to expand the business. However, one of our main efforts going forward will be to significantly increase our retail footprint across the country.

Your distribution model is being restructured. Can you elaborate on that a little? What are your expectations from it?

For our lifestyle business, we have adopted a multi-distributor model which has given us greater reach and market penetration. Additionally, we have experimented with the ‘store-instore’ and ‘island display’ formats within large consumer electronic chains. The response has been phenomenal. And while we will continue to propagate our retail presence in these various ways, we also have plans to launch our own flagship store in Delhi soon.

How lucrative do you find the Indian automotive infotainment market? Can you share some figures with us?

We have built a $300 million plus business pipeline, and we plan to touch half a billion dollars by next year.

How different is the automotive infotainment market in India compared to markets like China or Japan?

India is a nascent market, the baseline is small. To put things in perspective, China has 18 million cars and Japan has 15 million, while India has only 3 million. However, this number is steadily growing, and with it, the infotainment market too.

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A lot of audio companies are tying up with automobile manufacturers to provide infotainment solutions.

Where do you see Harman fitting in?

We’re working with all the major OEM brands globally. A staggering 80% of luxury cars worldwide are fitted with Harman infotainment solutions.

We have had two design wins in India so far, one with Tata and the other Fiat, and we are aggressively adding more to our kitty.

Tell us about Harman’s deal with Tata Motors for audio and infotainment solutions.

As part of the strategic multi-year deal we signed with Tata, Harman will create custom audio, navigation, and multimedia solutions for vehicles across Tata’s model lines. The first Tata vehicle to include Harman products will be the limited edition Tata Aria MPV, which will include a premium audio system under the JBL brand.

When was the India development centre set up? What goals have you set for it?

Harman India was legally incorporated in 2009 as an R&D centre providing support to the company’s global businesses. It has since evolved into a fully fledged organization. We see tremendous growth opportunities in the India market. We expect to grow 100 percent YoY for the next two years, followed by a more steady state 30-45 percent growth rates. That is far higher than the growth witnessed in many of our market segments.

How does Harman India recruit its technicians and salespeople? How do you train them?

Since we are at a stage where we are growing rapidly, acquiring talent is a very crucial part of our strategy. Our headcount has tripled over the past few

A staggering 80 percent of luxury cars worldwide are fitted with Harman infotainment solutions. months and we are now a team of 450+ talented and passionate people who are determined to take this company to great heights.

How are the JBL and Infinity brands performing in the aftermarket? Which products are more popular among car owners?

Historically, JBL has wide acceptance as a preferred brand in the car aftermarket, with a whopping 60% market share. Infinity is a premium brand and caters to a different audience.

With these two brands, we are the largest supplier of audio equipment in the car aftermarket. However, we feel that there is a lot more ground to cover and we plan to nurture and strengthen the existing network as well as explore ways to increase our outreach.

What auto infotainment trends do you foresee in the near future? With respect to 2013, what new products will you bring to the Indian market?

There will be a significant emphasis on connectivity. Consumers will want to connect their personal devices to the head unit and other car systems. We have a robust product pipeline that we plan to introduce, for OEMs as well as the aftermarket.

About the Company: Harman International designs, manufactures and delivers a wide range of premium audio and infotainment solutions for the automotive, consumer lifestyle and professional markets.

INDUSTRY

T

he 2013 Lanxess Rubber Day witnessed a gathering of India’s experts from the field of rubber production, to talk about the country’s growing rubber industry and its contribution to the transport sector. It was the second such event to be hosted by Lanxess in the country, and attracted some 300 distinguished attendees from academia, government, and the automobile and rubber industries.

The event organized on 21st January was structured around the central theme of ‘High-tech Mobility and Emerging Trends’. The event which went on into the evening had prominent experts from the automobile and rubber industry talking about the future of mobility, green technologies, and road safety. The daylong event saw four panel discussions involving different topics and panellists.

Inaugurating the event, Dr. Joerg Strassburger, Managing Director and

Discussing Change The 2013 Lanxess Rubber Day saw many interesting discussions on tyre technology, safety, sustainability, and the future of mobility in India, Pradeb Biswas reports.

Country Representative, Lanxess India Private Limited, said, “The automobile sector is the next sunrise sector of the Indian economy. It is the largest manufacturer of tractors, second largest of two-wheelers, and the fifth largest maker of commercial vehicles. Today Indian consumers are

demanding better technology and safety.

At Lanxess we are contributing to the sustainable development of the Indian automobile sector.”

Future Of Mobility The scheduled panel discussions started

Continental Tyre’s German Facility.

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with the first one being, ‘The future of mobility in India’. During the discussion, Dr. Arup Chandra, Head, R&D, Apollo Tyres Limited said, “The poor condition of roads and stop-and-go traffic result in low average speeds and low distance travelled. These factors are behind the low radialisation of tyres in our country.

Poor tyre maintenance by consumers and vehicle owners is another major concern which is playing against tyre radialisation.”

He added, “In the truck segment, around 28 percent of vehicles are on radial tyres, while in the passenger car segment 98 percent of vehicles are on radial tyres.

If the OEMs, the tyre industry, and the Indian government work together, in four or five years all existing problems can be overcome. Indian tyre companies have the capability to supply OEMs with all the kinds of tyres which may be required as per European standards.”

Asked about the future impact of the current consumer trends, Murali Gopalan, Business Editor, The Hindu Business Line, said “Buyers nowadays comprise of young people, along with an increasing number of women buyers.

People are willing to pay the extra buck for cars with extra features. We are going to see extraordinary initiatives from car

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Joerg Strassburger, MD and Country Representative, Lanxess India Private Limited.

manufacturers. Indians do not want a cheap car, but a smart car, which is in sync with the needs of global car buyers.”

Innovations In Green Rubber The second panel discussion was ‘Innovations in Rubber for a Greener Tomorrow’. Speaking about challenges, Dr. Rabindra Mukhopadhyay, Head of R & D at JK Tyre Industries Limited, said, “The current road infrastructure needs to be improved and better quality fuels need to be introduced. Raw materials

required for green tyres are available, but for manufacturing an energy balance is required. India is currently in a transition phase from market-driven to innovationdriven.”

