Auto Monitor - 1-15 February 2012.pdf

I N D I A ’ S N O . 1 M A G A Z I N E F O R A U T O M O T I V E N E W S , V I E W S & A N A LY S I S

Auto Monitor Vol. 12 No. 02

www. amon l i n e. i n

1-15 Feb 2012

INTERVIEW EVERY MOTORCYCLIST IS A POTENTIAL CUSTOMER FOR US Pg 8

Ashish Joshi, MD, Triumph Motorcycles

72 Pages

` 50

STUDY CHANGING DYNAMICS DRIVE NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN TECHNOLOGY CAPGEMINI

Pg 14

Italian connection to support Varroc expansion T Murrali New Delhi

planning to bring to India. This will help us expand our customer base,” he said.

The President (Electrical Division), Varroc Engineering, Vineet Sahni, who is responsible for Triom business, said, “The acquisition is vital since the technology that we get is the future of Indian and ASEAN automotive lighting markets.”

A

urangabad-based auto component ma ker, Varroc Group is all set to expand its global footprint as its electrical division has recently acquired a majority stake in Europe’s largest automotive lightings maker, Triom Spa for an undisclosed sum.

Bridging The Gap Planting Growth Speaking to Auto Monitor, Managing Director, Varroc Group, Tarang Jain said that currently Triom has two manufacturing plants—one in Turin and the other in Romania and it is in the process of setting up a plant in Vietnam in order to enter the ASEAN region. Later, it will set-up a plant in Indonesia. Triom also has technologies for lighting solutions for four-wheelers including LED daytime running lamps. It will help the Varroc Group expand its business in several new markets, in not only ASEAN but also the other parts of the globe.

Based in Turin, Italy, Triom has been offering lighting solutions

DATA MONITOR Domestic Top 5 PV-makers Sector

Dec-10

Dec-11

Change

MSIL

89,469

77,475

-13.41%

TML

24,281

34,264

41.11%

HMIL

26,168

29,516

12.79%

M&M ^

15,611

21,540

37.98%

Toyota

6,362

15,948

150.68%

Domestic Top 5 2W-makers Sector

Dec-10

Dec-11

Change

HML

488,889

525,150

7.42%

BAL

165,470

169,485

2.43%

HMSI

130,128

179,863

38.22%

TVS

149,357

146,747

-1.75%

26,567

33,290

25.31%

IYM

Domestic Top 5 CV-makers Sector

Dec-10

Dec-11

Change

TML

37,404

42,400

13.36%

M&M

10,151

11,558

13.86%

ALL

6,411

8,042

25.44%

VECV Eicher

3,426

4,512

31.70%

FML

1,973

1,708

-13.43%

* Source: SIAM/ ** Excluding exports/ *** all sub segments considered/ ^ excluding MRPL

Varroc Triom Lighting Systems On Display

to a band of vehicle manufacturers in several countries in Europe and few other nations for the last four decades. It supplies several components including headlights, front and rear flashers, tail lamps, reflex reflectors and other accessories such as rear view mirrors, locks and others to leading global motorcycle manufacturers including Yamaha, Honda, Ducati and Piaggio. It holds close to 60 percent of the market share in Europe.

Developing Light Solutions Varroc is already supplying lighting solutions to two-wheelers and LCVs. Recently, it supplied cabin lighting systems to a couple of OEMs and is now developing turn lights for few vehicle manufacturers. Jain said Triom is on the top of the recall for several global two-wheeler manufacturers including Honda and Yamaha. It has several technologies that the OEMs are looking for their future models and, “this is what we are

According to Jain, there is a huge gap in India in lighting technology in terms of design, style and understanding the technological requirements of customers in terms LEDs and light guides. Currently most of this kind of work is done outside the country. Sahni said that Varroc is currently forming teams to interact with Triom’s R&D centre in Italy. This way, the development activities will come to India to support local customers, he said. “Through this acquisition, we are bringing these technologies and services to India and provide support to our customers right from the concept stage; this is because lighting plays a

key role in styling,” he said. The objective is to get the design skills and capabilities closer to Indian customers.

Forging New Models “We will retain the basic DNA of Triom while supporting new markets. On the other hand, Varroc is planning to sell some of its products manufactured in India like instrument clusters and others, in Europe,” he said.

This is the fi rst overseas acquisition for the electrical division of Varroc and it will pave the way for similar business models for other divisions of the company.

The group already has a plant in Italy for forgings.

Triom has registered a peak sale of Euro 25 million in the past, however, its current annual sales is hovering around Euro 20 million. At present, the Italian plant has about 20 percent excess capacity, which is planned to be used to make few other products.

The company also sees opportunities from several other OEMs in Europe, which will also help it utilise the remaining capacity, he said.

PACCAR to source components from Indian suppliers Abhishek Parekh New Delhi

T

he US-based truck manufacturer, PACCAR is in the process of evaluating components and systems suppliers in India for its global requirements. It has set-up its sourcing office in Pune where its technical centre, in partnership with KPIT, is also located and this office will serve as nodal centre for understanding the Indian market and identifying suitable suppliers in India.

“We have been evaluating and assessing capabilities of leading castings and forging suppliers based in India and they are already supplying to leading OEMs for OE and aftermarket needs. We are looking to develop a relationship with some of them on a long terms basis,” said Director of Purchasing India, PACCAR, Arthur Baas. He did not divulge any value-based sourcing targets from India in the near to medium term but added

that the US-based truck maker has been actively developing suppliers from China. It is looking to extend its learning in global sourcing to India.

Injection moulding-based systems and components as well as fabricated parts for commercial vehicles are other areas of interest for the US-based truck maker.

Technical Synergy The company’s Pune technical centre has been benefiting from expertise of its joint venture partner in engineering delivery as well as close coordination with local suppliers here.

The company is looking to draw synergies from its technical and engineering partner to explore possibilities of jointly developing parts for global OE and aftermarket requirements with local suppliers based in India.

The key challenge for the company at this stage is to jointly work with Indian suppliers

and link them to global developments centres of PACCAR in order to take the association to the next level. It is beginning to understand the market dynamics here and looking to develop competency in various areas for identifying potential partners and suppliers.

PACCAR showcased its premium DAF CF truck range at the Auto Expo. It does not have any plans for launching its range of trucks or heavy commercial vehicles in India in the near future.

“We are not looking to launch any of our products at this point of time in India but we are continuing to evaluate opportunities in other areas where we could gain from expertise available in India and any other partnership opportunities that may come our way,” said Managing Director, India Initiatives, PACCAR, Donald Schulte.

The DAF CF range is equipped with a PACCAR PX-6 180HP engine and tipper body supplied

by Asia MotorWorks (AMW). The CF is designed for tractor and vocational configurations. DAF is the leading on-highway tractor manufacturer in Europe. DAF trucks are sold and serviced by a network of over 1,000 independent dealer locations worldwide.

PACCAR’s CV range comprises light, medium and heavy duty trucks under the Kenworth, Peterbilt and DAF brands.

PACCAR also designs and manufactures diesel engines and provides fi nancial services and information technology and distributes truck parts related to its principal business.

The US-based truck maker has established a technical centre in Pune, India in partnership with KPIT. The centre will eventually be scaled up to around 200 employees focussing on engineering, information technology and component sourcing for worldwide production and aftermarket operations.

A to Z product range as per Customer’s designs, applications, sizes and Internationals Standards

EDITORIAL Build, Own and Operate

A

week of action packed automotive extravaganza is over with several new launches by the OEMs and it is time for the companies to come out with the sales figures—hoping that the fi rst month of the last quarter will be good.

The Auto Expo has done a lot of image boosting to the industry to cyclone away the gloom that has been gulping the global economy and the sentiments that cramped the car sales, with the fi fty and odd launches of vehicles and solutions. Therefore, it is hoped that the remaining months of the last quarter will be good.

The next fi scal is expected to be good with the inflation likely to come down further and the likelihood of interest rates reduction in the future. The past editions of the Auto Expo had been dominated by launches of entry-level vehicles—be it two-wheelers or passenger cars or commercial vehicles. However, the 2012 edition had seen launches of every class of vehicles other than the entry-level segment.

Even in the case of commercial vehicles, almost all the players have displayed high-end models or new generation vehicles and technologies. In the case of passenger cars, most of the new launches were in between the mid and the luxury segment.

The exhibits were resonating with legends that are intimately meshed with the fabric of the design and ambience of their respective stalls of almost all the OEMs and few component manufacturers. This clearly reflects the growing aspirations of the people of India. It also drives home the point that India needs not low technology, but high technology and at affordable costs. Many studies have stated that India is still a country with higher expectations on compact cars. Like the saying goes—aggregates and averages always hide the real picture, the exhibits—on one hand prove that the people’s expectations are different. It can also prove

that the real picture is hidden. Whatsoever, one thing is clear and it is nothing but change—changing expectations of the people. And the auto industry has to only follow and change its dynamics to cater to the ever changing and increasing needs.

The infrastructure at Pragati Maidan continues to be a major impediment for a charismatic exhibition like the Auto Expo.

Despite Auto Expo claiming to be the largest of all the auto shows in the world—in terms of the number of footfalls, the organisers have to face several unsorted issues with the custodians of the infrastructure. Several passes were issued to the general public on the media days and consequently, the journos could not exercise their duties to their full potential. The expo witnessed a general crowd in large numbers on non-public days. One of the officials of a large Tier I global company mentioned: “I could see lot of young journalists—five to ten-year-old journalists—at the expo during the media days.” It is high time that the organisers think of alternative arrangements for the future shows. With limited options to conduct large shows, the organisers need to contemplate on building their own expo grounds and operate so that the biennial event is conducted hassle-free.

T. Murrali t.murrali@infomedia18.in

FORTNIGHT’S QUOTES Ford CEO, Alan Mulally on future of electric vehicles in India in The Economic Times

Dr Pawan Goenka on the dealership business in India during the Automotive Dealership Excellence Awards in New Delhi

“I think there is a tremendous opportunity, but it has to make economic sense. There is no way but to subsidise a vehicle like that”

“I will wait for the day when there is a panel discussion happening in one of the five leading auto markets in the world with the topic, ‘Impact Of Indian Manufacturers On The Retail Of That Country”

FOUNDER & EDITOR, NETWORK 18 Raghav Bahl

GROUP CEO, NETWORK 18 Haresh Chawla

PRESIDENT & EDITORIAL DIRECTOR, TV 18 Senthil Chengalvarayan

GROUP COO, NETWORK 18 B. Sai Kumar

EDITOR T. Murrali EDITORIAL TEAM Abhishek Parekh, Features Editor Nandita Rohit Kapadia, Senior Copy Editor SENIOR CORRESPONDENT Nabeel A Khan CORRESPONDENTS Shambhavi Anand, Bhargav TS, Akmal Rahman B CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Sirish Chandran, Bertrand D’Souza ASSISTANT ART DIRECTOR Varuna Naik SENIOR DESIGNER Mahesh Talkar CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER Mexy Xavier PHOTOGRAPHERS Neha Mithbawkar, Senior Photographer Joshua Navalkar BUSINESS CONTROLLERS Akshata Rane, Pukha Dhawan, Lovey Fernandes

PRINTING EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT Ananth R. Iyer ASSISTANT GEN MANAGER-PPC Shekhar Khot

PRODUCTION TEAM Dnyaneshwar Goythale, Surekha Karmarkar, Ravikumar Potdar, Ravi Salian, Sanjay Shelar

CEO-PUBLISHING, INFOMEDIA 18 Sandeep Khosla EVP-HUMAN RESOURCES Sanjeev Kumar Singh ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT Sudhanva Jategaonkar ADVERTISING SALES Shashin Bhagat (Ahmedabad) shashin.bhagat@infomedia18.in Mahadev B (Bengaluru) mahadev.b@infomedia18.in Hari Hara Subramaniam (Chennai) hari.s@infomedia18.in Prakash N (Coimbatore) prakash.n@infomedia18.in Rahul Hanchate (Hyderabad) rahul.hanchate@infomedia18.in Ameya Gokhale (Indore) sameya.gokhale@infomedia18.in Aayush Bidawat (Jaipur) aayush.bidawat@infomedia18.in Inder Dhingra (Ludhiana) inder.dhingra@infomedia18.in Gopal Jadhav (Mumbai) gopal.jadhav@infomedia18.in Mukesh Yadav (New Delhi) mukesh.yadav@infomedia18.in Rohit Dass (Pune) rohit.dass@infomedia18.in Chirag Pathak (Vadodara) chirag.pathak@infomedia18.in MARKETING TEAM Ganesh Mahale, Prachi Mutha, Varsha Nawathe, Abhay Borkar

Auto Monitor OVERSEAS CONTACT Ringier Trade Media Ltd CHINA 1001 Tower 3, Donghai Plaza, 1486 Nanjing Road, West, Shanghai 200040, China Tel: +86-21 6289 – 5533 Ext. 368, Fax: +86-21 6247 – 4855 (Craig Shibinsky) Email: craig@ringier.com.hk

HONG KONG 9/F, Cheong Sun Tower, 118 Wing Lok Street, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong Tel: +852 2369 – 8788 Ext. 21, Fax: +852 2869 – 5919 (Maggie) Email: maggie@ringier.com.hk Ringier Trade Media Ltd

Ringier Trade Media Ltd TAIWAN Room 3, Fl. 12, No. 303, Chung Ming S. Rd., Taichung, Taiwan Tel: +886-4 2329 – 7318 Ext. 16, Fax: +886-4 2310 – 7167 (Sydney La) Email: sydneylai@ringier.com.hk

USA Tel: (513) 527-8800 Fax: (513) 527-8801 Email: dhight@gardnerweb.com USA Alfredo Domador, 6505 Blue Lagoon Drive, Suite 430 Miami, FL. 33126, USA Tel: (305)448-6875 Fax: (305)448-9942

NEWS STAND AND SUBSCRIPTIONS DISTRIBUTION HEAD Sunil Nair SR. MANAGER-SUBSCRIPTIONS Sheetal Kotawdekar CO-ORDINATORS Rahul Mankar, Anant Shirke, Sarita Quartos’, Chaitali Parker, Kamlesh Madkar, Vaibhav Ghavwale

SERVICES CIRCULATION SERVICES Write to automonitor@infomedia18.in SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES For subscription queries, write to customercare@infomedia18.in or call +91 22 30034631-34 or toll free 1800 200 1021 PERMISSIONS For subscription to copy or reuse material from AUTO MONITOR, Write to automonitor@infomedia18.in

• Monthly Issue Price: `100 • Annual Subscription: `799

Views and opinions expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of Infomedia18 Ltd., its publisher and/or editors. We at Infomedia18 do our best to verify the information published but do not take any responsibility for the absolute accuracy of the information. Infomedia18 does not accept the responsibility for any investment or other decision taken by readers on the basis of information provided herein. Infomedia18 Ltd. does not take responsibility for returning unsolicited material sent without due postal stamps for return postage. No part of this magazine can be reproduced without the prior written permission of the publisher. Infomedia18 Ltd. reserves the right to use the information published herein in any manner whatsoever.

Infomedia 18 Ltd. is the publishing arm of Network18.

Printed by Mohan Gajria and published & edited by Lakshmi Narasimhan on behalf of Infomedia 18 Limited Editor: T. Murrali Printed at Infomedia 18 Ltd, Plot no.3, Sector 7, off Sion-Panvel Road, Nerul, Navi Mumbai 400 706, and published at Infomedia 18 Ltd, ‘A’ Wing, Ruby House, J. K. Sawant Marg, Dadar (W), Mumbai - 400 028.

AUTO MONITOR is registered with the Registrar of Newspapers of India under No. 67827/98. Views and opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of Infomedia 18 Limited. Infomedia 18 Limited reserves the right to use the information published herein in any manner whatsoever. While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy of the information published in this edition, neither Infomedia 18 Ltd nor any of its employees accept any responsibility for any errors or omission. Further, Infomedia 18 Ltd does not take any responsibility for loss or damage incurred or suffered by any subscriber of this magazine as a result of his/her accepting any invitation/offer published in this edition. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the written permission of the publisher. All rights reserved.

FOX Automotive Products Since 1995

FOX- ECOS (Electrical Check Out System)

Wireless solution for electrical validation of the vehicles at mid & end of vehicle assembly line Complete wireless solution Traceability against vehicle serial number Wireless PDA (hand held unit) for ECOS operator Reports and statistical analysis and trends Repair work data capture Interactive “teach in” mode for fast configuration of new models and more…….

PDA - Screen

PC - Screen

FOX- i-AGV (Intelligent Automatic Guided Vehicle)

FOX-MES (Manufacturing Execution System) FOX-TPMS (Tyre Pressure Monitoring System) FOX-IDS (Plant Information Display System) FOX-CAMMS (Centralized Asset Maintenance Management System) Traceability using RFID / Barcode For Further details contact: M-9, M.I.D.C., Ambad, Nashik - 422 010, India Phone : 91-253-6618000, 2381801 Fax : 91 - 253 - 6618109

FOX - TPMS

E-mail : sales@foxindia.net Website : www.foxindia.net

I N D I A ’ S N O . 1 M A G A Z I N E F O R A U T O M O T I V E N E W S , V I E W S & A N A LY S I S

CONTENTS

Auto Monitor 1-31 January 2012

www.amonl ine.in

` 50

238 Pages

NIVERSA AN

Carving Competence

th

RY

Vol. 12 No. 01

CORPORATE

ANNIVERSARY ISSUE Cover Illustration: Chaitanya Surpur

Continental to expand product portfolio

Cover Desigm: Mahesh Talkar

12

Continental Rico Hydraulic Brakes India is looking to launch seven new products this year for domestic and export markets A special section on the captains of industry sharing their learnings during past slowdown

Magneti Marelli to introduce new technologies

Auto Expo Previews, Special Reports, News, Views, Analysis & Interviews

17

Magneti Marelli is looking to broaden its product range in all businesses and is padding up its research & development capabilities for catering to local market needs

GLOBAL WATCH

Daimler to flood Indian market with CV models

19

Bosch produces five million start/stop starters

Daimler India Commercial Vehicles is gearing up to change the landscape of Indian trucking by launching 17 different products over the next 18 months

53

Bosch has produced its five millionth start/stop starter in Hildesheim since production began in 2007

Mahindra to reach out to buyers with ‘softer’ options

20

Nissan launches world’s first self-healing iPhone case

M&M is looking to go much beyond its traditional customer base, mainly comprising off-road and passenger carriages, to the more contemporary, soft road segment

58

Nissan Scratch Shield iPhone case features the brand’s pioneering self-healing paint finish; a world first in paint technology

20

Aston Martin opens flagship showroom in Shanghai

60

Owned and managed by Zheng Ting, the new dealership marks the seventh outpost for Aston Martin in China and third operated by Zheng

British motorists consider walking more

62

About 42 percent of car owners surveyed by Mondial Assistance said they had no intention of changing their motoring plans in 2012

68

THE OTHER SIDE

ZF forms new strategy for evolving India

23

ZF Group is looking to localise most of its product portfolio for commercial vehcile and off highway vehicles in India

Valeo to make entry in auto air-conditioning business

30

S Ravishankar, MD, Komet Precision Tools India

Valeo is planning to localise the production and introduce thermal management valves, EGR modules and climate control systems for automotive segment

Stagnation is transitory: Ahluwalia at Auto Summit

Ravishankar started the Indian operations for the German MNC and set-up the sales manufacturing and export activities

35

Photograph: Bhargav TS

Ford brings EcoSport to India The global auto major Ford Motor Company unveiled its global compact sports utility vehicle, EcoSport during the recently concluded Auto Expo 2012. It also plans to invest $142 million in its Chennai plant in India to manufacture the newly launched vehicle.