He also highlighted the challenges at the consumer level saying, “Immediate awareness at all levels is required. For example, consumers should avoid underinflation of tyres. Awareness of lifecycle costs also needs to be increased among them. Indian OEMs want to have everything at the same low price, but that leaves a big question mark for suppliers.”

Another panellist on the discussion, Rajiv Budhraja, Director General, Automotive Tyre Manufacturers Association of India, said, “In the last few years, consumers expectations from the tyre industry have changed with different options now available across the range. Change is happening gradually and is being driven by the OEMs, but it is creating enormous challenges. One needs to address sustainable scalability.

The government policy will have an important role to play in this.”

This year’s Rubber Day was organized

by Lanxess at a time when the Indian automobile and tyre sectors are expected to stride ahead with strong growth in the

INDUSTRY

The automobile sector is the next sunrise sector of the Indian economy. It is the largest manufacturer of tractors, second largest of twowheelers, and the fifth largest maker of commercial vehicles.

Axel C. Heitmann, Chairman of the Board of Management, Lanxess AG

future. Officials from the Government of India have confirmed that it is currently on track to achieving the targets stated in the Automotive Mission Plan. This plan projects that the automotive sector will employ 25 million more people than it did in 2006, and will account for around 10 per cent of the country’s GDP growth by 2016.

very restricted with no counterfeiting happening, whereas the majority of two wheelers are Honda counterfeits.

India is a very strong player in the knowledge industry, but China is strong in manufacturing. The global automobile components industry is worth around $200 billion, and China is aiming to have a major chunk of it.”

Technological Trends

Driving Growth

After lunch, the designated panellists from the tyre industry took part in a discussion on ‘Technological Trends in Automotive Rubber Components’.

“Innovation is expected to drive the industry forward. There is a growing integration of IT technology such as navigation systems. The evolution of design for adopting recycling is also catching up fast. Owing to the rising input costs, manufacturers are using the emergence of design schools to make cars more recyclable,” said R N K Krishnan, Consultant, Indian Tyre Technical Advisory Committee.

When asked about the China market and how it compares with India, he said, “In the passenger car segment Chinese buyers prefer only global brands.

The commercial vehicle segment is

The day ended with a final panel discussion on the topic ‘Driving growth and delivering safety’. A lot of issues and concerns regarding safety were raised by the panellist Prof. Dinesh Mohan, who is Volvo Chair Professor for Biomechanics and Transportation Safety at the Transportation Research and Injury Prevention Programme at the Indian Institute of Technology.

He talked about the findings from a research on advertisements of Indian car companies which showed that none of the companies were marketing safety as a key aspect of their product to consumers.

Lanxess is the lead partner for the 7th India Rubber Expo and Tyre Show which kicked off on 22nd January at the Bombay Exhibition Centre. In his

inauguration programme address, Dr. Axel C. Heitmann, Chairman of the Board of Management, Lanxess AG, said, ”We strongly believe that there is a bright future ahead for the Indian Rubber Industry. The need for safer, more fuel-efficient transportation will lead to increased demand for high-performance synthetic rubber. These rubbers will make it possible for modern radial tyres to grip the road better and save on fuel.

Radialisation The radialisation process was a topic of immense interest for the attendees of the 2013 Lanxess Rubber Day India. The country currently has a high proportion of bias ply tyres with old fashioned inner tubes. Currently around 15 percent of India’s commercial vehicles run on radial tyres, which offer better fuel economy, safety, and a longer life. Owing to the radial design of modern tyres they do not need a separate tube.

The efficiency and safety benefits of modern tyres can be achieved by making drivers switch over to the ‘Green Tyres’. The technologically superior tyres available in the market are ‘Green Tyres’ owing to their contribution towards improving fuel efficiency and environmental performance. The Singapore plant of Lanxess for butyl rubber is expected to begin production

by Q1 2013 and will cater to the requirements of the Asian continent.

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FOCUS

Social Networking

For Your Car Automotive accessory maker Autographix launches Autobook, a social networking site for your vehicle to interact with other vehicles.

B

ack in childhood, some of us have tried to “talk” to cars, pretending they were alive and capable of understanding us. Some enjoyed conversations with the Lamborghini and Ferrari posters on their bedroom walls, while others smooth talked the swanky sedans in their building parking lots, hoping the doors would open invitingly and the engine would magically come to life. Of course, none of that ever came true. Nonetheless, as grown-ups, some of us now pray to our cars, imploring them to not break down in the middle of an office commute!

Now we have a Facebook app to give our automotive better halves a virtual life.

Autographix, the retail brand of Classic Stripes Pvt. Ltd., has created Autobook,

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an interactive Facebook app which allows automobile owners to interact in the persona of their personal vehicles.

Autobook is inspired by the brand philosophy of Autographix, which states that your vehicle is an extension of your personality. Autobook allows car and motorcycle owners to role-play the personality of their vehicles by creating an online persona for them on Facebook.

Autobook claims to offer many innovative features. After installing the app, you create a profile of your vehicle by giving it a name, car registration number, email id, gender, etc. You can also enter information such as date of purchase, car model, colour, and your name.

Then comes the technical specifications, which are fun to fill up.

‘High school’ means the factory make, graduation means the showroom from which the vehicle was purchased, and performance refers to whether your vehicle is a two- or four-wheel drive.

You can key in a few lines about yourself, favourite quotations, and upload a profile pic. The similarity with a regular Facebook profile page doesn’t end there.

You also need to mention relationship status!

So your car can say it’s in a relationship with your wife’s car. Vehicles owned by your relatives become the relatives of your vehicle, though we’re not sure what to expect when your ex’s profile turns up.

There are options for status messages and photo albums, from your vehicle’s perspective. So don’t mention your ‘calf ache’ from driving through traffic.

Instead mention ‘clutch burn’. That will surely get you more likes!

At the launch ceremony, Amit Dakshini, CEO, Classic Stripes, said, “Our vision is to make Autographix one of the most desired car accessory brands among the youth. Autobook is a strategic move to help build the brand, while giving the target group a fun and exciting platform to interact with the brand.”