Ford India President and Managing Director, Michael Boneham said that the investment will be on equipment required for manufacturing the product, including dye and tools. He also added, “EcoSport will be powered by a one-litre EcoBoost engine that delivers power and performance that will rival a traditional 1.6 petrol engine.” This is the second of eight global models that the company plans to bring to India.

“The Indian market will be the third largest by the end of the decade behind the US and China,” Ford Asia-Pacific President, Joe Hinrichs revealed about his plans for the Asian Market.

Auto Monitor

EVENT of the fortnight

Addressing the 7th Auto Summit organised by FADA in Delhi, Ahluwalia felt that the current stagnation in the auto market is transitory and industry is likely to see better days ahead

Auto Monitor

INTERVIEW

8

1 - 15 FEBRUARY 2012

Every motorcyclist is a potential customer for us: Triumph After long speculations and a long wait, motorcycle manufacturer, Triumph Motorcycles is all set to start operations in India by July. The company plans to set-up a CKD assembly unit and spare parts warehouse in a port city and establish three to four dealerships in the country this year. Ashish Joshi, with more than 16 years of experience in the Asian and the European market will be serving as Managing Director of the Indian subsidiary. He speaks to Nabeel A Khan about the company’s future plans.

Can you elaborate on the plans for the Indian market?

The product range, which we will have for India are—parallel-twins—Bonneville, the iconic naked roadsters—Speed Triple and Street Triple; off-roader—Tiger 800XC; class-leading supersports bike, Daytona 675 and cruisers—Storm and the Rocket III. Each of the products entering the Indian market will dedicate itself to delivering a great riding experience through the fusion of a well-balanced, easy to handle chassis and strong, flexible engines. The result will be that of an inspiring range of motorcycles offering usable performance blended with character.

Will these machines be CKD from the beginning?

Four of the motorcycles will be CKD from the day-one, we have few proposals on the table for assembly units and we have been evaluating them. We will be putting up an assembly unit somewhere near a port city. Our priority would be Pune and Mumbai while we might consider Chennai also.

Our business model is such that when a dealer places an order on the Triumph online system, he will receive the delivery within 48 hours The CKD operation will start

by July this year. The operation takes only a couple of months to get into running mode; it’s not a large operation. In the fi rst two months we will be setting up the facility and another two months we will test these vehicles for the quality and efficiency. We will be importing kits from the UK and Thailand depending on what model is manufactured in which country by Triumph.

Can you elaborate on the prices and total number of prod-

ucts coming to India?

Seven bikes will be coming to India, which are Bonnville T100 priced at `5.5 lakh; Street Triple priced at `5.75 lakh; Daytona 675 at `seven lakh; Speed Triple at `eight lakh and Tiger 800XC at `11.4 lakh, Triumph Storm at `17 lakh and Triumph Rocket III at `22 lakh (all prices are ex-showroom Delhi).

We will start CKD by July for Bonnville, Street Triple, Speed Triple and Daytona. While the others will be CBU as we don’t expect very large volume in big cruiser bikes. They are more of iconic bikes than for volumes. We are bringing the flagship model from the Tiger family—Tiger 800XC, as of now we are not planning a CKD of this but we are evaluating the market. India, in the past never liked off-road bikes not in very large number. Our off-roader is very user-friendly, so if there is a favourable response to Tiger 800XC (this is a cross country version which is essentially taller and has long suspension from the Tiger family) then we might consider CKD of entire Tiger family in India.

Are you going to make changes in the bikes to make them more suitable for Indian conditions?

I don’t think there is any change decided which we would be making in any of the models. From the prima facie understanding of the

Contd. on Page 10

Auto Monitor

Contd. from Page 8 products, our global products will be the one which we will be selling here.

What about fuel quality, which is different here from the countries you are currently present in?

Our bikes are in any case tuned for any fuel quality that is in India.

We are currently looking at fuel programming of the motorcycles; we understand India has got 87 octane (octane defines the fuel quality), Europe traditionally works with 95 octane, but the US works with 87 and 91 Octane both.

All the bikes are capable of obtaining 87 Octane. We have already done some trial with Indian fuel and they have come out very well with that.

What kind of volume are you expecting across your product range in India?

Based on the market research, we have not put sales targets. We have got a very diverse product range as compared to some of the other motorcycle manufacturers

1 - 15 FEBRUARY 2012

INTERVIEW

10 who have come to India in recent times. And we are very much confident that we will do the similar number as our counterparts have been doing here.

First we want to establish the brand, using something which we call the ‘Triumph experience’ quite a lot of that experience comes in from the products.

Then we have certain experience which we provide at the dealership, service station and spares parts points.

What kind of brand strategy have you drawn for India?

There are two things on this— first thing is that we want as many people as possible to experience our products, which means putting the bikes out in the market, giving test drives and demonstration that will be basically entrenching Triumph brand into the enthusiastic customer’s mind. Going by our market research, I would say we are quite well known in the segment of people which buys these kinds of bikes. In fact, we have been quite surprised by the customers’ comprehensive knowledge about our products. I would

Headlight Protectors

say even 150 cc buyers earlier he might not know about Triumph but now we want to change that and I would say every motorcyclist is a potential customer for us. We would start test drives for the customers after June- July.

How many dealerships are you looking at?

For the first year, we are looking at three to four locations that would be Delhi, Mumbai, and Bangalore and fourth one could be Hyderabad or Chandigarh. In the second and third year we aim to get 11 to 12 locations.

It took quite long to enter in India…

It was in 2008 that Triumph started contemplating to enter India and started looking for a distributor route. While studying this route we found that if we want to do well then we must have our own set-up. So it took a while to enter because it’s a complex market as it’s a very large country especially for the people from Europe who are used to smaller country and this is more like a continent.

It took time to understand the market through research before getting here.

What would be the structure of the dealership?

Dealerships will be of Triumph India and they will be 100 percent owned by us. These will be on franchise but there will be no importer involved in this. The dealers would be directly dealing with Triumph.

We are looking at 15 to 18 percent dealer margin depending on the volume and products. The dealers need big product range in order to have reasonable sales numbers. It

Triumph Tiger XC

appeals to the customer as well.

Do you think dealers will be able to sell at least 100 to 120 units a year, because that would be a reasonable number looking at the operation costs?

I would not say that. The numbers that you are putting out is the number when they start making money. So effectively, if they are selling more than that then they would be happier. Our decision of coming with three or four cities initially is actually to let these dealerships get established fi rst.

As an organisation we will be stretching ourselves, if we say we will open 12 at one go, we have lots of dealership interest and we can have this many outlets at once.

However, if we open a dealership in Kolkata, he will be selling something which is not going to take away sales from Delhi and Mumbai. The point is that at Triumph we will not be confident enough to be able to train these many dealers and other people to the standard which we want. It would difficult to establish workshops or spare parts setup with the company’s standards in such a short time.

Aftersales service plays a very important role and that’s an area of concern. Please comment.

I totally agree, which is why one thing we have taken on board at Triumph Motorcycles that we want to treat the Indian customers exactly the same way as we treat our international customers.

If the global customers want certain level of service we want that the Indian customers should also expect the same and we want to deliver on it.

Can you tell us about your global service module?

I will provide an example— availability of spare parts always affects the service levels. Globally our business model is such that we have a warehouse in the UK, which ships parts across the world as per requirements. If a dealer is not stocking some parts, then he places an order on the Triumph online system and he will receive the delivery within 48 hours.

It takes us 24 hours to process the order and courier it takes 24 hours to deliver it to any part of the world.

For India, if we are to process the same through the UK warehouse then we will send it in 24 hours, but it would get stuck at the customs for at least three to six days and then every dealer will have to have an import and export license, which doesn’t seem very practical. Also, there will be custom duty implication every time—the entire process will take our service level to anything between six days or more than that. To counter that, we are changing our own systems and we will establish our Indian parts warehouse so if the dealers here need anything he can approach the warehouse in India, which stocks the parts available and within 24-hours the parts could be shipped to any dealership in India.

We will have the parts warehouse somewhere near the CKD operation so that we can control both of them simultaneously.

What about accident or crash cases?

God forbid, but if a bike faces an accident and needs a particular fuel tank or some work, we might not have the same in the Indian warehouse because those are not spare parts, but accidental damage items and those will still need to be shipped out from UK.

CORRIGENDUM In the 11th Anniversary issue, on Pg No 143, the name of the CEO & MD of National Skill Development Corporation was wrongly spelt. It should be read as Dilip Chenoy. The inadvertent error is deeply regretted.

In the 16-31 December issue, on Pg 1, in the story on Fiem, the name of the Executive Director is Rajesh Sharma and not as published. The inadvertent error is deeply regretted.

Fiem has clarified that the component meant for supplying to Honda Japan, was manufactured by Fiem and tested at the Design & Development Centre of the company (Para 4).

Auto Monitor

1 - 15 FEBRUARY 2012

C O R P O R AT E

12

Continental to expand product portfolio T Murrali/ Shambhavi Anand New Delhi

C

ont i ne nt a l R ic o Hyd rau l ic Bra kes India, a 50:50 joint venture company between Continental and Rico, will be announcing the launch of seven new products this year. While some of these products are for their existing customer, most of them are for new customers in the Indian market.

The JV company, which currently manufactures calipers, drum brakes and accentuation units (which comprises boosters and master cylinders), currently supplies to global OEMs such as Ford, Fiat and Volkswagen and also Indian vehicle manufacturers like Maruti.

While most of the new products will be for the domestic market in the country some of them will also be meant for export. “One of these will directly be supplied to a customer in Eastern Europe,” Managing Director, Continental Rico, Murali Srinivasan told Auto Monitor on the sidelines of Auto

Bellon Torsten, CEO, Synerject

Expo 2012. He did not divulge the name of the customer though.

With Rico’s know-how in the local Indian market and Continental’s familiarity with global OEMs and the expertise in technology, the company expects to become the market leader in the domestic market. “We are world leaders in hydraulic brake systems and work with OEMs like Ford, Volkswagen, and General Motors. Most of the global OEMs are aware of our expertise and systems globally, hence adapting

to the Indian market would not be difficult.”

In order to bring the cost of its products down the component manufacturer plans to increase the level of localisation to the maximum level, which is sustainable. “Cost competitiveness can be achieved only by increasing the level of local content. And for this we will have to push more and more effort in research and development,” Srinivsan added.

The company is targeting sustainable level of localisation and

Murali Srinivasan, MD, Continental Rico

hopes to increase it up to 90 percent. It plans to keep importing the remaining 10 percent as the values of efforts put in obtaining them locally, “are not justified”.

The current level of the local contribution varies from product to product and is in the range of 60 to 85 percent.

In spite of sourcing large volumes of supplies locally the company maintains the high quality standards that it is known for in the global arena. Indicating that it is a major challenge to

ensure similar quality standards by the vendors, Srinivasan said, “We continuously work with our vendors to bring them in line with the continental quality.”

A lot of effort is put in maintaining the quality of supplies.

There is a lot of interaction with the suppliers that take place at regular intervals. After an assessment of quality, the suppliers are given scores. In case of average performance they are also motivated to do better. A Standard Quality Team (SQ Team) takes care of the quality standards.

These teams are common for all locations across the globe. They work hand-in-hand with the suppliers. Audits are also a regular phenomenon. A lot depends on the maturity of the supplier, added the official. However, the company has identified some key critical vendors in the domestic space for each commodity that they source and would not be increasing this number beyond a certain point.

Currently, the lines have a capacity to produce 700,000 units of each product annually. Adding capacity is a continuous process.

At present 50 percent of its capacity is being utilised.

Synerject Another joint venture company of Continental, with an Australian player Orbital Corporation, which is christened as Synerject is mulling options to foray into the Indian automotive space. Though Synerject specialises in manufacturing non-automotive EMS solutions, it has few products, which can be deployed in two and three wheelers.

Its injection systems can be used to reduce the level of unburned fuel escaping through the exhaust system. These can be put to use in two-wheelers and three-wheelers and enable manufacturers in meeting emission norms. “However, due to the existing carburettor technology in India this may seem to be futuristic but are defi nitely the future and can help manufacturers once the emission norms are in place,” CEO, Synerject, Bellon Torsten told Auto Monitor.

The JV company which has a strong presence in the US and Taiwanese market, works with Bajaj Auto on single cylinder, Di technology for two-wheelers.

It is also working with Bajaj for their three-wheeler business.

Since these systems will be integrated with electronic control units (ECUs), it may also yield cost benefits to the vehicle manufacturers, Torsten added. The company has the advantage of access to Continental’s expertise in electronics.

It is already in talks with the OEMs in India and has presented to them their solution as the future of the two-wheelers in the country. It also hopes to reap benefit of Continental’s reputation. Apart from the products suited for manufacturing, it has also designed diagnostic lenses, which can be used by the service centers when the product is put to use by manufacturers.

Apart from presence in Taiwan and the US, it is also present in Europe, China and some other Asian markets. It has stationed personnel in India also. However, being in the niche segment, further plans would be based on the demand in the country.

Auto Monitor

1 - 15 FEBRUARY 2012

STUDY

14

Changing dynamics drive new developments in technology: Capgemini

T

he dynamics of consumer vehicle buying behaviour are changing rapidly, driving new developments in technology and business models. Understanding these rapidly evolving dynamics is essential to success for Indian automotive companies. ‘Cars Online 11/12’— Capgemini’s 13th annual global automotive study—provides an indepth look at these evolving dynamics.

For Indian consumers, the use of the internet during the vehicle buying process and ownership lifecycle continues to expand. From development of new channels such as smartphone apps and social media, to industry trends like online buying, present study considers the impact of new developments in the Indian automotive industry along with key trends. The study reveals that Indian consumers are increasingly using web in various phases (like research, online buying, parts/ accessories buying etc) of vehicle buying.

The report shows how over the years social media is becoming more influential in buying decision in Indian context. All these along with other factors are leading to shrinking buying cycle for consumers especially visits to showroom. Compared to markets in developed countries Indian buyers are growing more demanding about the quality and

quantity of car dealerships. Also, demand for new—rather than used—vehicles is growing in Indian market where many consumers are fi rst-time buyers.

Most Useful Mobile/Smartphone Applications (Percent Saying)

Key findings for Indian automotive industry: ¾ The Role Of The Internet: The internet’s role during the vehicle buying process is becoming increasingly important as web usage for both purchasing and research has increased. The number of Indian consumers researching online reaching 95 percent in 2011 from 86 percent in 2010. The likelihood of purchasing a vehicle over the internet has increased from 52 percent in 2010 to 53 percent in 2011 in India.

The report states that 59 percent of Indian car buyers say they are likely to buy parts over the internet; the same number want to buy accessories online. Thus, the internet is becoming a dominant tool for research and purchase for consumers in India. ¾ Social Media has become more influential Consumers in India exhibit a higher-than-average use of social media during the vehicle buying process. The content that consumers fi nd on these sites can be influential in their buying decisions: Results showed that 78 percent said they would likely

purchase a vehicle from a particular car manufacturer or dealer if they found positive comments posted about that vehicle make/ brand, manufacturer or dealer; and 54 percent said they would be less likely to buy a vehicle from a particular manufacturer or dealer if they found negative comments posted on social media sites. ¾ Mobile/smartphone applications to become a key channels Mobile/smartphone applications to become a key channel for vehicle ownership communication between consumers and manufacturers, consumers and dealers, and consumers and their vehicles. Apps considered most useful by respondents include: • Remote support features such as remote locking and unlocking of vehicle doors • Care information like service reminders about when maintenance is due • Car care tips ¾ Aftersales servicing grows as a factor in vehicle decisions Servicing is taking on a bigger role for many consumers with aftersales service climbing up the list of important factors in choosing a vehicle. In addition, servicing can influence future buying decisions. As aftersales servicing grows as an important factor in vehicle buying decisions, consumers put increasing emphasis on the types of service contracts they want.

Significantly, getting the right service contracts can influence future vehicle purchases. Car buyers in India were the most likely to say that the right service contracts would influence their future vehicle buying decisions. In vehicle service contracts Indian customers focus on extended warranty and vehicle insurance, followed by customer care.

Indian consumers extensively use web in vehicle buying process

¾ Increasing demand for new, non-traditional approaches to vehicle buying Nearly 52 percent of respondents would consider alternatives such as vehicle-sharing, up from 49 percent in 2010. Another alternative—mobility package typically provides access to a wide range of vehicles, services and accessories that can be used

as needed by the consumer for a fixed price and a specified time frame. Respondents (64 percent) said they would consider mobility package as an alternative as compared to 57 percent in 2010. Ride-share services as an alternative grew from 54 percent in 2010 to 57 percent in 2011. ¾ Intention to acquire new vs. used vehicles The study shows that there is an increase in the number of consumers planning to buy a new rather than used vehicle. In India 92 percent respondents intended to buy a new car. The number of intended new car buyers is highest in developing markets like India and China, where many consumers are fi rst-time buyers. ¾ Consumers becoming more demanding about dealerships Another fi nding shows that car buyers continue to be more demanding about dealerships as only 45 percent of respondents in India are willing to travel more than 10 miles to purchase a vehicle. About 39 percent respondents said they are willing to travel only five-10 miles to a dealership to purchase a vehicle. The remaining 16 percent was willing to travel less than five miles to purchase a vehicle.

In the area of ‘Required Speed of Response from manufacturer/ dealer to Consumer Query’—48 percent respondents said less than four hours. ¾ Buying cycle continues to shrink The study shows evidence of the shrinking buying cycle, especially dealer visits, leaving dealers with fewer opportunities to interact face-to-face with customers. About 59 percent of Indian consumers start their research within two months of purchase; 49 percent visit a showroom for the fi rst time within one month.

Conclusions & Recommendations This year’s Cars Online report makes it clear that the automotive industry faces critical changes and challenges in the marketplace. Following are

recommendations to help automotive companies apply the report’s fi ndings to their own business. ¾ Develop a formal social media strategy With consumers in India exhibiting higher-than-average use of social media during the vehicle buying process, the Indian automotive industry has the opportunity to leverage social media by developing a formal social media management strategy—to attract and retain customers, for brand building and other business development activities. ¾Maximise consumer interactions In order to take advantage of the opportunities created because of the growing number of channels and devices used by consumers during the buying process, Indian automotive companies need to develop holistic marketing campaigns to exploit all such touch-points. ¾ Experiment with alternative buying and ownership models Consumers in India are particularly interested in alternative buying models, so Indian automotive companies need to consider investments in usage-based services. Companies should test new waters as consumers show budding interest in new approaches such as mobility packages and vehicle sharing. ¾ Focus on holistic dealer strategy in developing markets With Indian consumers becoming more demanding about dealerships, along with dealer quality, proximity is also critical as consumers are unwilling to travel far to buy or service their vehicles. ¾ Seize the online buying opportunity Demand of Indian car buyers for online buying of vehicles, parts and accessories is increasing year by year. Indian auto companies should keep in mind various key factors consumers are looking for when developingandlaunchinganonline buying model.

POWERED WITH ELECTRICITY, GAS, AND AUTOMATICALLY-GENERATED CODE.

THAT’S MODEL-BASED DESIGN. To create a two-mode hybrid powertrain, engineers at GM used models to continuously verify their design, test prototypes, and automatically generate the embedded code.

The result: a breakthrough HEV, delivered on time.

To learn more, visit www.mathworks.in/mbd

©2012 The MathWorks, Inc.

MathWorks INDIA

REGISTER NOW TO ATTEND FREE MATHWORKS AUTOMOTIVE EVENTS Automotive Webinar - February 21, 2012 To register, visit www.mathworks.in/event_autowebinar Automotive Seminar Series - April 2012 To register, visit www.mathworks.in/event_autoseminars

1 - 15 FEBRUARY 2012

Auto Monitor

C O R P O R AT E

17

Magneti Marelli to introduce new technologies Abhishek Parekh New Delhi

M

agneti Marelli is looking to broaden its product range in all businesses it operates in India and is padding up its research & development capabilities for catering to local market needs.

“We have been present in India through our joint ventures and subsidiaries. We are now looking to strengthen and grow our engineering and product development capabilities in India and our R&D centre will play a key role in this direction,” said President and Chief Executive OfficerElectronics and Components, Magneti Marelli, Eugenio Razelli.

The company already employs around 50 technically skilled people at its R&D centre and is looking to grow to more than 85 people by the end of this year.

“Powertrain business is likely to occupy growing stature in India for us and we are looking to increase our product development capabilities and introduce more products in this business area. Most of our product families are developed in our European technical centres and we look to have market specific products in other parts of the world. Having said that, we are always evaluating on opportunities for deeper engagement with customers in specific markets and customised or new products for those markets,” he added.

Magneti Marelli, an Italian component manufacturer and a part of the Fiat Group, has three key business areas including lighting systems, powertrains and automotive electronics.

The company has began exporting shock absorbers from India for its global requirements as localising production in South America has become unviable due to cost and other issues. Magneti Marelli is looking to invest another Euro 100 million over the next couple of years to expand its manufacturing presence in India. The company is at an advanced stage of launching its automated manual transmission technology in India. It is also looking to introduce advanced lighting solutions including 25-watt xenon lighting for automotive applications. It is looking to introduce advanced telematics products, which can integrate various features include navigation, emergency calls, toll payment, insurance cost reduction, anti theft solution among other features.

It has established a ‘partnership’ with Carnation Auto for providing the experience of premium service centres outside the OEM’s network to Indian customers. It is now evaluating the spare parts distribution business in India, but is yet to formalise its strategy on joining hands with a local company or going it alone.

Magneti Marelli’s current turnover in India is around Euro 240 million and the company is looking to double the sales over the next three years and a further 100 percent growth in revenues by 2015.

Razelli emphasised during a media interaction at the recently concluded Auto Expo in New Delhi that telematics and infotainment products were emerging as promising new areas within the electronics business for the Indian market as these

Eugenio Razelli, President & CEO, Electronics & Components

products could be offered at a competitive cost making these technologies accessible for mass market segment.

Magneti Marelli has entered into seven joint ventures to implement its localisation plans in India. Its production footprints comprises four facilities in the northern region (Manesar, Haryana area) for electronic control units, intake manifolds,

exhaust systems, instrument clusters and body computers and three in the region of Pune for lighting, intake manifolds, and pedals systems, exhausts and shock absorbers. At present, about 800 people are employed by the various plants in India.

It has also established an Engineering and Application Centre for automotive lighting, powertrain and electronic systems divisions in India.

The joint venture with Unitech Machines for automotive electronic systems, based in Manesar is focussed on electronic components for automobiles, such as instrument clusters and body electronics (units that supervise the control of main vehicle functions) and telematic devices.

Another joint venture with SKH Metals (Manesar) and SKH Sheet Metal Components (Pune) focus-

es on exhaust systems. The JV with Sumi Motherson Group (through its holding Samvardhana Motherson Finance) focuses on lighting and engine control components. The JV with Endurance Technologies, based in Chakan, focuses on shock absorbers to be fitted on motor vehicles.

The Italian component manufacturer’s JV with Maruti Suzuki India and Suzuki Motor Company for electronic control units of diesel engine systems is one of the key businesses located in Manesar.

The ECUs are primarily meant for Maruti’s requirements but will be available for other OEMs as well.

It has established a JV with Talbros Automotive Components for suspension systems and modules. JV will start its operations in 2012 in Faridabad, Haryana, and will manufacture various components including control arms,

knuckles, front axles and rear axles for automobile applications. It will also have the capability to design and manufacture entire suspension systems for the OEMs. The company showcased— Freechoice Automated Manual Transmission, telematics, powertrain flexfuel systems for CNG and lighting solutions during the recently concluded Auto Expo in New Delhi.

The company has 77 production units, 11 R&D centres and 26 application centres in 18 countries and employs around 34,000 people. It notched up a turnover of Euro 5.4 billion in 2010. Its business areas include electronic systems, lighting, powertrain, suspension systems and shock absorbers, exhaust systems, aftermarket parts & services, plastic components and modules, motorsport.

1 - 15 FEBRUARY 2012

C O R P O R AT E

Auto Monitor

19

Daimler to race 17 products in 18 months Nabeel A Khan New Delhi

D

a im ler India Commercial Vehicles (DICV) is gearing up to change the landscape of Indian trucking by launching 17 different products over the next 18 months. The trucks will be in the six to 49 tonne range, though the prices were not disclosed. The company, which is a 100 percent subsidiary of Ge rmany’s Daimler AG, is also considering manufacturing buses in India. It is aiming to provide around 50 percent saving in the aggregate operating cost of the truck when compared to its competition.

Over 40 percent of the total cost of ownership of truck comes from fuel and the German

We will have a pan-India network of dealerships. We have already signed up for 70 dealerships and by 2013, we will have 100 plus locations of 3S dealerships— RV Singh, President, Marketing, Sales & Aftersales

manufacturer is hoping to provide better fuel economy that gives a substantial saving to the customers.

It will be rolling out its new range of trucks under ‘BharatBenz’ brand from third quarter of this calendar year, and also plans to start exporting them by year-end. The company hinted that potential export markets could be Africa, the Middle-East and the South-East Asia.

Next month, the company plans to showcase its BharatBenz range of trucks. Also, the commercial production at its plant near Chennai will start in April.

The market launch will happen in third quarter of the current year, said DICV Managing Director and CEO, Marc Llistosella.

DICV had unveiled the new BharatBenz brand a year ago and has set up a 400-acre production plant at Oragadam near Chennai with a commitment to invest `4,400 crore in manufacturing, R&D, marketing and sales, and setting up dealership network.

The plant would start with an initial capacity of 36,000 units and is likely to be expanded to produce 72,000 units per annum starting 2013, which could entail an additional investment of around `350 crore.

“We will be having a pan-India network of dealerships. We have already signed up for 70 dealerships and by the end of 2013 we will have 100 plus location of dealerships and all these will be 3S facility,” President, Marketing, Sales and After Sales, VRV Singh told Auto Monitor.

In addition to these over 100 3S facilities it will also have a couple of 2S facilities before the

launch of the vehicles. To serve its customers better, the company will also be launching ‘24X7 access’ wherein it will provide help to its customers anywhere within 24 hours.

Weighing a potential in the buses in the Indian market, the company is zeroing in on a strategy to introduce buses.

The development work for which is already under process in the Europe. For truck manufacturing at Chennai, DICV is relying heavily on local sourcing of components.

“We would start with around 85 percent localisation and we have a target of exceeding 90 per cent.

Forty-one percent of our suppliers are based in Tamil Nadu and 44 percent are in rest of the country,” Llistosella said. Over 85 percent of its 450 suppliers are within

the 50 km of the plant thus making it logistically convenient. The company is also sourcing from Indian suppliers for its global trucks’ production. Daimler’s total sourcing for trucks alone is close to Euro 15 billion.

Company will showcase the complete product range between 2-4 March in Hyderabad.

While the plant will be inaugurated on 18 April, 2012.

Auto Monitor

1 - 15 FEBRUARY 2012

C O R P O R AT E

20

Abhishek Parekh Mumbai

M

ahindra & Mahindra (M&M) is looking to expand or go much beyond its traditional customer base, mainly comprising off-road and passenger carriages, to the more contemporary, soft road segment.

It took up the task of developing XUV 500 on the W201 platform around 2007 in order to not only create a new vehicle segment but also pave the way for creation of passenger cars or Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs) catering to varied customer base.

The company is looking to have additional models on the W201 platform in the near future and the platform is versatile to enable the company to manufacture passenger cars as well as SUVs. Moreover, the company aims for more fuel options in the future vehicle range for environmental and cost related reasons. “We are evaluating options of having a lighter vehicle on the platform

but there are some aspects which we will have to consider before we can offer a vehicle. We have built up the capability and are looking to expand our customer base,” said Chief Executive, Technology, Product Development and Sourcing, Automotive & Farm Equipment Sectors, Mahindra & Mahindra, Rajan Wadhera.

“We started with the project (XUV 500) with the intention of creating a new segment in the domestic market. The intention was always to create a new platform on which, we could also come up with more vehicles in the future,” said Wadhera. He added that M&M was looking to cater to a much larger segment of vehicle buyers, compared to traditional customer base of the company, who preferred to have a vehicle which could be taken on longer distances, provide some ‘softer’ off-roading capability and yet be very modern vehicle with features and styling to match.

The major challenge was in the manufacturing process rather than engineering and develop-

Photographs: Joshua Navalkar

Mahindra to reach out to buyers with ‘softer’ options

The company worked backwards to offer maximum specifications and features that could be offered in a given price range

ment, according to Wadhera.

The company worked backwards to offer maximum specifications and features that could be offered in a given price range.

“We have used selective automation with the purpose of upgrading the technology level and reducing costs for the end

customers,” said Wadhera. He added that level of automation depends on skill benchmarks, production volumes and the type of vehicle to be developed and manufactured. If the level of automation leads to increase in the cost for the end customers, it may not be feasible to continue

The level of automation depends on skill benchmarks, production volumes and the type of vehicle to be developed and manufactured

Strong Solutions Grinding machines, manufacturing concepts and plant engineering for the automotive industry s #OMPLETE GRINDING OF ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION PARTS s )NDIVIDUAL SOLUTIONS FOR HIGHEST PRODUCTIVITY s 'RINDING OF PARTS IN ANY SIZE

Erwin Junker Maschinenfabrik GmbH, )NDIA "RANCH /Fl CE 205, 2nd Floor Jewel Tower, Lane 5, +OREGAON 0ARK 0UNE )NDIA

Phone: +91 20 260 538 96 E-Mail: info@junker.in www.junker.in

with such an operation.

The company has tried to imbibe the learnings acquired during the development of the Scorpio and the Xylo in the XUV 500 and future vehicle development programmes. The major evolution for the company has been greater application of CAD assisted vehicle development programme in the areas of handling, body stiffness, load carriage, crash resistance, drag resistance, thermal management among others in order to reduce the development time and costs.

“We took major efforts to ensure that vehicle met certain measurable benchmarks in terms of performance and reliability.

Some of these tests were even designed by us for the conditions that we thought the vehicle would be subjected to or could get into.

The effort at XUV 500 development was to create a vehicle for the global market and this will not be the last one from our stable,” elaborated Wadhera.

1 - 15 FEBRUARY 2012

Auto Monitor

C O R P O R AT E

23

ZF forms new strategy for evolving India Nabeel A Khan New Delhi

L

eading auto component maker, ZF Group is fi rming up its new business strategy to suit the evolving Indian market. With a comprehensive analysis, based on the advantages and disadvantages inherent to one of the world’s fastest growing but undertapped auto market—India, the company is planning to introduce the entire range of products manufactured across its subsidiaries in the future.

Speaking to Auto Monitor, Director and Head, ZF India Piyush Munot said it will be investing double-digit million Euro here towards the realisation of its new strategy. The company has acquired 20-acre land to build a plant, which is likely to be operational by 2013. Currently, it has two plants in Pune on rented space and these will be shifted to this new facility.

The new plant in Pune will be focussing on value added products and shock absorbers for commercial vehicles and passenger cars segments in the coming years. Initially, the company will be importing parts and assemble here; once the volumes reach the stipulated level, it will optimise its localisation programme.

The company also owns plants in Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Uttranchal and Gujarat.

For the commercial vehicle segment, it has already supplied the suspensions for prototyping and testing and these designs are fi nalised. Now it will start the commercial supply to the customers very soon. “We have already signed with Ashok Leyland and Tata Motors in the 26 and 40 tonne bogey axles with shock absorbers and we would like to localise these parts now in India in the facility that we will have in Pune by 2013,” Munot said.

The company has two divisions to cater to passenger car segment—powertrain and chassis. A large chunk of business comes from the chassis systems business unit. In the case of powertrain business, it has presence only in the luxury car segment with its offerings in eight and sixspeed transmissions. With a view to tap the increasing demand the company plans to introduce powertrain components in mass passenger car segment.

The company is also contemplating on supplying shock absorbers to high volume passenger car segment, which will be designed for India specific applications. Apart from a few local car manufacturers, the demand is expected from the global customers who also have presence in India, he said.

It has recently supplied automatic transmission to Volvo buses in India and now the next thing from the ZF stable would be automated manual transmission for which the company is talking to a couple of vehicle manufacturers in the country.

ZF is very keen on localisation and the core reason for this is not availability of low cost manpower but to stabilise itself in this market. It further argued that the cost of labour might be low here but there is a difference in the level of productivity of the talent here when compared with their counterparts in the developed countries. “If you look at

Wolfgang Schilha, Executive Vice President & Head Marketing Division, ZF

the material cost and capital cost then there is no advantage.

The localisation would be mainly to make the company more stable” Executive Vice

President and Head of Market Division, Wolfgang Schilha told Auto Monitor.

The nine-speed medium size truck transmission produced in

Piyush Munot, Director & Head, ZF India

Pune is expected to have over 85 percent of local content by next year. It is also planning to assemble six-speed transmission locally, which is being imported

from Hungary right now. Overall the company expects to achieve 75 percent of local content in its transmission, which is currently at 38 percent.

Auto Monitor

1 - 15 FEBRUARY 2012

C O R P O R AT E

24

GM braces for deeper inroads into compact segment Our Bureau New Delhi

T

he recently concluded Auto Expo in New Delhi was noteworthy in some ways. For one, compact cars were conspicuous by their near absence as OEMs focussed on premium segment and utility vehicles. GM was among few manufacturers who showcased their upcoming compact car offerings for the Indian market with Peugeot Citroen and Renault also showcasing their offerings.

Though the company officials refused to share any further details on Chevrolet Sail, it seemed a promising offer by the company to help it make deeper in roads into the compact car segment in India.

The company also showcased around 15 production and concept vehicles at the recently concluded Auto Expo in New Delhi. The vehicles displayed by the company covered three broad themes of Chevrolet Next, Chevrolet Technology & Innovation and Chevrolet Performance.

At the Chevrolet Next section,

(Left, Below & Above) A Range Of Chevrolet Variants

GM showcased a range of new models that will be launched in India this year. GM has upgraded the Tavera extensively based on customer feedback and showcased Chevrolet Tavera Neo3, which includes twin-port grille and a bigger bowtie emblem in front as well as in back. Larger shimmering crystal-effect clear lens headlamps with integrated indicator lamps enhance the bold and stylish front look while increasing visibility. The new

Tavera Neo3 is available with a 2.5-litre direct injection instatorque turbocharged engine (BS3) and an all-new 2-litre common rail direct injection diesel engine that is BS4 emission compliant. Both of the engines operate quietly and have excellent low-end torque, making them excellent in heavy traffic, along with excellent pick up.

The company also showcased the next generation Captiva 2.2 AT. The new model includes a 2.2 litre engine along with a sixspeed automatic transmission. It also has a fresh new sporty and muscular exterior design and a jet-black interior. Among the new comfort and convenience amenities are cruise control; a dual-row heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system; an electric parking brake; rain-sensing wipers; and a stylish sunroof.

At the Chevrolet Technology & Innovation section, GM highlighted some of its latest global and local advanced technologies. The company showcased the Chevrolet Volt with extended range technology, providing

the benefits of an electric vehicle without the range limitations usually associated with vehicle of such kind. The company is leading a “tailored for India” demonstration program of battery electric vehicle (BEV) technology with the Chevrolet Beat BEV, which was introduced in June 2011.