Autographix promotes the idea that your car is not just a mode of transport, but a canvas to portray your individuality with styling products such as car skins, dash board trim, etc. Autobook allows you to ‘skin’ your car by adding skins from a large collection of striking designs inspired by music, technology, sports, and other themes.

Classic Stripes is among the global leaders in automotive decals and is the flagship company of the ASTARC group. It currently claims over 70% market share in the OEM segment in India. The Autographix product portfolio comprises designer graphics, premium dashboard trims, bumper guards, and Clear Shield, among others.

FOCUS

Shilpi Ghosh, Marketing Head at ASTARC Group talks to Pradeb Biswas about their plans for Autobook, the new Facebook app for vehicle owners.

Where did the idea for Autobook come from?

Well, we began by evaluating opportunities in the digital space.

After we got our agency PGWA, on board, the idea came up together. Our target group is essentially the social networking generation, where everyone is on Facebook. Our brand philosophy is about extending and expressing our personalities through our vehicles.

Nowadays, Facebook is the platform where we express ourselves, and our brand has a direct connect with that. We thought of Autobook as essentially an opportunity for a car to express itself on a social networking website. So that’s the connect which we wanted to work on.

How is Autobook different from other social media platforms, fan pages, and apps?

It is different because you will not be your own self on this platform. You will be your car! You will be thinking, behaving, feeling, talking, and everything else like a vehicle which is actually very dear to you, but you never had the opportunity to do anything about it. Autobook gives you that platform and that opportunity to basically just be your car instead of being yourself, and then get creative and have fun.

Are you planning to attract dealers, suppliers, and OEMs to come on board?

Autobook is open to anybody and everybody. Whoever wants to be a part of Autobook and enjoy being on it can do so. We will not restrict anybody. It is like Facebook. If you are on Facebook and have a profile, you can get an Autobook profile too.

What are your plans and strategies going forward?

We have planned a lot of offline activities to generate awareness about Autobook. From March onwards, you will see a lot of buzz about Autobook. I won’t share the plans right now, but the activities are meant to tell people about us, and help them get on to Autobook.

What are the immediate challenges for Autobook?

I feel that spreading awareness about Autobook is the biggest challenge.

Talking about it, creating a viral, making it popular, getting more people onboard. We have plans to address these challenges and get as many people on Autobook as possible. But spreading the word is the immediate challenge that we are looking at.

Other than interactions with other cars, will it offer any value added services like placing orders for spare parts?

Not on Autobook. We have a direct link from Autobook to the Autographix

website. Those possibilities may come up on the website but not on Autobook.

There is no commercial aspect to Autobook. It is meant to be a fun platform for car owners to basically just get creative and have fun.

What is the business model for Autobook?

The business model for Autobook is essentially just going out there. It is an app within Facebook, hosted on one of the internal servers. It’s like any other app on Facebook. Once the user logs into FB, they can proceed to the app centre, access Autobook, then create a profile and get started. It’s just like being on Facebook.

What are your marketing plans for the digital spectrum?

Autobook is the biggest initiative that we have invested in, and our focus is on that. As to digital media, we are looking at Google ads, Facebook ads, things which will popularise Autobook among the target audience. That’s what we intend to invest in for a year at least.

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NEWS

Source: Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH/ Petra Welzel

Automechanika Comes To India

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ickets for India’s first trade exhibition dedicated to the auto component aftermarket ‘ACMA Automechanika’, have been sold out, claim the show organizers. All prominent professionals from the auto industry are expected to attend the event scheduled from February 7th to 10th at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi. ACMA Automechanika will cover different verticals under the auto industry such as parts and systems, tyres and batteries, accessories and tuning, repair and maintenance, IT and management, service station and car wash, and the latest automobile services.

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The exhibition is being jointly organised

by Automotive Component Manufacturers Association of India (ACMA) and Messe Frankfurt from Germany. The venue is spread over 9,500 square meters of space and will accommodate over 250 participating companies. The participating companies are expected to pour in across the globe from countries like China, Russia, UK, Germany, and Italy, to name a few. Over 20,000 visitors are estimated to attend the exhibition.

“We at ACMA are delighted to partner with Messe Frankfurt. The Indian aftermarket has significantly grown in size and we hope that ACMA Automechanika India will further boost

this market’s development. ACMA will also mobilize participation and business delegations to Automechanika’s 12 other worldwide fairs held in Asia, Europe, North America, South America, and Africa. Concurrently with the exhibition, ACMA will organize an aftermarket seminar on February 8-9,” said Surinder Kanwar, president of ACMA. “The seminar aims to help attendees understand current and future trends in the aftermarket industry, as well as examine the challenges and opportunities the sector has to offer. As the aftermarket services sector has evolved, the distribution channels necessary to meet buyers’ needs have grown accordingly, in tune with evolving market forces and changing consumer preferences. At the symposium, prominent speakers from across the industry will offer insight on issues and the latest trends prevalent in both India and the world’s aftermarket sector,” Kanwar added.

Raj Manek, Managing Director, Messe Frankfurt India, said “Messe Frankfurt’s partnership with ACMA is continuing to be a very fruitful venture. By combining our expertise in the organization of automobile exhibitions around the world and ACMA’s invaluable knowledge of India’s auto component industry, I strongly believe the New Delhi fair will serve as the perfect industry trading platform. The 2013 show will offer attendees the chance to witness India’s growing aftermarket sector. I am sure there will be something at the show for everyone involved in automotive technology to discover great business opportunities.”

Shriram Pistons and Rings Ltd. and ARO Equipments will support the 2013 ACMA Automechanika as a Platinum Partner. Anand Automotive Limited and ZF India have extended their support as Gold Partners. ESCORTS Auto Products will be a Silver Partner, and ELOFIC Industries is a Bronze Partner.

We will see you there.

NEWS

India Key To BRIC Presence Globally, especially in Europe, Scania is going through a rough patch. Is entering emerging markets a way of compensating for the losses in Europe?

Our ambition is to be a global company. We want to be present in the BRIC countries because these four markets alone with the markets around them like South East Asia, the Middle East, and Africa are important markets for the future. Markets like India will grow much more than Europe in the coming years.

Scania is stepping into a fairly wellunderstood market, one in which Volvo has now spent over a decade. For a company with a similar product portfolio and from the same home country, it must have been fairly straightforward for Scania to plan its India strategy. What will be your focus here?

My immediate focus is to get the project up and running. We are inaugurating the assembly line for trucks and bus chassis in June, and also our service workshop and head office. To support Sivakumar (Director - Sales) to increase sales in India, and later on to get the bus-body factory up and running by December. This is my main priority in India right now. I also want to visit a lot of customers and suppliers to learn what possibilities Scania has in India.

Setting up a factory in Bangalore was a strategic move by Scania to share suppliers already delivering to Volvo.

Can you elaborate on how it has helped?

Yes, absolutely. It has helped. I started operations of Scania in Russia in 199697. Volvo was present there before us too.

It is not important to be the first to enter the market. We are a dominant player in Russia today in our segment, and we want to do that in India too. Besides manufacturing, sales, and service, we are also doing R&D in Bangalore together with Larsen & Toubro; not only for Indian products but also for global products. Scania has a global production system so the R&D we do in Bangalore is part of the global operations. That means the products we supply here are the same as in the rest of the world, and with the same quality standards.

What sort of an R&D set up do you have here?

We have about fifty consultants working on R&D and it’s constantly growing. There are very good engineers in India. Even the supplier base in India is growing in quality, every day I would say. So what is important for us is we will have a bus that is 100 percent Indian, produced with all the components for the bus body sourced locally, from January 2014 onwards. Before that the buses will be imported as CBUs. And what about the chassis and engine components?

We already have components in our mining truck that are Indian made. The number of Indian suppliers is growing as we introduce new features to our trucks and buses.

Scania CV India’s new MD, Anders Grundströmer

What is Scania doing about local supply chain management?

You have distribution of goods in big cities for which we can play a role if we get better infrastructure. In Bengaluru, for example, the traffic is tough. You need more ring roads around big cities so we can play an important role in the supply chain.

How is India faring compared to other BRIC nations and what is Scania’s role at present in the rest of the BRIC nations?

Russia operations started in 1996-97.

They were on the top ten list of Scania in 2011 selling about 6000 units in the premium segment. Brazil too is on the top ten, so I don’t see any reason why India shouldn’t be on that list.

And how is China doing?

China is a bit different. You can’t have your own company in China. You have to have a joint venture and the majority shareholder has to be the Chinese company. We want to enter the market by ourselves.

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GLOBAL

Light Up! Global market for Vehicular Lighting is projected to reach 2.3 billion units by 2018, primarily driven by stringent road safety regulations mandating clear visibility of driving area.

A global report by Global Industry Analytics.

A

s one of the early road safety technologies, vehicular lighting has been thriving over the years, riding on increased production of automobiles globally and stringent road safety regulations mandating compulsory use of lighting systems like headlamps during night travels. Ensuring clear visibility of driving area and thereby pedestrians, stationary objects and other vehicles on way, vehicular lights help provide high level of on-road safety, both to the drivers as well as pedestrians. Hitherto a traditional product category serving just the basic lighting function, vehicular lighting technology has advanced at a robust pace since the dawn of 21st century providing

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a wide range of design, styling, engineering and functional options.

Given the market’s sensitivity to the overall health of the motor vehicle industry, the current economic uncertainty in the United States, the worsening financial crisis in Europe and slowing down of developing countries, specifically China, not surprisingly, are weighing down demand for vehicular lamps both in the OEM and the aftermarket segments. While OEM lighting demand is witnessing declines in sync with OEM vehicle production, the aftermarket is also feeling the pressure of deteriorating macro economic conditions and the resulting impact on household budgets.

In the European automotive lamps market, specifically, the extremely fragile backdrop of the European economy and the darkening outlook for its automobile industry will witness manufacturers facing an especially uncomfortable market scenario in the upcoming year.

Future downgrade in the outlook for auto production cannot be ruled out, given the declining sales and over 8.0% decline in new car registrations in the first half of 2012 and excess production capacities.

The slowing down of Chinese GDP growth is already having a rub-off impact on opportunities in the domestic motor vehicle industry. Real demand in the domestic market is beginning to weaken. Exacerbating the scenario in the automobile industry is the Chinese government’s decision to restrict auto traffic by capping car sales and restricting the issuance of license plates, which in turn is making license plates exorbitantly expensive putting cars beyond the reach of middle and low-income citizens. Like the automobile industry, the country’s motorcycle industry is also boxed in with numerous internal and external threats. A soft export market as a result of the weak US recovery, fears over the sequestration cuts, and ongoing debt crisis in Europe and weak domestic demand together has pushed the Chinese motorcycle industry to a six-year low.

Growth in the global vehicular lighting market over the next few years will be primarily influenced by technology developments and innovation. In the OEM market, as vehicle makers compete to differentiate their brands in the marketplace, lighting, both interior and exterior, is emerging to be a key focal area of differentiation. Intelligent lighting systems are attracting increased interest among OEMs, especially in the premium segment. Advanced lighting technologies such as the HID Xenon lamps, and LEDs/HB-LED headlamps, flaunt the potential to

GLOBAL

replace traditional lighting technologies.

Although these alternative technologies are expensive, benefits, such as, lower energy consumption, longer life, less heat generation and compact design, are expected to outweigh the initial costs.

Innovations Open Doors Like in the OEM market, the importance of technology development cannot be undermined in the aftermarket, wherein innovations can help open up new avenues for potential replacements through upgradations.

For instance, introduction of stylish modular lamp designs fitting a broad range of vehicle footprints encourages consumers to upgrade their lighting systems. Also, aftermarket demand is developed countries is comparatively lower than in developing countries, given the longer service life and lower collision rates. Innovations will thereby help perk up replacement demand

in the mature developed markets. In addition, technology innovation in the aftermarket often moves proportional to developments in the OEM market, as advancements in OEM vehicle lighting technology compels independent aftermarket manufacturers to incorporate similar technologies in their products.