Powered by a 300-cell lithiumion battery with approximately 16 kWh of energy capacity, the 270kilogram battery can power the Beat BEV for at least 98 kilometres under normal driving conditions.

The liquid-cooled battery can operate in temperatures ranging from approximately -20 to 45 degrees, with charge times of less than four hours using a 240V outlet and around eight hours using a 120V outlet. Power from the battery is transferred to the wheels through a single-speed drive unit and an electric motor that produces approximately 111 kW of power.

The other technology showcase included the Chevrolet EN-V(Elect r ic Net workedVehicle), which is GM’s vision for the future of urban commuting.

The EN-V is a two-seat electric vehicle that weighs less than 500 kg and is about 1.5 metres in length. Its small size and great manoeuvrability mean a parking lot can accommodate fi ve times as many EN-Vs as typical automobiles. The body and canopy of the EN-V are constructed from carbon fibre, custom-tinted Lexan and acrylic, materials that are more commonly used in race cars, military airplanes and spacecraft because of their strength and lightweight characteristics. The ability to work with such innovative materials provided a learning opportunity for GM’s design teams to study the feasibility of future traditional automotive applications.

The Chevrolet Performance section included a range of performance products from GM global portfolio including the Chevrolet Camaro Convertible with a 6.2 litre V-8 engine that generates 426 hp at 5,900 rpm and 420 Nm of torque at 4,600 rpm, the Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Concept, the Chevrolet Cruze Racing Car.

Auto Monitor

C O R P O R AT E

26

1 - 15 FEBRUARY 2012

All wheel drive systems are logical evolution in a performance conscious, high growth market Abhishek Parekh New Delhi

G

KN Driveline is looking at opportunities to closely work with OEMs for introducing all wheel drive systems for cars and utility vehicles. It is also looking to have major inputs from the Indian market for developing and introducing suitable e-drive or drivelines for electric and electric/hybrid vehicles in India.

The company is currently in discussion with OEMs for e-drive and all wheel drive systems but these discussions are still at a preliminary stage and it may be a while before product develop-

ment initiatives take shape.

“Currently, the driveline technologies for hybrid vehicles appear to be more promising from commercial perspective.

We are looking at several technological solutions that can have impact on personal mobility scenario. These could be products like electric drive, hybrid drive, range extenders, which provide performance boost to a conventional fuel driven vehicle rather than take over the powertrain completely. Most of our customers are evaluating a set of solutions most suitable for given set of driving conditions and market demand and hence we have to offer multiple solutions.

GKN Booth

James Voeffray, Executive VP, Sales & Marketing, GKN Driveline

It is difficult to pinpoint a single technology which has an upper hand at this point in time,” said Executive Vice President, Sales & Marketing, GKN Driveline, James Voeffray.

He elaborated that the approach that many suppliers are taking for electric and hybrid drives is to have as much standardisation in case of basic system or hardware and offer high degree of customisation in software or operating technologies and resulting performance parameters. Since the volumes for these vehicles are low, it is not viable to offer high degree of customised tools or systems for OEM customers given the uncertain demand scenario.

“OEM customers need to define performance parameters based on target customer segments in case of technologically advanced products like electric drive and hybrid drive,” added Voeffray.

GKN Driveline recently acquired all wheel drive related business of Getrag as a major effort to make deeper inroads in the all wheel drive segment. The acquisition has provided GKN a leadership position in the all wheel drive segment in North America and Europe. The market for all wheel drive is not restricted to Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs) or crossovers but also many premium passenger cars as well.

Passenger car makers have been slow to adopt all wheel drive systems due to limited demand and high costs.

“We are working on a next generation all wheel drive systems to address the issue of fuel economy degradation and high cost associated with currently available solutions for passenger cars.

The disconnect systems that we are working on would stop all the inefficiencies associated with current process of power transmissions in the all wheel drive systems and offer supe-

Auto Monitor

1 - 15 FEBRUARY 2012

C O R P O R AT E

28

Mark Vuarchex, MD Asia Pacific GKN Driveline GKN Booth

rior handling as well as address the fuel economy concerns. We are looking to differentiate the way the system works for our customers compared to other competing products but it is not a patented technology but superior

system nonetheless,” elaborated Voeffray. He added that all wheel drive systems needed to get more common in a market before a more advanced technology on similar lines could be offered to customers.

According to Managing Director, Asia Pacific, GKN Driveline, Marc Vuarchex, the company is looking to have a bigger manufacturing footprint in the Asian region as it is looking to consolidate its presence in

Europe. He added that India is a more interesting market for GKN as car manufacturers are catering to domestic and export market as against predominant focus on domestic market by manufacturers in China.

One of the more promising

areas that the company is looking forward to is the micro compact car segment like Tata Nano. Though the sales volume of the Nano has not given much reason for suppliers to cheer about it has provided many suppliers with opportunity to showcase the possibility of adaptation of their products. GKN Driveline, for one, is taking its learnings from the Nano project to making deeper inroads into the small commercial vehicles and three wheeler segment by offering superior drivelines at affordable cost for OEMs. The company has four manufacturing facilities in India and also has a precision forging division at its Chennai facility. The company is looking at a healthy order book in the Indian market from passenger car and commercial vehicle manufacturers. It is looking to make deeper penetration into segments like ultra light commercial vehicles and threewheelers in India.

Visteon, M&M collaborate for XUV 500 Our Bureau Mumbai

I

n an instance of close cooperation between OEM and supplier, Visteon and M&M collaborated on some advanced technologies for latter’s XUV 500 model in order to offer these features at an affordable cost in the domestic market.

Mahindra XUV 500 features a range of electronics, lighting and climate systems and components from Visteon, developed with Mahindra to meet the needs of both the domestic India market and export markets. These features include audio infotainment system featuring a 5.8-inch touchscreen—the fi rst such highend system fully manufactured in India for the India market. As a standard original equipment manufacturer (OEM)-f itted feature, the complete audio infotainment system incorporates comprehensive functions, including Bluetooth wireless technology, audio streaming, navigation, DVD, rear park assist system (RPAS) and full iPod connectivity. The infotainment system provides access to the user’s phone book and enables making and receiving calls using the infotainment system via Bluetooth connectivity.

Additionally, the poly-ellipsoid system (PES) headlamp with light-emitting diode (LED) styling enables the XUV 500’s styling akin to a projector, LED-based position function and allowing static bending. This optional feature enables headlamps to anticipate and illuminate turns in the road for improved visibility. The fully automatic, rear and front, heating, ventilation and air conditioning system (HVAC), uses Visteon’s technology to create comfort for the driver and passengers.

With five manufacturing plants, three engineering centres and more than 3,000 employees, Visteon operations in India offer climate control, electronics, interior and lighting products.

Visteon has had a presence in India since 1993. It is a leading global automotive supplier that designs, engineers and manufactures climate, electronic, interior and lighting products for vehicle manufacturers.

Auto Monitor

C O R P O R AT E

30

1 - 15 FEBRUARY 2012

Valeo to make major entry in automotive air conditioning systems business Abhishek Parekh New Delhi

V

aleo is planning to localise the production of HVAC, condensors and compressors for the Indian market. It is also looking to increase its manufacturing footprint across other business in India. The company is looking to introduce thermal management valves, EGR modules and climate control systems for automotives in India and is evaluating a suitable market entry strategy. The company has products in the vehicle climate control systems and powertrain related products within the thermal business and

is looking to offer advanced technologies from its global portfolio in India. “We are looking to industrialise (localise) products in the thermal systems even as we introduce products in vehicle air conditioning segment.

We are also looking to expand capacities at our four facilities as per the customer demand in other three segments in which we have a presence here. That is the strategy for the long term in order to remain competitive. Most of our products are relatively lower cost ones and cannot be manufactured in huge quantities at single location and shipped,� said Group

The 360-Vue cameras by Valeo for better navigation

Derek De Bono, Group Product Marketing Director, Valeo

Product Marketing Director, Valeo, Derek De Bono. He did not specif y the investments committed for expansion into thermal systems and other businesses in India or whether Valeo would be partnering with any local or global player for introducing thermal products and systems for vehicle and powertrain segment in India.

It is looking to enhance its presence in the visibility systems business comprising lighting and wiper systems in India. The company is working on suitably adapting products for local requirements. The visibility systems business spends around six percent of the turnover on research & development on new technologies and products and the company is evaluating on new technologies for the Indian market. The company already has a designing and development team in its technical centre in Chennai for alternators and starter motors.

The company has a wide portfolio of lighting related products in its global portfolio including basic halogen lamps, xenon as well as LED systems. De Bono adds that xenon lamps are likely to be replaced with LED technology in the medium to long term in most markets globally as LED is a cost effective and environmental friendly technology for automotive lighting. The Indian market is likely to have mass production for halogen and LED technology for automotive lighting and it is unlikely that any automotive lighting maker will mass produce head lamps with xenon technology in India. “Some of the products in our global portfolio require a level of market maturity. For instance, we have to look at greater adop-

Auto Monitor

1 - 15 FEBRUARY 2012

C O R P O R AT E

32

A Range Of Valeo Cameras

tion of park assist systems in India before we can look at introducing automated parking systems. Similarly, some other products have higher level of per for ma nce specif icat ions compared to what is required here and we are constantly evaluating our market strategy to suit the local requirements,” said De Bono.

Valeo currently has four facili-

ties in India and also operates its global R&D centre in Chennai. It has been present in India since 1997. With over 2,000 employees working out of various productions sites and an R&D centre in Chennai, the company supplies products that aim to provide safety and better driving comfort while also providing better fuel efficiency and CO2 emission reduction.

S ome of t he pro d-

A Parking Park4U Camera View

uc t s showc a s e d du r i ng the recently held auto exposition in New Delhi include ReStart, integrated spea ker cont rol u n it for pa rk i ng a ssista nce, water cooled charged air cooler, LEDs and wi-fi rear camera.

ReStart, a reinforced starter, is a component of the stop start system which allows the vehicle to start up immediately and silently.

Integrated speaker control unit for parking assistance is a parking assistance solution particularly adapted to the Indian market needs. A loudspeaker connected to the ultrasonic sensor, is integrated

into the control unit, making this solution a compact and cost effective system which can be easily installed into any vehicle.

Water cooled charge air cooled, is a compact brazed aluminium heat exchanger cooled by water which allows fuel economy and emissions reductions. The system is applicable for charged, diesel or gasoline engines.

LEDs are the most efficient sources for front lighting—two times better than xenon and fi ve times better than hHalogen—offering distinctive style opportunities and day-like super white light for safe and comfort-

able night driving.

Wi-fi rear camera, is a vision camera using wi-fi technology. It enables to direct link of rear vision camera to any smartphone. Thus, the smartphone substitutes for the navigation screen.

Valeo is focused on the design, production and sale of components, integrated systems and modules for the automotive industry, mainly for CO2 emissions reduction. It has 125 plants, 21 research centres, 39 development centres, ten distribution platforms and employs 67,900 people in 28 countries worldwide.

Bajaj to sell KTM Duke 200 at pro-biking showrooms with Ninja

E

xpanding its portfolio to sports bikes, Bajaj Auto launched KTM Power Sports AG’s Duke 200 motorcycle in India. The spots bike which is priced at `1,17,500 (ex-showroom, Delhi), will be sold through the pro-biking showrooms of Bajaj which will be rebranded as KTM showrooms. The 32 new showrooms across 30 cities will also sell Kawasaki Ninja.

Stefan Pierer, CEO of KTM-Sportmotorcycles AG,and Rajiv Bajaj, MD Bajaj Auto at the launch of KTM Duke 200 in New Delhi

Joint Project “Tha n k f u l ly K TM a nd Kawasaki do not consider each other as competitors and so there is no confl ict,” claimed, MD Bajaj Auto, Rajiv Bajaj.

Duke 200 has been jointly developed by Bajaj Auto and KTM and is manufactured in the Chakan facility of the second largest Indian two-wheeler manufacturer. Since the team working on Pulsar and Duke 200 are same, it has added to their knowledge. Another jointly developed product, the 125 cc Duke, is being exported to Europe by Bajaj.

Defining The Market Edge “While our bikes are technologically advanced, we do not have the experience in operating in a market which is as large as India. With Bajaj we get the knowledge and sales network in this huge market,” CEO of KTM-Sportmotorcycles AG, Stefan Pierer said. He also added that the alliance will help them in competing against the two Japanese players—Honda and Yamaha.

1 - 15 FEBRUARY 2012

Auto Monitor

SPECIAL REPORT

35

Stagnation is transitory: Ahluwalia Seventh Auto Summit shows the way to manage crisis effectively Nabeel A Khan New Delhi

T

he mood of the industry is unnecessarily negative; the ďŹ scal 2012-13 will be a signiďŹ cantly better year but I cannot say by how much‌ I am sure the Finance Ministry will be doing something for the auto industry to revive the economy, stated Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission, Dr Montek Singh Ahluwalia.

Addressing the 7th Auto Summit organised by FADA in Delhi recently, Ahluwalia felt that the current stagnation in the auto market is transitory and the Indian automotive market is going to grow in the medium and long runs; riding on the growing economy, rising aspirations and disposable incomes of the middle-class households and people

from rural India.

The theme for the Auto Summit was ‘Shifting Gears, Terrain Ahead’. Speaking about the current slack in economic growth, Ahluwalia said this was primarily due to developments in Euro zone. Allaying the fears, he added that the economy was on its way back to the high growth trajectory as the ination will drop to seven percent by March and the rupee stabilising against the dollar. “It is not likely to reach the growth rate of nine percent in the next ďŹ scal but we will strive to do much better than seven percent,â€? he said.

Expressing confidence on the future of the Indian automotive market, Vice Chairman, Ma hindra Group, A na nd Mahindra said the automotive market was at a take-off stage and would soon be in the league of top ďŹ ve producers of auto-

mobiles in the world. Referring to the moderation in growth at present, he said, “When the market hits the bumpy road, we need not get depressed but be ready to take the challenges head on.�

Managing Director, Bajaj Auto, Rajiv Bajaj said that playing in a specialised and focused area will entail higher rate of success.

SIAM President and Chairman, Eicher Group, S Sandilya said that the automotive industry in India has made long strides in all facets and the proof of the pudding lies in the presence of all global majors in the country and the massive response to the 11th Auto Expo. With automotive sector going through the transformation constantly, building and strengthening relationships an ecosystem would be the way to tackle the challenges.

The single biggest challenge

for the stakeholders in automotive sector, which emerged from the deliberations, is the shortage of trained manpower. A message that emerged loud and clear was that customers’ loyalty cannot be taken for granted with growing awareness and all-pervasive internet and IT. Addressing the challenges of shortage of manpower and customer relations required out-of-box thinking.

Instead of the traditional practice of employing people with aptitude, people with attitude and passion for automobiles like students and housewives could be employed part-time. Likewise, extensive use of social media networking and internet could come handy for constantly engaging the customers, Anand Mahindra and industry leaders opined.

President, FADA, Nikunj Sanghi while delivering his

(Centre)Dr Montek Singh Ahluwalia with (L) Rakesh Jain, Committee Member, FADA and (R) Nikunj Sanghi, President, FADA

address said, “With a combined turnover of around `3,60,000 crore, auto retail is three to four times the size of rest of organised retail. The unfortunate part is that while rest of the organised retail steals the attention of the government, politicians and the media alike and hogs headlines with unfailing regularity, auto retail hardly gets the attention it deserves and has no nodal ministry in the Central Government to address its concerns.�

Earlier during a motivational session for the young generation, Gnanvatsal Swamiji of Swaminarayan Temple, advised the dealers, new entrants in auto retail and aspiring youngsters to work hard and follow ethical practices in business. No business can survive and sustain for long without honesty and ethics, he concluded.

Interactive Session With PV Manufacturers

HIGH PRECISION & HIGH QUALITY SPRINGS NEED NOT COST THE EARTH !! ’”‹Â?‰• …‘Â?’ƒ”ƒ„Ž‡ –‘ –Š‘•‡ ‹Â?’‘”–‡† ˆ”‘Â? ƒ’ƒÂ? ƒÂ?† —”‘’‡Ǥ ÂŽÂŽ ˆƒ…‹Ž‹–‹‡• Â?njŠ‘—•‡Ǥ ‡•– …‡”–‹Ď?‹…ƒ–‡• ‰‹˜‡Â?Ǥ ƒÂ? ŠƒÂ?†Ž‡ ƒ “–›Ǥ ‘ˆ ͳͲͲͲ Â?‘• ĥ ™‡ŽŽ ĥ Íł ŽƒÂ?Š Â?‘•Ǥ ‘Â?’Ž‡š •Šƒ’‡† •’”‹Â?‰ ™‡Ž…‘Â?‡ ”‡ˆ‡””‡† •‘—”…‡ ˆ‘” ÇĄ ÇĄ ÇĄ ‡–…Ǥ

COME TO US AND WE WILL GIVE YOU A COMPLETE SOLUTION ! ÇŽ ĠÂ?ƒŽƒ›ƒ ‘™‡”•ǯ ƒÂ?ƒÂ?‹ ˜‡Â?—‡ǥ Ǥ Ǥ ÂƒÂ‰ÂƒÂ”ÇĄ Š‡Â?Â?ƒ‹ ÇŚ ͸ͲͲ ͲʹͺǤ Â?†‹ƒ ‡”•ǯ ƒÂ?ƒÂ? ‡Ž ÇŁ Ϊ͝ͳnj͜͜njʹ͜͝͡ ʹ;͚ͳ ÇĄ ʹ͜͝͡ ͳ͝ͺͲǤ ƒš ÇŁ Ϊ͝ͳnj͜͜njʹ͜͝͡ ʹʹ͚; ‘„‹Ž‡ ÇŁ ͝;ͺͳʹ͜;ͳͳͲǤ Â?ƒ‹Ž ÇŁ ’‡‰ƒÂ?Â‡Â•ÂŠĚˇÂ˜Â•Â?ŽǤÂ?‡–

Auto Monitor

1 - 15 FEBRUARY 2012

ADEA

36

Manufacturer-dealer relationship has become transactional Our Bureau New Delhi

Delegates During The Panel Discussion

T

he panel discussion held during the third edition of the Automotive Dealership Excellence Awards (ADEA), organised jointly by Federation of Automobile Dealers Association (FADA) and Auto Monitor, witnessed an effective debate on the manufacturer - dealer relationship in the Indian scenario vis-avis on the global turf. While the dealers expressed concern about the relationship between the two stakeholders is increasingly becoming transactional, the manufacturers reiterated the need for retail partners to bridge the gap prevalent in areas of customer service.

The discussion started with President FADA, Nikunj Sanghi describing the evolved customer behaviour in this internet age. He said, “The knowledge of today’s customer when he walks into a showroom is much more than what it used to be. Some of them are even more aware about the specifications of various vehicles than the sales people. Such a customer cannot be taken for a ride.”

During the opening remarks, the President, Automotive & Farm Sectors, Mahindra & Mahindra, Dr Pawan Goenka, blamed multinational companies for spoiling their dealers by giving higher margins. Responding to this, VW India, Director, Neeraj Garg, felt that multinationals offer multiple revenue models rather than just negotiating on dealer margins. Taking the discussion further, he pointed out that the main challenge for retailers and marketers is to earn the loyalty of the customer, who is educated,

well informed and has the choice of exploring deals being offered at the multiple options available.

For this reason there has been remarkable improvement on the performance of the dealers on the sales side though a lot needs to be done when it comes to the service side of the business. Even the dealers of top end cars need to bridge this gap.

Executive Director, Ashok Leyland, Rajiv Saharia differed with Garg on the issue of loyalty of customers in the commercial vehicle segment. “The involvement of the dealership with the customers in the CV segment is more intense than the passenger vehicle and hence it is not easily broken,” he informed. However, he agreed that since the machines in the CV segment are for the purpose of generating income, the service has to be remarkable.

When inquired about a brand’s failure to retain its customers, because of the incapability of the manufacturer to produce a model to customers’ satisfaction rather than the inability of the dealer, Arvind Saxena, Director, Marketing and Sales, Hyundai Motor India, said that the differentiation between models could not be very huge but what is crucial is the way the customer has been

treated at the front office by the dealership, which can bring him back to the brand. The loyalty is for the dealer not for the model.

President, Marketing, TVS Motor Company, HS Goindi indicated that the major challenges are faced by two-wheeler manufacturers. “The two-wheeler customer changes every three years. It is a challenge for a manufacturer to assess these changes and foresee the requirement three years in advance,” he said. Since the prime reason for purchasing a two-wheeler is commuting, the challenge for the dealer lies in providing service as fast as possible.

This is also triggered by the nature of the Indian driver who brings the vehicle to service centre only when it is in extremely bad condition.

The discussion took a heated turn when the topic of relationship between the two stakeholders was brought in. While the dealer community is worried as the relationship is becoming more transactional the manufacturers viewed that the dealer partners need to incorporate professionalism in their process in order to achieve the common goal of retaining customers.

Garg said that his company believed not in selling dealer margins to the retail partners

but in selling business opportunities, which can add value to them. He said, “No dealer has asked for higher margins in the last few years; they have always asked about ways to improve their bottom line; they look for support on training, education, recruiting manpower and creating infrastructure.”

Nigel Wark of Ford India, agreeing with Garg said, “Our job is to work with dealer bodies in facing challenges like the cost of real estate, finance etc rather than worrying about higher margins.

The cost of interaction with each customer has to be reduced.”

Saxena agreed to the view expressed by Saharia that the association between the two like a marriage”. This is applicable for manufacturers and retailers, both of them are answerable to the customers.

Director, Frost and Sullivan, VG Ramakrishnan iterated that loyalty is getting built among consumers in a substantial way.

Shangi said automotive dealership is not a business about margins alone but it’s a business about passion. “I would love to see the manufacturers when they talk of customer retention in the life-time value of customer, then I am sure the dealers are custom-

ers and there is a lifetime value to dealers.”

Ramakrishnan concluded that customers are the dictators as they can even hop between dealerships of the same brand to get the best deal. The real issue comes on the after sales service where there is a significant gap and here is where the manufacturers and dealers can truly derive the life cycle of customers.

He stressed on the need to employ technology in order to receive honest customer feedback.

On the vision of Dealer 2020, the manufacturers unanimously agreed that in an era when customers are so demanding, automotive dealerships need to excel in all areas including sales, service, insurance or finance to lure them. The need for benchmarking in systems was stressed upon. Agreeing w ith them Sanghi said, “Corporatisation of dealership is the future and the day is not far when retailers of national level will emerge.”

Dr Goenka concluded by saying that, “I will wait for the day when there is a panel discussion happening in one of five leading auto markets in the world with the topic, ‘Impact of Indian manufacturers on the retail of that country.”

1 - 15 FEBRUARY 2012

Auto Monitor

ADEA

37

Being frugal is the way forward for dealers Our Bureau New Delhi

T

he increasing prices of real estate pose a threat on the profitability of automot ive dea lerships. And this concern featured prominently during the panel discussion organised as part of third edition of the Automotive Dealership Excellence Award (ADEA). Delivering his address, the Executive Vice Chairman of Ashok Leyland, R Seshasayee said, “Real estate is going to be very important and we have to learn as to how frugally and how productively we can use the space we have. The vertical expansion is very important.” This is also true with manpower; the dealers need to ensure how can they

make them highly productive and provide maximum output.

Responding to the resonating voice of the dealers for an exit policy during the third edition of ADEA, Seshasayee said, “You can surely have and should have an exit policy; you should not be in an inharmonious relationship, because that is unhealthy for both the partners.” The relationship is not built merely by dealers coming in and attending the weddings in a customer’s family but should be more than that. It is data mining—understanding the customers’ habits, understanding their behaviour and all of this is possible with the help of technology.

Having the details of symptoms of individual customers as to what kind of product he/she

A relationship is not built merely by dealers attending a customer’s family functions, but should be more than that. It is data mining—understanding the customers’ habits & behaviour, which is possible with the help of technology— R Seshasayee, Vice Chairman, ALL

Photographs: Dileep Prakash

R Seshasayee, Vice Chairman, Ashok Leyland

Nikunj Sanghi, FADA President Addressing The Audience

would look at and what he/she will buy is more important. To sense the relationship—this should be the uniqueness of the brand value of the Indian dealers. This kind of relationship is required between the dealers-customer and dealer-manufacturer.

On the corporatisation of automobile dealership he said, “Large dealerships with pan-India presence is possible, but the reason why most OEMs have a family person running an outlet, is just to ensure that you don’t loose your personal touch with the customers.”

W h i le FA DA President, Nikunj Sanghi, during his speech, empha sisi ng on employee satisfaction said, “It needs no reiteration that in today’s competitive environ-

ment, employees’ satisfaction is the single most important factor that can make or break an automobile dealership. The growth and customer satisfaction go hand-in-hand. It is employees’ satisfaction that can lead to the customer satisfaction, which in turn, leads to the growth and development of any business.”

He added that ADEA, initiated jointly with Auto Monitor two years ago, is being carried forward with added zeal and zest, as the number of nominations received for this edition of awards suggests. “The number of applications for the awards has been increasing as we have moved along making it amply clear that the awards are growing in popularity and drawing increasing attention,” he concluded.

Auto Monitor

1 - 15 FEBRUARY 2012

ADEA

38

Auto head honchos converge at

R Seshasayee, Vice Chairman, Ashok Leyland

Nikunj Sanghi, FADA President

T Murrali, Editor, Auto Monitor addressing the dealers

Photographs: Dileep Prakash

Automotive Dealership Excellence Awards (ADEA) 2011, organised jointly by FADA and Auto Monitor held in New Delhi on January 9, brought together the high and mighty of the autombile industry. The evening was fi lled with fun and excitement as dealers interacted with OEMs in a freewheeling chat to understand each other’s concern and pain areas as well as forge new relationships.

Given the current uncertainity in vehicle sales, one of the major concerns among dealers was the effort made by OEMs and other stakeholders in reviving sales and clarity from OEMs on their future outlook and strategy. Moreover, the process converged on areas of mutual concern like nature of relationship between dealers and OEMs, rising cost of conducting business, manpower and service quality.

With major concerns aired during the panel discussion and in the later interaction during the course of the evening, dealers promised further introspection and willingness to implement strategies that could deliver customer loyalty and trust.

ADEA has reaffi rmed its status as the premier award of the automobile industry.

Dr Pawan Goenka addressing the gathring at the ADEA

TR Sawhney Motors bags the award for Service Satisfaction Index

R D th

SJB Automobiles bags the award for Best Dealer on Employee Satisfaction index

Susee Automobiles receives the award for CSR

St Antonys Motors also bags the award for Safety Initiative

TV Sundaram Iyengar & Sons receives special recognition for CSR

Speed Autotech bags the award for Safety Initiative

Kalyani Associates recognised for Green Initiative by Hashit Rawal, President, HOEC Bardahl India

1 - 15 FEBRUARY 2012

Auto Monitor

ADEA

39

third edition of ADEA in Delhi

R Seshasayee, Vice Chairman, Ashok Leyland (L) and Dr Pawan Goenka, President, FEAS, M&M presenting the award for the Most Aspiring Two-Wheeler dealer to Golden Motors

y

CATEGORY 2W 2W 3W 3W 4W 4W CV CV CV Sales Satisfaction Service Satisfaction Employee Satisfaction Safety Initiative Safety Initiative CSR Initiative CSR (Special Recognition) Green Initiative

DEALER NAME Sisodia Automobiles Golden Motors JS Fourwheel Motors Kanakadurga Motors PP Automotive Bhandari Automobiles Perfect Auto RajesH Motors Nidhikamal Automobiles Rajshree Automotive TR Sawhney Motors SJB Automobiles St Antony’s Motors Speed Autotech Susee Automobiles TV Sundram Iyengar & Sons Kalyani Associates

R Seshasayee and Dr Pawan Goenka presenting the Two-Wheeler Dealer of the year award to Sisodiya Automobiles

JS Fourwheel Motors bags the award for the Three Wheeler Dealer of the Year

Kanakdurga Motors bags the award for the Most Aspiring Three-Wheeler Dealer

Sandeep Singh, Dy MD, TKM presenting the award for the Most Aspiring CV dealer to Nidhikamal Automobiles

STATUS Dealer Of The Year Most Aspiring Dealer Of The Year Dealer Of The Year Most Aspiring Dealer Of The Year Dealer Of The Year Most Aspiring Dealer Of The Year Dealer Of The Year Most Aspiring Dealer Of The Year Most Aspiring Dealer Of The Year Across All Categories Across All Categories Across All Categories Across All Categories Across All Categories Across All Categories Across All Categories Across All Categories

BRAND Hero Motocorp Hero Motocorp Mahindra & Mahindra Piaggio Vehicles Mahindra & Mahindra Maruti Suzuki Tata Motors Commercial Vehicles Ashok Leyland Tata Ford Maruti Suzuki Mahindra Navistar Tata Passenger Cars Chevrolet Mahindra & Mahindra; Ford;Volkswagen;Porsche, Bajaj Mahindra & Mahindra Honda Motorcycles & Scooters India

(L) Nikunj Sanghi, FADA President & Sandeep Singh, Dy MD, Toyota Kirloskar Motors (centre) presenting the CV Dealer of the Year award to Perfect Auto

PP Automotive bags the Four-Wheeler Dealer of the Year award

Rajesh Motors awarded the Most Aspiring CV Dealer of the Year by Nikunj Sanghi & Sandeep Singh

Bhandari Automobiles wins the Most Aspiring FourWheeler Dealer of the Year award

Auto Monitor

40

ADEA

1 - 15 FEBRUARY 2012

Making The Grade

C

redit Analysis and Re s e a r c h (CARE Ratings), is a premier credit rating and information services company promoted in 1993 by major banks / fi nancial institutions in India.

CARE Ratings is recognised by the government of India and all regulatory authorities including the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) for its rating and IPO grading services. And it is proud to be the only domestic rating agency in India.

CARE Ratings has significant presence in all sectors including banks/fis, corporate and public fi nance. In last few years, CARE Ratings has also established international footprints by setting up the only licensed rating agency in Maldives. Furthermore, it is also

CARE has been market leader in rating of debt instruments floated by various Banks/FIs. Similarly, it also retains the leadership position in IPO grading amongst the fraternity in India

CARE Ratings’ core strength lies in demonstrating analytical prowess and rigor in rating and ranking assignments, which has helped in offering unbiased third-party assessment to the winner’s selection process

It The rating agency has been involved in the evaluation process, right from designing the questionnaire, analysing the data & listing of nominees for the jury to decide the winners. Designing of the questionnaire involved identifying parameters like purchase experience, service experience, employee feedback, green initiatives and service initiatives

providing technical assistance for setting up rating agencies in Mexico, Ecuador, Bangaldesh and Nepal. Until 30June, 2011, coverage of CARE Ratings has extended to more than 10,644 entities with a total value of `33,062 bn. It has been market leader in rating of debt instruments floated by various Banks/FIs. Similarly, it also retains the leadership position in IPO grading amongst the fraternity in India.

The company is a full service rating agency and offers all products offered by a rating agency viz.

Issue Ratings, Bank Loan Ratings, SME Ratings, Project Gradings and Equi Gradings. CARE Ratings has a dedicated research division that covers automobile sector extensively with reports on all segments viz. commercial vehicles cars, two-wheelers, tyre and auto ancillaries.

Designing Parameters Dealership award is an innovative concept. CARE has been associated with ADEA since its inception in 2009. CARE Ratings’ core strength lies in demonstrating analytical prowess and rigor in rating and ranking assignments which has helped in offering unbiased third-party assessment to the winner’s selection process.

This has enabled it in fulfi lling the role of a Knowledge Partner with utmost ease and proficiency.

CARE Ratings conceptualised and developed a scientific methodology whereby subjective parameters provided to it were converted into objective evaluation exercise on which subsequently the scoring model could be developed.

s

SIRIUS Innovations.

Click ’n’ Go! www.siemens.com/industry The permanent advancement and continuous innovation of SIRIUS optimally prepare our customers for current and future requirements and provide them with efficient solutions. All components of the SIRIUS modular system are characterized by their space-saving design and high degree of flexibility. Configuration, installation, wiring and maintenance can be realized easily and in minimum time.

SIRIUS system has global acceptability with UL/CSA and CE marking. SIRIUS components are suitable for 60°C without de-ration. Thanks to the latest innovations of sizes S00 and S0 up to 40 A, the SIRIUS modular system now offers even more functional diversity:

• Very high termination reliability, shock and vibration proof terminals thanks to Spring loaded terminals • Application monitoring integrated in the feeder due to direct mounting of current monitoring relays on the contactor • Innovative function modules for the easy assembly of star delta starters that replace the control wiring.

• Ease of data communication to PLC with communication capable contactors with open communication protocols like AS-i and IO link

Answers for industry.

Auto Monitor

42

1 - 15 FEBRUARY 2012

ADEA Ranking Methodology • Design of evaluation forms ie questionnaires for all award categories • Developing the scientific quantitative model for assessment of the evaluation forms.

• Eliminating all such nominations where the number of responses received under each parameter index was below seven.

• Parameter weights (on a scale of 100) were assigned to the six award parameters index ie PE, SE, EF, CSR, GI and SI in order of their relative importance in the entire evaluation process.

• Developing a five-point scale ranging from “Poor” (1)-“Average” (2)-“Good” (3)-“Very Good” (4)- “Excellent”(5) in order to capture the feedback and satisfaction index of the respondents.

• Each question in respective category further had sub-options covering various parameters on the survey.

• In view of the criticality of certain questions as against the whole universe of questions, each question and the respective sub-options were assigned a question weight and an option weight.

• Score for each parameter index per respondent was arrived by totalling the product of each question score (answer * option weight) and question weight.

• For the respective dealer–average of the above score w.r.t to no. of respondents were considered.

• To arrive on a consolidated score—respective parameter scores for each dealer were added.

• Nominees were short-listed based on the top five consolidated scores.

• In case of CSR, GI and SI, which involved more subjectivity, CARE inspected the dealer nomination forms along with the various supporting documents substantiating such initiatives.

• The jury with its vast experience and immense wisdom, provided a cutting edge in the fi nal selection process of the shortlisted nominees.

• Throughout the entire process, CARE’s role did not extend to either validate the data compiled or check the authenticity / accuracy of survey data.

CARE Ratings is recognised by the GoI and all regulatory authorities including the RBI and SEBI for its rating and IPO grading services.

And it is proud to be the only domestic rating agency in India

It has been involved in the evaluation process right from designing the questionnaire, analysing the data collated and fi nally listing of nominees for the jury to decide the winners.

Designing of questionnaire involved identif ying parameters essential for each of the award category like purchase experience, ser v ice experience, employee feedback, corporate socia l responsibility, green initiatives and service initiatives.

A magnifi cent response of over 817 dealer applications was received in this exercise.

Further, based on a logical and methodical process (as detailed in box below), CARE short-listed top five dealers as nominees across each category and each parameter, which were presented to the high powered panel of jury members.

CARE’s ranking model and methodology described below has imparted an impeccable degree of credibility in the selection of the ultimate winner.

Heavy Duty Tata RA 110 RR Rear Axle

Larger 430 mm dia Clutch

The perfectly balanced drivetrain

Tata G 1150 9-speed Gearbox

CUMMINS ISBe 227 HP Engine

The illustrations and photographs may show accessories and items of optional equipment which are not part of standard specifications. Due to printing processes, colours may vary slightly from those shown. All listed specifications are current and subject to change or upgrades without prior notice, in accordance with the Company's policy of continuous improvement.

*SMS charges as applicable, depending on the service provider.

For details, visit www.prima.tatamotors.com or email: prima@tatamotors.com or SMS* <PRIMA> to 5616161.

The latest offering from the world of Prima

Auto Monitor

1 - 15 FEBRUARY 2012

C O R P O R AT E

44

Volvo Buses take green route in India Our Bureau New Delhi

Photographs: Bhargav TS

A

fter the successful completion of ten years in India, Volvo Buses has launched its hybrid technology for the Indian market. The Volvo 7700 hybrid bus saves around 37 percent of fuel consumption and over 50 percent in hazardous emissions are reduced.

Commenting on the new hybr id veh icle, Ma nag ing Director and CEO, Volvo Buses India, Akash Passey said, “At Volvo, we have what is considered today as the world’s most efficient hybrid solution.

Importantly, it’s a part of our regular production system, developed by Volvo in-house, and proven in real operations for a long time now. All

A salient feature of the 7700 Hybrid model from Volvo is the electric motor that regains charge as and when the bus is required to apply the brakes

we await is the demand and the direction from the authorities, so that we can apply this solution specifically to Indian needs.”