Emerging opportunities for CIVETS, a new group of tiger economies comprising of Colombia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Egypt, Turkey and South Africa augurs well for the global vehicular lighting market. The encouraging performance of CIVETS in the first half of 2012, which largely outpaced economic performance in BRICs, is further infusing optimistic hope on the region’s future potential.

As stated by the new market research report on Vehicular Lighting, AsiaPacific continues to remain the largest regional market worldwide. The huge motor vehicle production base in the region, with China especially topping

Shining A Light On Headlamp Regulations Richard Russell of The Globe and Mail parries some TXHVWLRQV IURP YHKLFOH DÀFLRQDGRV DERXW KHDGODPS regulations.

Are there safety regulations limiting the brightness of headlights? About one in 20 vehicles appears to be driving with its brights on, but I suspect some are mispointed, or have aftermarket bulbs. It’s uncomfortable and dangerous to meet these vehicles oncoming at night.

There are indeed regulations regarding this issue. They are covered under Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (CMVSS) 108 (Lighting Systems and Retroreflective Devices). These

regulations require that headlamps provide illumination necessary for safe night driving while eliminating or limiting glare.

Transport Canada says “the requirements set the minimum and maximum allowable height for the installation of headlamps, the maximum and minimum light intensities of headlamps, as well as the requirement for a tell-tale to alert the driver when the upper beam headlamps are switched on.”

global passenger car and commercial vehicle production, transformed AsiaPacific as the most prominent regional market for vehicular lighting in the world. By product segment, Motorcycle Tail Lamps represents one of the fastest growing product segments with unit sales waxing at a CAGR of 9.1% over the analysis period. Automotive Fog Lamps, on the hand is forecast to grow at a CAGR of 5.7% over the same period.

Major players in the global marketplace include Advanced Lighting Technologies Inc., Federal-Mogul Corporation, Flextronics Automotive GmbH & Co. KG, Hella KGaA Hueck & Co., Ichikoh Industries Ltd., Koninklijke Philips Electronics NV, Lumax Industries Limited, Magneti Marelli S.P.A, OSRAM AG, Robert Bosch, Stanley Electric Co., Ltd., Valeo SA, Varroc Engineering Pvt. Ltd., Whelen Engineering Inc., Kisan Electronics, and Custom LED LLC, among others.

The regulations are based on two criteria: 1) To illuminate the roadway far enough ahead of the vehicle so that the driver has time to react and stop the vehicle before striking an object in the vehicle’s path and 2) To avoid excessive glare to other drivers, Transport Canada says.

Replacement Seats In an article, you mention contacting a specialty seat manufacturer. Another issue the reader might want to consider is that, with respect to airbags integrated into the seats, that may be compromised with the addition of aftermarket seat covers.

Not only might the airbags be rendered ineffective or less effective, they might actually be more dangerous when deployment is redirected by a aftermarket seat cover. The bags are carefully designed. The speed and direction of deployment, and ability to deflate quickly are issues that come into play.

FEBRUARY 2013 AFTERMARKET

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GLOBAL

Renault UK Appoints MD K

en Ramirez has been appointed Managing Director of Renault UK. He succeeds Thierry Sybord, who has been promoted to a new role in Europe. Ramirez joins Renault UK on 1st of February from Nissan, where he held the post of Managing Director of Nissan Latin America and the Caribbean.

He was responsible for the performance and operations of all of the Nissan and Infiniti brands in the region, covering 37 countries.

Commenting on his appointment Ramirez said,“Under Thierry’s leadership, Renault UK has made significant progress through its business evolution plan, at both company and dealer levels.

I look forward to continuing to rebuild our brand value and market presence

in the months ahead. With six great new models to launch within less than six months, including the stunning new Renault Clio and the introduction of the Dacia brand and its initial line-up of Duster, Sandero and Sandero Stepway, we are clearly affirming our commitment to our loyal and new customers as well as to our partners in the dealer network. I’m eager to get to know the UK market and confident of the exciting future for our Renault and Dacia brands in the UK.” Ramirez began his career at Motorola’s Automotive Electronics and Telematics Communications groups where he gained experience for over a decade.

He joined Nissan in 2002 and has held various roles at Nissan Technical Centre North America, Nissan Technical Centre Japan, Nissan North America, Nissan

Ken Ramirez, Managing Director, Renault UK

Mexicana and Nissan Latin America and the Caribbean.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology. His CV lists more than 21 years of experience in the automotive industry in US, Japan, Mexico, and Latin America. He has held leadership roles in Research & Development, Program Management, Corporate Planning, and Marketing & Sales. http://www.newspress.co.uk/public/ ViewPressRelease.aspx?pr=41108&pr_ ref=12919

BASF To Launch Glysantin

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ASF will officially launch Glysantin, Europe’s largest selling engine coolant and the Original, for the Indian automotive aftermarket with the presentation of its product portfolio at this year’s ACMA Automechanika India, from February 7 to 10, 2013. ACMA Automechanika India is India’s leading international meeting place for the automotive industry, targeting trade visitors

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mainly from India. It will take place in New Delhi, India. The Glysantin booth, G12, will be located in hall 10 as part of the German Pavilion. Visitors will be able to discuss their needs with experienced BASF professionals. >The products in the Glysantin range reliably protect engines all year round from corrosion, overheating and frost, even under extreme climatic conditions.

BASF first patented Glysantin in

1929, and these coolants have been very popular with motorists ever since. The proprietary products have the most OEM approvals from large motor manufacturers. BASF works in cooperation with leading automobile suppliers worldwide to ensure that the Glysantin® range always fulfils the latest demands. The high-performance engine coolants from BASF are suitable for use in all motor vehicles.

GLOBAL

Leather Matters

Automotive leathers are now being processed in India, and with wide acceptance by OEMs, the industry is on the upswing. Anand Mohan reports.

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othing spells comfort and luxury better than leather seats in a car. Most top-end mass market models have them as a standard fitment, and there is a aftermarket segment available too at OEM dealerships. And there’s just one manufacturer for them at the fore – Tata International.