Some salient features of the 7700 Hybrid model from Volvo is the electric motor that regains

charge as and when the bus is required to apply the brakes.

Just like the start /stop technology seen in larger executive sedans for conserving fuel, the diesel engine in the 7700 also switches off completely, which also helps create a silent and

A closer view of the engine

ex haust-free environment at bus stops.

The first global product from the company’s stable is 14.5-meter multi-axle buses. Earlier the company had 13.7-meter coach.

“With the help of Volvo’s engineering capabilities in India

and Asia, we had made the bus for Asian market, and manufactured it in Asia. This bus, 9100, is an 11.5-meter coach and expected to be 20 to 25 percent lower in price than our current product range, which we already have in India. With these introduc-

Akash Passey, MD & CEO, Volvo Buses India

tions, this has been one of the biggest introductions in the any bus segment in India. With the launching of these products our total product range counts to ten in India,” Passey added.

Volvo Buses India also launched the Asia bus 9100 series, meant for the new segment in India catering to the Tier II and Tier III cities. The vehicle has been developed and designed out of India in order to meet the local needs of emerging markets of Asia. Volvo India’s R&D centre in Bangalore has developed it to meet the needs of the Indian market.

The ma nufacturer a lso unveiled Volvo 9400 PX the 14.5metres long multi-axle coach.

The vehicle is built on the new light-weight Volvo PX platform, which provides better gradeability and acceleration as well as enhanced stability. The bus is powered by 11-litre engine with 370 HP and driven by steerable tag-axle for better road handling and manoeuvrability. The other new product is Volvo 7400 XL, the multi-axle city bus.

Regarding the localisation content of the buses, Passey said, “Currently the localisation of our products is about 40 to 50 percent depending upon the product, but we will be increase it substantially over the next three years. We are increasing our capacity to 2,500 buses annually by 2015, for which we have already announced `400 crore investment earlier.

The company recorded a growth of 25 percent in 2011 compared to the previous year and expecting to grow by 30 to 40 percent in the year 2012.

According to Passey, if the economy goes down, the bus business picks up, since people will reduce the usage of their personal vehicles and will start moving towards the public transport, therefore I see a huge potential in the bus segment.

Auto Monitor

1 - 15 FEBRUARY 2012

C O R P O R AT E

46

Federal Mogul’s new plant to support expansion the domestic market, it will also be an expansion in capacity for the global arena when required. Initially, it will focus on expanding product portfolio for the aftermarket.

Shambhavi Anand New Delhi

G

lobal automotive component manufacturer, Federal Mogul is all set to inaugurate its new facility in Chennai in a few weeks from now. The fi rst phase of production will commence within a month of its inauguration. The unit, which will initially focus on producing brake linings, friction materials and other products for the aftermarket, is in line with the company’s plan to increase its presence and brand recognition in the replacement market.

According to Cor porate V ice-President a nd CEO, Federal-Mogul India, Jean de Montlaur the new plant will help the company in manufacturing a wider range of products locally. It will enable Federal

Future Plans

Jean de Montlaur, Corporate VP and CEO, Federal-Mogul India

Mogul to enter into new product categories, which, “will be interesting especially for the aftermarket,” he said. Though the main focus of the new plant will be to cater to the needs of

The company already has a retail network that reaches to a large number of customers in different parts of the country. With a larger portfolio and increased number of products being manufactured locally, it may also expand the existing network. Federal Mogul plans to aggressively pursue the opportunities in the aftermarket. The increasing car parc in the Indian market has lead to a spur in opportunities in this segment. Like in the OE business the company wants to increase its recognition in the

aftermarket also. Discussing the aftermarket in India, Vice President, Asia Pacific, Global Aftermarket, Madhur Aneja, said the initiative will also help the unorganised Indian aftermarket in combating the menace of counterfeit parts.

Federal Mogul works closely with Automotive Component Ma nufacturers Associat ion (ACMA) in order to fi nd ways to combat the increasing menace of spurious spare parts in the replacement market. It has conducted several raids and is an active member of ACMA’s Asli Naqli initiative, a public awareness campaign on counterfeit products.

The company has also started several training programs for mechanics to educate them about the new generation vehicles, distinguishing original

spare from the spurious one, right ways of fitment among others in order to help them in graduating from the unorganised to the organised market.

“The mechanics from the local garages have been in this business for generations. The young people are enthusiastic about learning about the new generation vehicles. They are receptive too,” Aneja added.

However, when asked about plans to enter the service business, the official declined. “We are not present in the service sector in any locations and have no such plans for India also. Our core strength is manufacturing,” Montlaur informed. The company, which has its Indian headquarter in Delhi, has grown by 14 percent year-on-year. It also supplies components to railways and defense.

Vespa to be positioned as a lifestyle brand Bhargav TS New Delhi

P

iaggio is looking to position the Vespa as the premium lifestyle segment targeting the brand conscious customers and those wishing to make a style statement. The company is looking to price the two-wheeler brand in the `60,000 range.

After unveiling the scooters during the recently held Auto Expo, Chairman and Managing Director, Piaggio Vehicles, Ravi Chopra said, “Our foray into the Indian market activates a whole new segment of style and fashion-conscious consumers who are looking for a premium, exclusive, lifestyle offering reflecting their personalities and attitudes.

We would like to leverage this sizeable untapped market segment that shows tremendous potential for growth in the coming years”.

Vespa will be hitting the Indian roads in a couple of months. The company’s fi rst model is likely to be 125 cc gearless scooter slated to roll out in April 2012 from Piaggio’s Baramati plant, which has an initial capacity of 150,000 units. The company plans to expand its capacity to 300,000 units within the fi rst six months depending on the market response.

While the Vespa brand will have 50 dealerships in India by end of 2012, the company is also looking to set-up five superbike dealerships by the end of the year.

Piaggio is considering introducing the Moto Guzzi 1200 Norge GT as a CBU soon, depending on the response to the models.

Chopra said, “Ours is not a scooter, it is a Vespa and a way of life. We are not competing with scooter manufacturers but we are creating our own segment.

The idea is to awaken a sleeping potential consumer who does not have a product like this.”

Introduced by Piaggio in 1946 as the world’s fi rst scooter, the Vespa rose rapidly in popularity to become a loved and revered emblem of ‘Made In Italy’ and a ‘new, unique way of enjoying mobility’. The Vespa is present in more than 100 countries with over 17 million units being sold since its introduction.

1 - 15 FEBRUARY 2012

Auto Monitor

TECHNOLOGY

49

Cognex introduces the first wireless industrial ID barcode reader with ethernet

C

ognex Corporation has recently announced a new wireless version for its next-generation DataMan handheld industrial ID scanner, the DataMan 8000 series. The new wireless communication module and base station with Cognex Connect capabilities is now available for users with extended range cord free code reading applications.

Cognex Connect provides the most flexibility for communicating via Industrial Protocols such as EtherNet/IP, Profinet, MC Protocol and others in addition to traditional support for USB and RS-232. The DataMan 8000 series is the only industrial handheld ID reader to support industrial

The new wireless reader provides a long working range with a large memory capacity for reading codes when offline or out of range. The base station comes standard and is compatible with industry standard ethernet, USB and RS232 cables protocols for both corded and cordless models, allowing for easy integration, reduced installation costs and remote access to diagnostics.

The new wireless reader provides a long working range—up to 100m—with a large memory capacity for reading codes when offl ine or out of range. The base station comes standard with a spare battery charger built in and is compatible with industry standard ethernet, USB and RS-232 cables.

Common to all DataMan 8000 series models is the system’s unique modular design allowing any reader to change between corded RS-232/USB communication to Industrial Ethernet or to wireless with field exchangeable interface modules. The communication modules offer security for customer investment as well as flexibility enabling users to modify their deployment and communication methods to meet future requirements. The base station for the wireless model is equipped with separate communication ports for USB, RS-232 and Ethernet options making it the most versatile choice in the series.

The rugged DataMan 8000 series is designed for the factory floor and offers the industry’s most advanced code reading technology using two powerful algorithms, 1DMax and 2DMax. These patented technologies provide the most advanced decoding available for reading virtually every type of code, every time, with unsurpassed read rates, regardless of size, quality, printing method or surface. The DataMan 8000 series also offers liquid lens variable focus technology which allows a user to read small 2-D direct part marks (DPM) as well as

long linear 1-D barcodes with a single reader.

“This addit ion to our DataMan 8000 series makes it truly the most f lexible and advanced handheld reader out there,” said Vice President and Business Unit Manager, ID Products Carl Gerst. “We are happy to provide a cordless reader that has unique features in addition to the incredible functionality that is standard for all DataMan 8000 readers like reading robustness, advanced lighting and optics and field interchangeable communication modules.”

Dataman 8000 Wireless Barcode Reader

The DataMan 8000 series is available in two base models:

DataMan 8500 The DataMan 8500 readers incorporate patented UltraLight technology from Cognex for superior image formation on any mark type and surface. UltraLight illumination provides dark field, bright field and diffuse lighting all in one electronically controlled light.

DataMan 8100 The DataMan 8100 includes a ll of the features of the DataMan 8500 readers, with bright field illumination. The DataMan 8100 readers are idea l for applications t hat require superior code reading per forma nce w it hout specialty lighting.

1 - 15 FEBRUARY 2012

C O R P O R AT E

Auto Monitor

51

Our Bureau New Delhi

M

otorcycle manufacturer, India Yamaha Motor plans to set up its third plant in the country, for which it has started scouting for land in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. The company is expecting to sell around ten lakh vehicles after inception of its third plant. In 2011, the company had produced 5.2 lakh units from its two existing plants each in Uttar Pradesh and in Haryana.

During the launch of its scooter, Ray at the Auto Expo, the CEO and Managing Director of India Yamaha Motor, Hiroyuki Suzuki said, “We are planning to set up our third plant, which is under consideration, for which we are already looking for land in

TVS Star City Shines

O

ne of the largest selling motorcycles of TVS Motor Company, TVS Star City just got better with the launch of its 2012 edition. For the fi rst time, the 110 cc bike will be available with executive segment features such as dual tone body colours, an all-new stylish headlamp, clear indicators and in six new colour combinations. The dual tone graphics will include ‘Electric Green’, ‘Bold Blue’, Red Blaze, ‘Gold Spark’, ‘Silver Strike’ and ‘Crimson Flash’.

According to the President ( Ma rket i ng ) T VS Motor Company, HS Goindi, “This new motorcycle is a winning combination of executive class features and vibrant styling. The backing of high fuel efficiency and toughness will make TVS Star City a much sought after motorcycle.”

The engine of the new TVS StaR City deploys CVTi (Continuous Variable Timing Ignition), which facilitates superior pickup and boosts performance without compromising on mileage. This is achieved through a unique combination of swirl and tumble motion that generates very high in-cylinder charge motion, almost three times more than the conventional port designs.

Under standard test conditions and as per ARAI certification, TVS StaR City returns a mileage of 83.9 km per litre. The base version of the vehicle starts at `38,650 (ex-Delhi) with a fi veyear warranty asserting high quality assurance.

All black alloy wheels, elegant styling and a comprehensive backlit speedo add to the style quotient of the new motorcycle.

The bike is also equipped with an econo-meter by way of which the rider can ensure optimal mileage. High quality ride handling and easy manoeuvrability, augmented by high performance shock absorbers make it a tough yet powerful motorcycle that can be ridden with ease on any terrain.

Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

For this capacity expansion, new product development and network expansions, the company is planning to invest `800 crore in the next couple of years and expect to sell around ten lakh units by 2014. In 2011, the manufacturer clocked its sales of 460,815 bikes as compared to 350,274 in 2010 thus showing a growth of 31.6 percent over last year.

Speaking about entering into the scooter segment, Suzuki said, “With the launch of our scooter model in the second half of this year, we would be present across all growing two-wheeler segment. The Indian scooter segment is growing tremendously and we see a lot of potential in this segment. We have developed a scooter prototype that has got the Yamaha DNA and signifies

‘Cool and Beauty’ image, which are the right words for describing young Indian girls. With the launch of our scooter model later this year, Yamaha would now be present across all growing twowheeler segments.”

The gearless scooter, Ray has been designed by keeping women in mind. The production version of the Ray concept will be developed in coming months and it will be on-sale by the end of this year or early next year. Apart from Ray concept, the company also showcased the Mio, Fino and Xeon scooters, which are currently sold in Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam. Yamaha also launched t wo specia l edition bikes, Yamaha R15 limited edition Fiery Red and Yamaha R15 50th Anniversary Red and White.

Yamaha Ray

Photograph: Bhargav TS

Yamaha scouting location for its third plant

1 - 15 FEBRUARY 2012

Auto Monitor

G L O B A L WAT C H

53

Bosch produces five million start/stop starters

B

osch has produced its five millionth start/stop starter in Hildesheim.

Since production began in 2007, more and more orders have come in for this fuel-saving technology. “Start/stop is a cost-effective way to reduce fuel consumption considerably,” said President, Bosch Starter Motors and Generators division, Dr Ulrich Kirschner. “We are expecting every second new car in Europe to be fitted with a start/stop system by 2013,” Kirschner added. Currently, this is true of one new car in three.

Almost all European automakers are now integrating Bosch start/ stop technology—into compact cars, premium sedans, and even powerful sports cars.

In the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC), start/stop systems

Dr Hermann Scholl honoured the Werner von Siemens Ring

C

hairman of the shareholders’ meeting and the supervisory council of Robert Bosch GmbH, Professor Dr Herman Scholl has been awarded this year’s Werner

Almost all European automakers are now integrating Bosch start/stop technology— into compact cars, premium sedans, and even powerful sports cars

reduce fuel consumption, and thus CO2 emissions, by up to five percent.

In the NEDC urban cycle, the saving is as much as eight percent. In heavy urban traffic, especially during peak hours, the potential saving is

Start/stop systems reduce fuel consumption in the cycle by up to five percent

even greater. And yet start-stop does not reduce comfort in any way, thanks to the wide array of sensor information evaluated by the system. For instance, a battery sensor determines the

battery’s state of charge. Only if a quick restart is guaranteed will the engine be stopped. Another example is the vehicle’s interior temperature. If it is still very cold or too hot, the engine will

continue to run so that the occupants’ desired temperature is reached quickly. Finally, there is a DC/DC converter for stabilising the voltage of the electrical system during starts to ensure that the radio, navigation system, or hands-free telephone operate without interruption.

In order to further reduce consumption, and thus CO 2 emissions, Bosch engineers will in future gradually extend engine shutdown-times. This will apply initially to the time when the vehicle is rolling to a halt, and later even to periods when the driver is merely no longer accelerating.

“Depend i ng on t he type of route, the enhanced start-stop systems can save an additional 10 percent of fuel,” Kirschner stated.

CNC Rack type Spline/Profile rolling machine

World class rack die manufacturing facility in collaboration with ESCOFIER, France Features: Dual Servo Drive for both the rack holders Servo drive for job feeding axis (optional) Compact foot print (vertical type machine) Hardened and ground guideways Ball screws with continuous oil circulation (with oil chiller) Robust and ergonomic design

Chairman of the Supervisory Council of Robert Bosch GmbH & Chairman of the Shareholders’ Meeting of Robert Bosch Industrietreuhand KG

von Siemens Ring, one of the most prestigious German prizes for achievements in science and technology.

Other products: Circular die Thread Rolling Machines Circular die Spline Rolling Machines Incremental Spline Rolling Machines Incremental dies Circular Thread/Spline rolling dies

Recognition

www.mteindustries.com

CV

Jo

syste m)

i nt

eS t ur ma ft ha

(4 W ler) hee

Technology...Quality...Reliability...

MTE INDUSTRIES PVT. LTD. 58/A SVCIE, Balanagar, Hyderabad 500037, A.P. INDIA. Phone: 040-23777571 Email: info@mteindustries.com

haft

MTE Industries

S Main

V

Ar

Jo int

MTE

Kic k

Bevel Pinion

Innovative Leader Professor Scholl developed the first electronic gasolineinjection system for passenger cars as well as the fi rst reliable Antilock Braking System (ABS).

It was also under his auspices that the ESP anti-skid system for passenger cars was developed and launched. With each of these technologies, Bosch has become global market leader.

Dr Scholl shares the prize with CEO of OHB AG, Dr Manfred Fuchs, a German aerospace company. The Werner von Siemens Ring is generally awarded every three years.

I Sha ft (Ste ering

APPLICATIONS

C

“I am extraordinarily pleased about this honour and would like to thank the board of trustees. The success of my work and of Bosch would not have been possible without the wealth of ideas and untiring dedication of our outstanding researchers and engineers. For this reason, I accept this prize also on their behalf, and would like to thank all Bosch associates,” Scholl said.

Sh a ft

(2 Wh ee ler )

Auto Monitor

The passenger car segment fell by 2.28 percent during the April-December period this fiscal, while the utility vehicles grew by 12.67 percent and the multi-purpose vehicles grew by 12.06 percent in this fiscal.

Toyota led the passenger car segment with a growth of around 644.13 percent from 8,363 units to touch 62,232 units this fiscal, as compared to the previous period. BMW notched up highest percentage growth in UV segment to touch 2,453 units compared to 256 units in the same period in the previous year, marking a growth of 858.2 percent.

Passenger Cars OEMs

2010-11

2011-12

BMW

3,171

3,442

Fiat

15,231

10,852

Ford

66,609

64,482

GM

63,620

65,124

HM

5,700

2,042

HSCI

44,289

32,560

HMIL

264,399

277,754

6,720

12,915

MSIL

696,923

Merc

2,731

16,663

Renault

-

1,137

14,219

21,095

Tata

LCVs (PC+GC) -3.19%

OEMs 2.36%

ALL

180,341

171,011

2010-11

2011-12

504

2,988

15,413

17,538

277

153

73,906

92,349

492.86

-64.18% Force -26.48% HM 5.05%

M&M 92.19%

13.44%

3,098

6,645

Skoda

8.55%

The overall commercial vehicles segment registered a growth of 19.28 percent in April-December, 2011 as compared to the same period last fiscal to touch 572,367 units. M&HCVs sales grew by 9.34 percent to touch 244,603 units compared to 223,716 units in the same period in the previous year. The LCV segment grew by 27.97 percent to touch 327,764 units in this fiscal, compared to 256,132 units in the same period last fiscal.