Two years ago, manufacturers would import finished leather from abroad and have them stitched here. An ambitious company called Saddle, Inc. (aptly named), a major seat cover supplier to OEMs, would be supplied processed leather which the company would fit onto seat covers and deliver to OEMs. Around that time, Tata International, a major player in the supply of leather for shoes and garments, got into the business of producing automotive leather. The company forged an alliance with Saddle, Inc.

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When Tata International took the plunge in 2010, it added a number of OEMs to its client list. The company owns one of the world’s largest tanneries in a small town near Indore. Having a tannery provides advantages in terms of both cost and logistics. The price advantage of leather processed in India vis-à-vis one procured abroad is obvious.

There has been a shift in buying trends in the recent past. From a predominantly hatchback market, where luxury features like leather seat covers are not that popular, the market has seen a rise in the sedan segment, and the success of SUVs and MUVs in the past year.

According to Tata International, around 3.5 percent of vehicles produced in India have leather seats. This financial year, the company expects this number go up to 4-4.5 percent. “In USA and Europe, this percentage is in double digits,” says

Suman Nayak, Head of Marketing and Sales at Tata International.

Tata International has observed that OEMs don’t mind using imported leather despite the cost involved, but are keen to localize leather upholstery owing to the shorter supply chain and faster supply.

The trend of leather seat covers as an aftermarket product has fallen considerably with most OEMs now offering it as standard fitment. As an aftermarket product, when leather seat covers are offered through the accessories division of a dealership, taxes and multiple entities in the supply chain catapult the price of the product to almost double that of an OE fitment.

Even if the market reaches a conservative target of 10 percent of vehicles in the next few years using leather seat covers as OE fitment, the automotive leather industry more than doubles in size. There are no points for guessing who will benefit then.

PRODUCTS

GPS Tracker

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PS tracker for two wheelers and four wheelers is low cost and robust. The tracker has been designed from scratch for meeting industry’s lowest overall cost and providing high reliability to reduce overall cost of ownership. The trackers provide web-based or mobile-app based tracking facility enabling tracking from anywhere in the world. In addition to low cost trackers, advanced tracker devices with multiple inputs/outputs for sensors, actuators and RFID reader connectivity are also available which can be used on school buses, office cabs etc.

Keeptrak Research Labs Mumbai – Maharashtra Tel: 022 - 25791137/38/39, 09833388220 Email: neeti@keeptrak.co.in Website: www.keeptrak.co.in

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PRODUCTS

Blasting Machine

Car Wash System

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rolley type systems can wash up to 10 vehicles per hour.

Such systems are available for two wheelers, cars, SUVs, buses and trucks. Gamma technology conveyor system, a new development from the company can wash up to 120 cars per hour. The car needs to be parked in the conveyor where the correlator aligns the vehicle with conveyor. The equipment senses the vehicle and with its roller on demand system, a roller pops out to pull the vehicle in the conveyor. The car is then pulled through various stations like pre-wash, soap spray, skirt brushes, brushing, tire polish, wax spray, rain water rinse, blowing, etc. The unit also features exit side collision system which stops the complete system in an event if the car is not removed from the exit side.

achine is an airless 3w continuous loop hanger type blasting machine used for cleaning of engine blocks and heads. The machine is designed using modern technology to achieve high cleaning rate of bulky volume and heavy weight item with large surface area economically. The railway wagon of approximately 1864 cubic meters volume and 30 metric tons weight having external area 82 square meters is cleaned within a half hour time. Varieties of different diameter blast wheels each powered as per requirement based on the location and blast directions is the prime selection of auto blast chamber. This parameter is most suitable and economical solution as per installation, operation and maintenance aspects. It helps in saves power, abrasive and spares.

MEC Shot Blasting Equipments Pvt Ltd Jodhpur - Rajasthan Tel: 0291-2740609, 2744068 Fax: 0291-2742409 Email : mail@mecshot.com Website: www.mecshot.net

Powder Coating Booth

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KKE Wash Systems Pvt Ltd Nagpur - Maharashtra Tel: 09158225500 Email: mkt@kkemail.net Website: www.kkewash.com

Double Sided Lapping Machine

he primary purpose of the powder coating booth is recollection of over-sprayed powder for reuse. The booth also acts towards containment of the over-sprayed powder within its confines, thereby preventing powder spillage in the work area. The powder coating booth is designed to accommodate manual or automatic applicators on either one side or in a back to back fashion. This is defined by the article geometry and volume of production. The booth is engineered to be stationary or mounted on wheels or trolleys to reduce the cleaning time in case of high volume production plants by incorporating multiple booths for multiple colours.

our way double sided lapping or polishing machine have unique features such as four way motion, in-process plate conditioning, precise pneumatic pressure control during lapping, variable speed drive, slurry re-circulation system, etc. The upper and lower lapping plates rotate in direction opposite to each other. The carriers rotate about itself while revolving in the either directions thereby creating 4 way motion. Typical applications are lightening arrestors, compressor valve plates, automobile and aircraft parts, piston rings, watch glass, pump parts, shims, vanes washers, slip gauges, quartz crystals, semi conductor wafers and many more.

Intech Surface Coating Pvt Ltd Pune, Maharashtra Tel: 020-22922350-53, 3292 1279 Fax: 020-22922252, 66524695 Email: projects@intechfinishing.com Website: www.intechfinishing.com

Speedfam (India) Pvt Ltd Thane - Maharastra Tel: 0251- 2620403 / 404 / 405 Fax: 0251- 2620406 Email: indianinquiry@speedfam.co.in Website: www.speedfam.co.in

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Colour Change System

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olour change systems is an intelligent solution which eliminates expensive repainting cost, saves paint and thinner and reduces clutter in the booth. It provides a clever recovery of paint during the colour change with a compact, space saving modular design and makes it virtually service-free. The colour change command is obtained from colour selection panel. It features fast, reliable, upgradeable, user- friendly services. Materials handled are solvent borne paints, water borne paints, metallic base coats, primers, xyrallics, high solid paints.