Three-wheeler sales were relatively flat at 383,101 units in April-December period compared to 383,355 units in same period last year. Passenger carriers fell by -2.91 percent in April-December and goods carriers registered growth of 12.52 percent.

ALL registered the highest growth in the LCV segment to touch 2,988 units. Atul Auto registered highest growth in threewheeler segment to touch 19,326 units.

-28.75%

574,477 -17.57%

Nissan

Two-Wheelers

Commercial Vehicles

Passenger Vehicles

MR

1 - 15 FEBRUARY 2012

A N A LY S I S

56

13.79% -44.77%

24.95%

MNAL

7,641

7,574

Piaggio

6,685

8,749

Swaraj

3,036

3,407

143,305

188,091

VECV - Eicher

5,365

6,915

28.89%

Total

256,132

327,764

27.97%

-0.88%

30.88%

Scooter/Scooterettees

12.22%

OEMs

150.76% Tata

48.36%

8,363 1,205

2,319

VW

30,832

57,631

Total 1,410,998 1,378,834

2011-12 -100.00%

BAL

27

-

HML

240,306

300,142

HMSI

665,051

855,157

24.90% 28.59%

-5.17%

62,232

Audi

2010-11

31.25%

644.13% TKM

Domestic two-wheelers sales witnessed a growth of 15.23 percent in this fiscal to touch 9,994,031 units against 8,673,437 units during the same period in the previous fiscal. Mopeds, motorcycles and scooters grew by 9.69 percent, 14.01 percent and 22.5 percent respectively.

The motorcycle sales grew to 7,581,363 units in AprilDecember period as compared to 6,649,630 units in corresponding period in the previous fiscal.

In the Motorcycles segment, Royal Enfield sales were up by 44.07 percent in April-December period this fiscal, while Bajaj Auto’s sales grew by around 8.51 percent to touch 1,950,241 units in April-December compared to 1,797,351 units in same period last fiscal.

In the Scooter segment, the sales of Hero MotoCorp grew by 24.9 percent while TVS Motor sales grew by 21.48 percent.

Hero MotoCorp reported its best sales for December at 525,150 units, registering a jump of 7.42 percent over the same month last year. Bajaj Auto witnessed 2.43 percent growth in its December sales at 169,485 units against the same month in the previous fiscal.

TVS Motor Company reported total domestic two-wheeler sales of 146,747 units in December 2011 registering a decline of 1.75 percent. Honda Motorcycles India registered the highest growth in domestic two-wheelers sales at around 38.22 percent to touch 179,863 units in December this year.

92.45%

M&M 2W

118,001

106,429

SMIL

163,298

195,262

TVS

317,488

385,675

1,504,171

1,842,665

-9.81% 19.57%

M&HCVs (PC+GC)

86.92% -2.28%

OEMs

2010-11

2011-12

ALL

56,119

54,556

AMW

4,644

7,329

Total

-2.79%

21.48% 22.50%

57.82%

UV OEMs

2010-11

JCBL

2011-12

-

1

103

85

Motorcycles/StepThroughs

-

858.20% BMW

256

Daimler*

2,453

Force

2,338

3,211

Ford

2,124

1,985

GM

14,979

17,315

37.34%

M&M

0

0

MNAL

634

1,932

Swaraj

5,451

5,760

Tata

134,670

147,370

VECV - Eicher

20,887

26,572

OEMs

-17.48% - 0.00%

BAL

2010-11

2011-12

1,797,351

1,950,241

0

424

3,604,308

4,238,702

204.73%

HM

1,962

1,532

HSCI

397

211

HMIL

210

1,198

ICML

565

368

M&M

122,527

143,632

MSIL

4,698

4,534

-6.54% 15.60% -21.92% -46.85% 470.48% -34.87%

Merc

197

403

Nissan

343

191

Renault Skoda Tata TKM

-

1,300

28,442

31,123 45,697

Audi

687

1,062

VW

3

6

227,640

256,485

Total

2010-11 139

137

M&M

66

18381

118,729

105,881

Tata

37,657

44,282

156,591

168,681

Total

27.22%

806

510

Volvo Buses

402

488

223,716

9.34%

244,603

498,119

553,693

IYM

206,404

272,328

M&M 2W 21.39%

RE

8.51% -

HMSI

17.60% 11.16% 31.94% -_

38,458

44.07%

55,407

SMIL

33,630

37,382

TVS

471,360

473,186

Total 6,649,630

7,581,363

11.16% 0.39% 14.01%

3-Wheelers (PC+GC)

220.20% 9.43% -3.81% 54.59% 100.00%

OEMs

2010-11

2011-12

Atul

13,313

19,326

Bajaj

150,503

149,742

45.17%

OEMs

137

9

M&M

44,471

51,114

Piaggio

148,096

140,616

Scooters

9,539

12,325

TVS

17,296

9,969

Total

383,355

383,101

2010-11

2011-12 9.69%

-0.51 TVS

-93.43% Force

Mopeds/Electric

14.94%

519,636

Electrotherm*

570,003

NA

- 0.00% 9.69%

12.67% -5.05%

Total

519,636

570,003

29.21% -42.36%

* Data not available since August 2008 onwards

-1.44% -10.82%

Maruti

9.43%

-44.31%

2011-12

Force

HML

104.57%

MPV OEMs

5.67%

-36.72%

VECV - Volvo

Total

-3.49%

264

406

47,506

17.22%

HDMC

17.59% 21.06%

-0.07%

Auto Monitor

58

1 - 15 FEBRUARY 2012

G L O B A L WAT C H

Nissan launches world’s first self-healing iPhone case

N

issan announced the latestpieceofmust-have kit for the iPhone—a ground-breaking innovation of a self-healing iPhone case recently. The Nissan Scratch Shield iPhone case features the brand’s pioneering self-healing paint finish; a world first in paint technology developed in 2005 and already used on a number of Nissan and Infiniti models. This ground-breaking technology has been applied to a product that’s prone to scratches through everyday use—the smartphone—with Nissan’s new Scratch Shield case meaning iPhone-lovers can keep their phone looking at its best for longer.

Developed by Nissan in collaboration with University of Tokyo and Advanced Softmaterials, the unique scratch shield paint fi nish

was initially designed for automotive use and is available on the Nissan Murano, 370Z and X-Trail along with the Infi niti range of products. This technology is being trialled for the fi rst time on a non-automotive product in Europe, with the Nissan scratch shield iPhone case.

The Nissan scratch shield iPhone case has been designed using several automotive engineering innovations to deliver a more durable and long-lasting paint coat, and closely fitting, tight case. The case has three key benefits: the

highly flexible and elastic properties of Scratch Shield paint technology allows fi ne scratches to quickly mend themselves; its tactile gel-like rather than glossy surface is more scratch-resistant than conventional paint and provides a better grip; and the case itself is made of ABS plastic—a high grade substance widely used in the automotive industry which is more rigid and robust than other plastics. The outer ‘paint’ is made from polyrotaxane, which means that when damage occurs to the coating in the form of a fi ne scratch, the chemical structure is able to react to change back to its original shape and fi ll the gap— ’healing’ the blemish.

An initial batch of prototypes of the innovative Scratch Shield iPhone cases has been produced

by Nissan for beta testing with

selected journalists and customers, but if demand proves strong, it will look to put the cases on general sale later this year.

Overseas Programme Director Business Development for Nissan in Europe, Bob Laishley said, “We like to think laterally by taking the great innovations we’ve got from an automotive point of view, and looking at how they could be applied to improve everyday issues. The scratch shield iPhone case is a great example of us taking a Nissan automotive technology that has had a huge impact for our customers, and then shifting the boundaries to apply it to another everyday product.

“We’re really excited about the possibilities provided by this technology. In Japan, we’ve already linked up with worldleading mobile operator NTT DoCoMo to allow them to use the scratch shield technology on its style series N-03B mobile phones, and we think this technology has real scope beyond the automotive world. We’re passionate about innovations that get people excited, and that means not being restricted to one industry or genre.”

Nissan has been licensing its unique technologies for various non-automotive applications since 2004. Other technologies that have been licensed include its miniature thermal imaging sensor: initially designed to make driving at night safer by detecting the presence of people even in places not illuminated by the car’s headlights; the technology has been licensed to create a device which allows customers to monitor heat generation, or collect temperature readings via infrared sensor. Nissan will continue to research and develop breakthrough technologies that can benefit other industries, and promote these non-automotive applications globally.

Nissan has long been an innovator when it comes to advancements in the automotive world, heralding the start of a remarkable new era in motoring when it launched the fi rst Crossover, the Nissan Murano, followed by the hugely-successful Qashqai and recently joined by the Juke—with its innovative fusion of compact SUV and sports car styling. Nissan’s range of crossovers has since gone from strength to strength, with the Nissan Qashqai selling more than a quarter of a million models last year in Europe and the newly launched Juke having now notched-up 120 thousand sales. Built in Nissan’s manufacturing plant in the UK, these two models helped the plant break its all-time production record to build 480 thousand units in 2011.

Currently the Nissan Juke-R, another Nissan Innovation combining the transmission, drive train and engine of a Nissan GT-R with a Juke, is being put to the test on the streets of Dubai.

To celebrate this event, Nissan has joined forces with Ministry of Sound, who will be hosting a pre-race party for Nissan with internationally renowned DJ Pete Tong, to release the fi rst 100 of the Nissan Scratch Shield iPhone case prototypes.

Note: The Nissan Scratch Shield iPhone case is compatible with the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4 S

Auto Monitor

1 - 15 FEBRUARY 2012

G L O B A L WAT C H

60

Aston Martin opens flagship showroom in Shanghai

A

fter significant investment and growth in China, Aston Martin continues its bold expansion, with the recent opening of the luxury British marque’s largest flagship showroom, in the Pudong district of Shanghai.

With space for up to eighteen new Aston Martins, the showroom offers a truly unique and comprehensive luxury experience including a café, lounge, Aston Martin merchandise display and sales area, fully equipped service centre, JaegerLeCoultre time-pieces and Bang & Olufsen audio/visual displays.

Opened in conjunction with existing Aston Martin dealer group, owned and managed by Zheng Ting, the new appointment marks the seventh dealership for Aston Martin in China and the

third for Zheng.

Asia Pacific Regional Director, Dr Matthew Bennett said, “We are excited with Aston Martins ongoing development and performance in China. This wonderful new dealership sets the benchmark for luxury car showrooms across Asia and the experience each and every visitor should expect.

“With our existing China network of experienced Aston Martin dealerships, further future growth earmarked across the coming year and a number of exciting product developments to be announced during 2012, our China business is expected to continue growing strongly.”

Aston Martin Shanghai has a stunning display of the company’s model line-up, carefully positioned as pieces of sculp-

ture presented in a gallery-style space, a world apart from conventional showrooms. From the breathtaking One-77 supercar to the powerful Vantage range, and new Virage to the exquisite DB9, DBS, four-door Rapide, and soon to be joined by the elegant yet brutal V12 Zagato recently confi rmed for strictly limited production.

After initially entering the China market in 2008, Aston Martin now has dealerships in Beijing, Chengdu, Hangzhou, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen. Showrooms will open shortly in Chongqing, Shenyang and Ordos with further expansion planned during 2012. The market will continue to spearhead the company’s future growth in Asia with sales in 2011 up 103 per cent on the previous year.

The Aston Martin on display in the Shanghai showroom

Mercedes-Benz owners make smart service planst

M

ore than 44,000 Service Care plans were taken out by Mercedes-Benz and smart car owners in 2011, highlighting that in spite of tough economic conditions in the UK, drivers still recognise the importance of keeping their vehicles well maintained.

Mercedes-Benz and smart Service Care is a budgeting plan to cover the costs of two, three or four consecutive services, and covers labour, parts and fluids cost for the manufacturer recommended service content.

Detail Of Spread Out of the 44,125 Service Care plans taken out last year, more than half (53 percent) were covering two consecutive services, with cover for the popular C-Class accounting for over 14,000 sales.

Almost 30 percent of Service Care plans were taken out with a new car purchase, with the remainder of plans for used cars or cars already in service.

Dedicated Vision Service Contracts Manager at Mercedes-Benz UK, James Ostridge, said, “We have worked hard to develop Service Care plans that provide real value for money for owners, with the fi xed monthly payment meaning they have real control over their servicing costs. To have over 44,000 customers take out a plan last year is a fantastic testament to their benefit.”

The Pricing Plans “Our Service Care plan pricing is simple to understand with a new and used monthly price for each model range, with no variation by body type or engine size, so a three year service plan paid monthly over three years would be the same for a new E200CDI Saloon or a new E350 Coupe.”

The range of Service Care plans was extended in 2011 to include new AMG vehicles, meaning that all Mercedes-Benz passenger cars and smart cars are available for cover. smart car plans start from £19.99 per month and A-Class plans start from £23.00 per month.

Auto Monitor

1 - 15 FEBRUARY 2012

G L O B A L WAT C H

62

British motorists consider walking more: Mondial Assistance survey

T

he fi ndings of a new survey from roadside assistance and warranty expert, Mondial Assistance UK, is giving the motor industry a reason to be cheerful amidst news of continued economic gloom. The report said that 42 percent of car owners

surveyed by Mondial Assistance said they had no intention of changing their motoring plans in 2012, although 35 percent said they may walk more and drive less to help save the pennies.

However, despite best intentions to be more frugal, only four percent of those motor-

ists surveyed said they were intending to invest in a used car warranty programme to protect themselves from unforeseen motoring expenses. Automotive Director for Mondial Assistance UK, Lee Taylor comments: “At a time when we all need to take a belt and braces approach to

Whilst the survey findings suggest that a good proportion of people want to cut back on their motoring miles, the majority of people are likely to carry on motoring in their usual fashion

managing our fi nances, motorists should seriously consider the value of a used car warranty.

“People may discount taking out a warranty because they think their car is too old or has too many miles on the clock, but the reality is that many manufacturers have extended the benefits of

their warranty schemes to cover such cars at extremely affordable prices. Indeed, many of these schemes can actually be paid for on a pay as you go basis. Owners can specify the level of cover they need, with variable claim excesses, providing true fi nancial flexibility.”

Car owners said that they had no intention of changing their motoring plans in 2012, although 35 percent said they may walk more and drive less to help save the pennies

Mondia l Assistance a lso believe that motorists should actively consider investing in a Service Plan which offers car owners an inflation proof solution to managing the cost of a vehicle’s scheduled maintenance.

“Service Plans are particularly important at a time when we are seeing prices for parts fluctuate, largely influenced by exchange rates,” continued Lee Taylor. “Consumers who buy into a manufacturer’s Service Plan now secure the cost of servicing for three years on average.

This also applies to labour rates which are often agreed below the retail rate, providing yet further long term savings for motorists.

“It’s encouraging to see that despite talk of ongoing economic gloom, many people are not making radical cutbacks to their day-to-day expenses. Whilst the survey fi ndings suggest that a good proportion of people want to cut back on their motoring miles, the majority of people are likely to carry on motoring in their usual fashion, which offers some reflection of consumer confidence, as well as being great news for the UK motor industry,” concluded Lee Taylor.

Mondial Assistance UK: A member of Allianz Global Assistance

I

n 2010, Mondial Assistance began its transition to become A llianz Global Assistance, which is the international leader in assistance, travel insurance and health, life & home care services. Today, Allianz Global Assistance counts more than 10,783 employees who speak 40 different languages and work throughout the world with a network of 400,000 service providers and 180 correspondents. About 250 million people, or four percent of the world’s total population, benefit from its services, which are provided on all fi ve continents. Mondial Assistance in the UK is to become Allianz Global Assistance by the end of 2012.