Patvin Engineering Pvt Ltd Navi Mumbai – Maharashtra Tel: 022 - 27780310 Fax: 022 – 27780311 Email: sales@patvin.co.in, patvin@patvin.co.in Website: www.patvin.co.in

Loudpeakers

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he Revel Per forma3 loudspeakers deploy proprietary drivers throughout. It has 1-inch aluminumdome tweeters which deliver airy, extended high-frequency response to beyond 20 kHz, with superlative detail and clarity. The tweeters operate into an exclusive patentpending acoustic lens waveguide that is precisely shaped using an entirely-new mathematical approach. These new waveguides result in an utterly seamless transition from the midrange to tweeter, greatly enhancing the sense of reality and musicality.

The midrange and low-frequency drivers employ aluminium cones and sophisticated motor systems for extraordinary resolution with low distortion. The cones have integral ribs that add strength and rigidity without added mass, resulting in very low distortion for more natural vocal and instrumental reproduction. The drivers incorporate additional refinements including

cast-aluminum frames and efficiently vented, high-power motor structures, to deliver the same superb sonic character over an extraordinarily wide dynamic range. The F208 and C208 also feature a tweeter level control that allows the speakers’ highfrequency balance to be fine-tuned, and a boundary control, which enables the speakers to be tailored to individual room acoustics and placement positions.

Harman International Bengaluru – Karnataka Tel: 080 - 40976808 Website: www.harman.com

Digital Audio And Video Analyser

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he newest multimedia NI PXIe-1491 digital audio and video analyser for HDMI, DVI and mobile devices is designed for performance testing and high-throughput test of consumer devices such as set-top boxes, blu-ray players, smartphones and tablets, The NI PXIe-1491 delivers automated, high-performance measurements to eliminate subjective manual inspection. The PXIe-1491 is shipped with National Instruments video measurement suite, a versatile test suite for analysing a wide variety of video standards. NI also offers add-ons such as AudioMASTER software, designed for in-depth audio testing including frequency response and THD, and Picture Quality Analysis (PQA) software. The PQA software delivers world-class quality of experience (QoE) metrics such as peak signal-to-noiseratio (PSNR) and structural similarity index metric (SSIM).

Furthermore, it enables engineers to measure lip synch, macro blocking, dropped frames, pixelation and more in real time by combining PXI Express technology with highly parallelized measurement algorithms. Applications include testing of aerospace and defense systems, automobile rearview camera and infotainment systems, in-flight entertainment systems, video conferencing and professional audio/video equipment.

National Instruments Pune - Maharashtra Tel: 020 - 66494000, 09036026109 Email: Shoebahmed.Shaikh@ni.com Website: www.india.ni.com

FEBRUARY 2013 AFTERMARKET

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PRODUCTS

ID Reader

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ataMan 200 adds ethernet connectivity and liquid lens technology to the fixed-mount reader. These new features enable faster communication speed, easier integration with factory controls and softwaredriven autofocus for easy, hands-free setup. It is the first image-based reader to feature full ethernet connectivity in a package size of a matchbox. It is also the first to offer liquid lens technology, which makes it ideal for applications that have variable focus requirements.

The Ethernet connectivity gives users the advantage of realtime data and image transfer, easier integration with plant controllers and information networks. There are separate models available with three-position adjustable lens, liquid lens, and C-mount lens. It features integrated lighting and laser aiming.

Liquid lens technology, an optional feature provides greater focal range, ease of setup, and faster response time. It features an easy-to-use interface for setting up the application, and supports a wide range of 1D and 2D codes including UPC/EAN/ JAN, Code 39, Code 128, Code 93, Interleaved 2 of 5, Data Matrix, QR Code, and micro QR Code.

Cognex Sensors India Pvt Ltd Pune - Maharashtra Tel: 020 - 40147840, 09881466003 Fax: 020- 66280011 Website: www.cognex.com

Table Top Machine

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able top machine with sweeper arm is positioned to process one seal at a time to a very high degree of flatness and surface finish.

The specially graded lap plate with re-circulating slurry and sweeper arm swiveling at tandom achieves efficient cutting properties during the lapping process while attaining high degree of flatness and surface finish. Lapping machine can be conveniently converted to polishing machine for polishing operation on the same machine. Typical applications for this machine are mechanical seals etc.

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Speedfam (India) Pvt Ltd Thane - Maharashtra Tel: 0251- 2620403 / 404 / 405 Fax: 0251- 2620406 Email: indianinquiry@speedfam.co.in Website: www.speedfam.co.in

IP For Vector Signal Transceiver

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he new application IP enables engineers and scientists to use National Instruments LabVIEW system design software to build their own custom RF instruments. This IP integrates with PXI FPGA targets such as the NI PXIe5644R vector signal transceiver (VST) and extends their default capabilities by adding new features or enhancing performance in specific applications. Each piece of IP is available in a stand-alone package so that users can add it to one of the default VST personalities and mix and match the relevant components for their applications. The IP is also prebuilt into examples to provide immediate access to its functionality. This eliminates the need for the user to compile the code and subsequently reduces development time. In addition to VST IP from National Instruments, NI Alliance Partners and thirdparty developers are creating IP and developing software addons for the VST.

National Instruments Pune - Maharashtra Tel: 020 - 66494000, 09036026109 Email: Shoebahmed.Shaikh@ni.com Website: www.india.ni.com

OCR Reading Software

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he system acquires a sample image and automatically adjusts the tool to its optimal parameters for robust reading performance on the click of the auto-tune button. The advanced OCRMax algorithm prevents misreads and provides easy font management for optical character recognition and verification (OCR and OCV) applications (eg decoding human-readable

PRODUCTS

date or lot codes or serial numbers). OCRMax is an all-in-one tool that can handle character variations, text skew, proportional fonts and variable string lengths, while providing high read rates, reduced setup time, and faster deployment. In addition to the new feature, the In-Sight Explorer 4.8 software release includes enhancements for 2-D code reading, process feedback, and communications. OCR reading software with patent-pending auto-tune technology is available in In-Sight Explorer 4.8 and VisionPro 8.1 software releases.

Cognex Sensors India Pvt Ltd Pune - Maharashtra Tel: 09881466003 Email: vaggu.sunil@cognex.com Website: www.cognex.com

Alarm Management Device

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ith the n e w CombiSeries, a tailor-made alarm management system is developed for the process industry. The easy-to-handle measuring instruments with flexibly programmable displays provide for new practical options in process monitoring. With the CombiPress pressure gauge and CombiTemp temperature gauge, CombiSeries can optionally be configured with a CombiView display. The CombiView displays provides an often helpful overview of the current status of individual processes directly on site. The measuring values do not have to be analysed first because the display indicates at a glance whether the preset measuring values are exceeded and immediate intervention is required. In practice, the principle of the CombiView is similar to a traffic light circuit: A clear signal indicates whether there is a need for action. The background color red is suitable for values that call for fast intervention. A green background could signal proper operation. The user can individually select and set his indication preferences himself.

Baumer India Pvt Ltd Pune, Maharashtra Tel: 020 – 25286833 Fax: 020 - 25286835 Email: sales.in@baumer.com Website: www.baumer.com

Shot Blasting Machine

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he machine is an airless ‘Y’ hanger type shot blasting machine used to blast clean the automobile silencer mufflers. During manufacturing of automobile silencer mufflers the steel material get corrosion due to environmental effect. Through this machine the mufflers get blast cleaned and surface is prepared for painting/coating. 8-10 number of silencer mufflers to be blasted are hanged on individual hanger which is provided on beams and motorized trolley to take the job inside the cabinet. The job enters the blast cabinet where it is blasted inside the blast cabinet by two powerful upward and downward positioned blast wheels enabling to cover the entire turning circle of components. The duly blasted Silencer Mufflers come out from the same branch of the ‘Y’ is pushed inside for blast cleaning.

MEC Shot Blasting Equipments Pvt Ltd Jodhpur - Rajasthan Tel: 0291-2740609, 2744068 Fax: 0291-2742409 Email : mail@mecshot.com Website: www.mecshot.net

Semi-Electric Stacker

I

t has an adjustable fork with triple mast.

The lift function is battery hydraulic while movement is manual. The stacker is suitable for all basic lifting and shifting needs such as racking, shelving, truck loading, unloading, etc. It features a compact design with robust steel construction. Also featured is a wide straddle base for heights of 4.0 / 4.5 / 5.0 mtr for exceptional stability. Capacity of the stacker is from 1000 to 1500 kg whereas the lifting heights are 3.0/3.5/4.0/4.5/5.0 mtr.

Lokpal Industries Noida – Uttar Pradesh Tel: 120-3065372/75 Email: info@lokpal.com Website: www.lokpal.com The information published in this section is as per details furnished by the respective manufacturer/distributor. It does not represent the views of

FEBRUARY 2013 AFTERMARKET

49

LIST OF PRODUCTS & ADVERTISERS’ Products

Pg No

Products

Pg No

Products

Pg No

A/C service equipment .............................BC

Gas analyser ..............................................BC

Piston and piston ring ............................. FIC

ADEA Awards ........................................... 26

Go-jack ....................................................... 45

Powder coating booth................................. 46

Alarm management device ........................ 49

GPS tracker ................................................ 45

Seal ............................................................. 45

Automotive component ................................ 9

Heating solution ...................................... BIC

Semi electric stacker ................................... 49

Automotive filters and lubricant ................ 23

Heavy duty bike lift.................................... 45

Shot blasting machine ................................ 49

Bearing ....................................................... 29

Hydraulic press ........................................... 45

Spot welding equipment ...........................BC

Bearing housing ......................................... 45

ID reader .................................................... 48

Table top machine ...................................... 48

Blasting machine ........................................ 46

Instant drying and curing technology for

Tool trolley ................................................. 45

Brake testing equipment ...........................BC

water based colour ................................... BIC

Trnsmission jack ......................................... 45

Car wash system ......................................... 46

IP for vector signal trasceiver ..................... 48

Tyre changer ..............................................BC

Collision repair system ..............................BC

Laptop trolley ............................................. 45

Tyre inflation equipment ...........................BC

Colour change system ................................ 47

Loudspeaker ............................................... 47

Waste oil disposer ...................................... 45

Digital audio and video analyser ................ 47

Mobile sevice van ....................................... 45

Wheel aligner ............................................BC

Double sided lapping machine ................... 46

OCR reading software ............................... 48

Wheel balancer..........................................BC

Exhibition- Engineering Expo .................. 43

Parts washer................................................ 45

Yellow pages ................................................. 6

Filter cleaning unit ..................................... 45

Piston ...........................................................17

FIC : Front Inside Cover BIC : Back Inside Cover BC: Back cover

Advertiser’s Name & Contact Details

Pg No

Anand Automotive Ltd

9

Advertiser’s Name & Contact Details

Federal Mogul

17

Advertiser’s Name & Contact Details

Pg No

Network 18

6

T: +91-11-26564542

T: +91-124-4784530

T: +91-22-303242518

E: shveta.raina@anandgroupindia.com

E: customercare.india@federalmogul.com

E: mcc@network18publishing.com

W: www.anandgroupindia.com

W: www.federalmogul.com

Automotive Dealership Excellence Awards 26-27

Litel Infrared Systems Pvt Ltd

BIC

Oil Lube Systems

45

T: +91-22-30034650

T: +91-20-66300636

T: +91-129-2430786

E: adea@network18publishing.com

E: sales@litelir.com

E: marketing@oillubesystems.com

W: www.adea.in

W: www.litelir.com

Elofic Industries

23

Madhus Garage Eqpts

BC

Puja Fluid Seals Pvt Ltd

T: +91-129-4281000

T: +91-80-26660656

T: +91-20-27112016

E: pawans@elofic.com

E: madhus@madhusindia.com

E: sales@pujaseals.com

W: www.elofic.com

W: www.madhusindia.com

W: www.pujaseals.com

Engineering Expo

43

National Engineering Industries Ltd 29

Shriram Pistons & Rings Ltd

45

FIC

T: +91-09819552270

T: +91-11-23315941

E: engexpo@infomedia18.in

E: aarti.anandan@shrirampistons.com

W: www.engg-expo.com FIC : Front Inside Cover BIC : Back Inside Cover BC: Back cover

50

Pg No

AFTERMARKET FEBRUARY 2013

W: www.nbcbearings.com Not Available

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