Auto Monitor

64

ADVERTISERSâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; LIST

1 - 15 FEBRUARY 2012

Pg No. ........Advertiser ...................................................................................Tel ..................................................E-mail ...................................................................... Website BC ..............Ace Designers Ltd .......................................................................+91-80-22186700 ..........................acedesigners@acemicromatic.com ......................... www.acedesigners.co.in 58 ..............ADEA Awards ..............................................................................+91-22-30034650 ..........................prachi.mutha@infomedia18.in ............................... www.adea.in 11 ...............Anand Automotive Ltd................................................................+91-11-26564542 ...........................arpita.bhatia@anandgroupindia.com..................... www.anandgroupindia.com 60 ..............ARO Equipments Pvt Ltd ............................................................+91-124-4585400 ..........................vmalik@aroequipments.com .................................. www.aroequipments.com 59...............ASP Sealing Products Ltd ............................................................+91-11-25729126 ...........................oem2@aspseals.com ............................................... www.aspseals.com 10...............Auroral Sinter Metals Co., Ltd. ....................................................+886-37-542-988 ...........................sh69032.tw@msa.hinet.net .................................... www.auroral-sinter.com.tw 37...............Autolite (India) Ltd ......................................................................+91-141-2333994 ........................... amg@autopal.com ................................................. www.autopal.com 30 ..............Baker Gauges India Ltd...............................................................+91-20-66093800 ..........................tsd@bakergauges.com ............................................ www.bakergauges.com 9 ................Bayer Materialscience Pvt Ltd ....................................................+91-22-25311234 ...........................ccdc.india@bayer.com ............................................ www.bayer.co.in 12...............Bony Polymers (P) Ltd.................................................................+91-129-2211701 ...........................bony@bonypolymers.com ...................................... www.bonypolymers.com 62 ..............Brassoforge.................................................................................+91-129-2472701 ...........................dheeraj@brassoforge.com ...................................... www.brassoforge.com 52 ..............Bright Autoplast Pvt. Ltd. ...........................................................+91-22-26124920 ............................................................................................................ www.brightautoplast.com 24...............Chem-Verse Consultats ...............................................................+91-22-24095503...........................sales@chemverse.com ............................................ www.chemverse.com 4 ................Coatec India................................................................................+91-160-2648700 ..........................info@coatecindia.com ............................................ www.coatecindia.com 38 ..............Dover India (P) Limited ...............................................................+91-44-26271020 ..........................surya@doverchennai.com ....................................... www.rotarylift.com 31...............Dynetek Cylinders India Pvt Ltd .................................................+91-22-32266868 ..........................write2us@dynetekindia.com................................... www.dynetek.com 18...............Ecocat India Pvt Ltd....................................................................+91-129-4266500 ..........................alok@ecocatindia.com ............................................ www.ecocat.com 23 ..............Electronica Hitech Machines Pvt Ltd ..........................................+91-20-30435400 ..........................marketing@electronicahitech.com ......................... www.electronicahitech.com 33...............Endurance Technologies Ltd .............................................................................................................................................................................................. www.endurancegroup.com 20 ..............Erwin Junker Maschinenfabrik Gmbh.........................................+91-20-260538 .............................. info@junker.in........................................................ http://www.junker.in 25 ..............Federal Mogul ............................................................................+91-124-4784530 ........................customercare.india@federalmogul.com ................. www.federalmogul.com 35...............Federn Fabrik .............................................................................+91-44-24952371 ..........................peganesh@vsnl.net 17...............Forging Machinery Manufacturing Co ........................................+91-161-5011755 ...........................info@nkhammers.com ............................................ www.nkhhammers.com 6 ................Fox Solutions ..............................................................................+91-253-6618100 ..........................sales@foxindia.net .................................................. www.foxindia.net 32...............Friendsco Engg Works (Regd) ......................................................+91-9810536591............................calibrata@calibrata.com ......................................... www.calibrata.com 51...............G W Precision Tools India Pvt Ltd ...............................................+91-80-40431252 ..........................info@gwindia.in ...................................................... www.gwindia.in 36 ..............Global Autotech Limited.............................................................+91-120-4141800...........................info@globalauto.co.in ............................................. www.globalauto.co.in 16...............Greaves Cotton Limited ..............................................................+91-22-24397575 ...........................rahul.rao@greavescotton.com ................................ www.greavescotton.com 50 ..............GS Auto International Ltd ...........................................................+91-161-2511001 ............................................................................................................ www.gsgroupindia.com BIC .............Guhring India Private Limited ....................................................+91-80-40322500..........................info@guhring.in ..................................................... www.guhring.in 65...............HAAS Automation India Pvt Ltd .................................................+91-22-66098830 ..........................indiasales@haascnc.com ........................................ www.haascnc.com 12...............IGUS India Pvt Ltd.......................................................................+91-80-39127800 ..........................info@igus.in ............................................................ www.igus.in 44 ..............Indian Machine Tool Mfg. Association........................................+91-80-66246600..........................imtma@imtma.in .................................................... www.imtma.in 64 ..............Ind-Sphinx Precision Ltd....................................................................................................................info@axis-microtools.com....................................... www.axis-microtools.com 27 ..............Inphynyt Accumulators India Pvt Ltd .........................................+91-9350328557............................gurpreetsingh@inphynyt.com ................................ www.inphynyt.com 61...............ITW India Ltd ..............................................................................+91-9560764455 ...........................sanjay.marwah@itwindia.com ................................ www.binkspce.eu 39...............Jostâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S Engineering Company Limited..........................................+91-20-25434350 ..........................marketing@josts.in ................................................. www.josts.com 21...............Jyoti Cnc Automation Pvt. Ltd. ...................................................+91-2827-287081 ..........................info@jyoti.co.in ....................................................... www.jyoti.co.in FIC..............Kamal Ced Solutions Llp .............................................................+91-9313137970 ............................enquiry@kamalcedsolution.com ............................ www.kamalenvirotechgroup.com 26...............Komax Automation India Pvt. Ltd. .............................................+91-124-4599100...........................info.dei@komaxgroup.com ..................................... www.komax.com 45...............Lanxess India Pvt.Ltd..................................................................+91-22-21729200...........................www.lanxess.in 22 ..............Larsen & Toubro Limited ............................................................+91-9967800456 ...........................SM.Haridas@larsentoubro.com ............................... www.larsentoubro.com 3 ................M And M Auto Indus Ltd .............................................................+91-124-4763200...........................corporate@mandmsprings.com.............................. www.mandmsprings.com 54-55 .........Madhusudan Auto Ltd ................................................................+91-124-4841900 ..........................contact@best-cables.com ....................................... www.bestprins.com 15...............Mathworks India Private Limited ...............................................+91-80-66326000..........................info@mathworks.in................................................. www.mathworks.in 47...............Mecolam Engineering Pvt Ltd ....................................................+91-80-25732919 ..........................info@mecolam.com ................................................ www.mecolam.com 29 ..............Metro Tyres Ltd ...........................................................................+91-120-4147414 1 ................Micromatic Machine Tools..........................................................+91-80-41492285 ..........................mmtblr@acemicromatic.com ................................. www.acemicromatic.com 70...............Misumi India Pvt. Ltd. ................................................................+91-20-66470000 ..........................sales@misumi.co.in ................................................. www.misumi.co.in 53 ..............MTE Industries Pvt Ltd................................................................+91-40-23777571 ..........................info@mteindustries.com ......................................... www.mteindustries.com 32...............MVD Auto Components Pvt Ltd ..................................................+91-11-26372965 ...........................bhatnagar@mvdindia.com...................................... www.mvdindia.com 63 ..............Nagata India Pvt Ltd...................................................................+91-124-4369592 ...........................prao@nagata.co.in .................................................. www.nagataindia.com 48 ..............Napino Auto & Electronics Ltd. ..................................................+91 124 2290050...........................info@napino.com .................................................... www.napino.com 13...............National Engineering Industries Ltd................................................................................................................................................................................... www.nbcbearings.in 57 ..............Oetiker India Pvt Ltd ..................................................................+91-2192-250107 ...........................akeswani@oetiker.com ........................................... www.oetiker.com 49...............Pacco Industrial Corporation .....................................................+91-11-26819054 ...........................pacco@vsnl.com...................................................... www.paccoindia.com 67 ..............Padmini VNA Mechatronics Pvt. Ltd...........................................+91-124-3207398 ...........................sales@padminiengg.com ........................................ www.padminivna.com 7 ................Safexpress Private Limited .........................................................+1800-113-113 ...............................suyash.srivastava@safexpress.com ......................... www.safexpress.com 34 ..............Sellowrap Manufacturing Pvt Ltd ...............................................+91-22-66750560 ..........................contact@sellowrap.com .......................................... www.sellowrap.com 41...............Siemens Ltd ................................................................................+91-22-27645006 ........................................................................................................... www.siemens.com/automotive-excellence 10...............Sreelakshmi Traders ...................................................................+91-44-24343343 ..........................sreelakshmitraders@gmail.com.............................. www.sreelakshmitraders.com 46 ..............Synergies Castings Ltd ................................................................+91-891-2587181 ..........................info@synergies-india.com....................................... www.synergies-casting.com 43,69 ..........Tata Motors Ltd...........................................................................+91-22-66561866 ..........................charu.gulati@tatamotors.com ................................ www.tatamotors.com 28 ..............Techno Spring Industries ............................................................+91-129-4024488 ..........................vikastantia@technospringindia.com....................... www.technospringindia.com 19...............The Supreme Industries Limited ................................................+91-9892569003 ...........................protec@supreme.co.in ............................................ www.supreme.co.in 8 ................Time Technoplast Ltd .................................................................+91-22- 42119500 ..........................3sautocomponent@gmail.com ............................... www.timetechnoplast.com 62 ..............Tkw Fasteners Pvt Ltd.................................................................+91-124-4081711 ...........................tarun@tkwfasteners.com ........................................ www.tkwfasteners.com 42...............Yaskawa Robotics India Ltd ........................................................+91-124-4758500 ..........................simranjeetsingh@motoman.co.in ........................... www.motoman.com Q Our consistent advertisers

Auto Monitor

66

PRODUCT INDEX

1 - 15 FEBRUARY 2012

Products .......................................................... Pg. No.

Products .......................................................... Pg. No.

Products .......................................................... Pg. No.

5 axis machining centres ............................................65

Connecting rod...........................................................62

Modular tooling system .............................................BIC

Acc. Padel sensor assy ................................................67

Connector ...................................................................12

Non-cylindrical grinding machine .............................20

ADEA awards ..............................................................58

Copper ........................................................................62

Nuts ............................................................................50

Advanced auto crimping ............................................26

Countersink ................................................................BIC

Paint circulation equipment ......................................61

Aitconditioning equipment ........................................60

Customised rotary tool...............................................64

Piston .........................................................................25

Aluminium alloy wheels .............................................46

Cutting machine .........................................................4

Plant information display system ..............................6

Aluminum ..................................................................62

Cutting tool grinding machine ...................................20

Plastic injection moulding .........................................54

Auto component ........................................................37

Cylindrical grinder ......................................................1

Plastic moulded product............................................59

Auto light and head lamp ..........................................37

Cylindrical grinding machine .....................................20

Polycarbonate ............................................................9

Auto part ....................................................................50

De-aeration tanks (dat) ..............................................8

Polyspace ...................................................................15

Automation ................................................................4

Decorative plastic” .....................................................46

Polyurethane..............................................................9

Automotive battery ....................................................27

Diamond tool .............................................................BIC

Powder matallergy product .......................................10

Automotive component .............................................11 ,32,36

Diesel engines (10-1000hp) ........................................16

Power chucking cylinder ............................................1

Automotive hose ........................................................59

Diesel fuel injection pump test bench .......................32

Power tiller .................................................................16

Automotive wire harness ...........................................48

Diesel/kerosene engines. Power sprayer....................16

Powertrain gauging ....................................................30

Axle ............................................................................50

Double disc grinding machine ...................................20

Precision engineering casting ....................................46

Bearing .......................................................................12

Drilling tool ................................................................BIC

Profile/flute grinding machine ...................................20

Belt and roller ............................................................26

E-coatings solution.....................................................FIC

Protective packaging and cushioning solution ..........19

Bicycle components & assemblies .............................62

Egr valve .....................................................................67

Pumpsets and power reaper ......................................16

Billet shearing machine .............................................17

Electrical checkout system .........................................6

Pvc valve ....................................................................49

Blow film & plastic molded component ....................34

Electronic control unit ...............................................67

Rack rolling die ..........................................................53

Bolt.............................................................................50

Extension spring .........................................................3, 28

Rack type spline rolling machine ...............................53

Brass ...........................................................................62

Exterior trim ...............................................................52

Reamer .......................................................................BIC

Building automation ..................................................4

Factory automation....................................................4

Rear axle ....................................................................50

Bus .............................................................................43,69

Fastener......................................................................62

Resistor assembly .......................................................48

C frame power press ..................................................17

Fibre glass automobile ...............................................47

Robotic .......................................................................42

Cable carrier ...............................................................12

Forged ........................................................................62

Rotary table and indexer ...........................................65

Cable connector .........................................................12

Forging press ..............................................................17

Rubber moulded product ..........................................12

Cam shaft holder........................................................62

Friction drop hammer................................................17

Rubber to metal bonded product ..............................12

Capacitors discharge ignitor.......................................48

Friction screw press ...................................................17

Self adhesive tape ......................................................10

Ced/ktl coating ...........................................................FIC

Front axle ...................................................................50

Sheet metal solution ..................................................63

Cellular foam product ................................................34

Fuel pump and its kit .................................................49

Silicon carbide based particulate filter ......................18

Centerless grinding machine ......................................20

Fuel rail ......................................................................49

Simulink .....................................................................15

Centralized asset and maintenance management system ....6

Fuel sediment bowl....................................................49

Solid carbide drill .......................................................51

Chain ..........................................................................12

Gear shift lever ...........................................................54

Solid carbide drills with ic ..........................................51

Clamp .........................................................................57

General engineering...................................................62

Solid carbide mills......................................................51

CNC .............................................................................21

Gun drill .....................................................................BIC

Solid carbide reamer ..................................................51

CNC cutting machine ..................................................4

H frame power press ..................................................17

Solid carbide reamers with ic.....................................51

CNC hmcs ...................................................................21

Haas CNC control & system ........................................65

Solid carbide special drill ...........................................51

CNC laser cutting machine .........................................4

Hammer .....................................................................17

Solid carbide special mill ...........................................51

CNC lathe ....................................................................BC

High productivity solution .........................................65

Solid carbide special reamer......................................51

CNC lathe ....................................................................1

High-speed grinding machine ....................................20

Spares for cng and lpg kit...........................................49

CNC machines ............................................................21

Horizontal CNC machine ............................................21

Speciality chemical ....................................................24 ,45

CNC oval turning center .............................................21

Horizontal machining center .....................................21 ,65

Spline rolling machines ..............................................53

CNC oxy fuel cutting machine ....................................4

Hoses for automotive industry...................................12

Spring .........................................................................35

CNC plasma cutting machine .....................................4

Hvac part....................................................................62

Stainless steel gear part .............................................10

CNC turn mill center ...................................................21

Hydrogen & cng bulk transport and storage system .......31

Synthetic lubricant .....................................................24

CNC turning center .....................................................21 ,65, BC

Imaging & vision system ............................................4

Tap..............................................................................BIC

CNC vertical machining center ...................................21

Incremental rolling die ..............................................53

Thread rolling machines ............................................53

Coating machine ........................................................4

Industrial aerosol .......................................................24

Throttle body assembly..............................................49

Coating plant ..............................................................4

Instrument panel .......................................................52

Torsion spring ............................................................3 , 28

Coating raw material ..................................................9

Intelligent automated guided vehicle ........................6

Tpu – thermoplastic polyurethane ............................9

Coating system ...........................................................4

Interior .......................................................................52

Transmission gear ......................................................10

Cockpit system ...........................................................52

Lean selection standard machine ..............................20

Trims & pillar..............................................................52

Coil spring ..................................................................70

Lift ..............................................................................38

Tubeless tyre ..............................................................29

Combination switch ...................................................48

Lifting equipment ......................................................60

Tungsten carbide metal cutting tool ..........................22

Commercial vehicles ..................................................43 ,69

Light weight cylinder..................................................31

Turret .........................................................................1

Compaction & concreting equipment ........................16

Lightweight diesel engines for automotive applications........16

Tyre care equipment ..................................................60

Compression spring....................................................3

Lightweight petrol......................................................16

Tyre pressure monitoring system ...............................6

Compression spring....................................................28

Logistics service..........................................................7

Ultra micro drill .........................................................64

Manufacturing execution system ...............................6

Vaccum pump ............................................................67

Matlab ........................................................................15

Ventilator ...................................................................10

Mechanical control cable ...........................................54

Vertical line series ......................................................21

Looking for a Supplier?

Metal cutting tool.......................................................51

Vertical machining center ..........................................1 , 65

We will make your search simple. Just type AM (space) Segment of the Supplier and send it to 51818.

Micro ball nose...........................................................64

Vmc/hmc machine .....................................................23

Micro drill ...................................................................64

Vmc-linear series ........................................................21

Micro end mill ............................................................64

Windshield rubber .....................................................59

Milling cutter ..............................................................BIC

Wire form ...................................................................3 ,28

eg. AM (space) Castings and send it to 51818.

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

PADMINI VNA MECHATRONICS PVT. LTD.

PADMINI VNA

Regd. Office : 5, Padmini Enclave, Haus Khas, New Delhi -110016 Factory : Jal Vihar, Basai - Garhi Road, Dhankot, Distt. Gurgaon, Haryana (India) Ph.: +91-124-3207398/99 Mobile : +91 9818610607, +91 9810384215 E-mail : sales@padminiengg.com, Website : www.padminivna.com

Auto Monitor

68

THE OTHER SIDE

Getting Personal with S Ravishankar, MD, Komet Precision Tools India If not in the industry, where would you be?

Perhaps a lawyer, as my father was a lawyer and I would have continued the tradition What car do you drive? What do you dream of driving?

Currently Volkswagen Passat. I would love to drive a Porsche 911 Carrera GTS Cabriolet, though not on Indian roads where I don’t even realise the full potential of the Passat’s two-litre diesel engine

Your most recent indulgence…

A Sony HDR Camcorder that I purchased during visit to Malaysia. The cover box got exchanged and when I tried to register online for the service there was a mismatch and for a day I was worried that I was cheated with a duplicate product. The next day I went back to the shop and got the issue sorted out

What are you currently reading?

The ‘Autobiography of Steve Jobs’. I was impressed with his words that he doesn’t want to be driven by or be a slave to money.

What are you doing when not talking about the industry?

Spending time with family, reading and some times cooking

Outdoor activity you would miss office for…

I am not an outdoor guy and I would not miss office

Where did you go for your last holiday?

Though I would have travelled more than a hundred times to Delhi in the last 10-12 years, I have never had a chance to visit the TajMahal. However, in my last holiday, I did visit the Taj and it was really an experience to see it. I toured Delhi, Jaipur, Agra, Haridwar and Uttranchal along with my family

You get angry when…

When people come up with excuses or start blaming others

What is the one thing you would like to change about you?

I would like to take time off for holidays

Best thing to have happened to you…

Illustration: Sachin Pandit

My marriage / my wife

1 - 15 FEBRUARY 2012

In Person S Ravishankar graduated as a BE (Mechanical) from Visvesvaray Regional College of Engineering, Nagpur. He is also an MS in Systems and Information, Birla Institute of Technology & Sciences, Pilani. He pursued a diploma course in Management from IGNOU Delhi. He started as graduate trainee engineer, and worked in the areas of CAD, gn and developCAM, CNC machines, and design ment of Precision cutting tools.

The BITS Pilani graduate was initially associated with Asea Brown Boveri, Baroda as a Manager of Manufacturing and was responsible for setting up a large machine urbines shop for manufacturing of turbines and generators. naging Presently, he is the Managing MNC, Komet Director in Germa n Precision Tools India and is engaged arted the Indian in Precision cutting tools. He started operations for the German MNC and setup the sales manufacturing and export activities. He is responsible for g. all strategic decisions reg.

Indian operations.

Ravishankar is married with two children. He occasionally also enjoys playing at the Komet inter-company cricket matches. He has traveled widely across Europe, USA, far East and China.

An experience I won’t forget…

Recently I had to get some fabrication work done in my house. I entrusted this work to a fabrication shop nearby. The owner of the fabrication shop is not technically educated or qualified but learnt his skills and risen through his hardwork. The workers arrived at my house at 6.30 am in the morning and started the work. I was really astonished to see them starting their work so early and when I came back from my morning walk I saw the owner of the fabrication shop came with a flask and was serving hot tea to his workers.

This act thoroughly moved me. This shows us the lesson of caring and retaining the people which is not taught in a management school but practised by a small entrepreneur.

Regn. No. MH/MR/WEST/20/2012-2014. RNI No. MAHENG/2000/11414 Licenced to post at Mumbai patrika channel sorting office G.P.O. Mumbai 400 001.

Date Of Mailing: 1st & 2nd Fortnightly Issue. Date Of Publication: 28th of Every Month

72