Auto Monitor - 15 April 2013

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. 13 No. 12

www.a m onli ne.i n

15 April 2013

INTERVIEW

Sizing up demand

Reaching nooks

Nitin Seth, ED, LCV Sales & Mktg, Ashok Leyland

Pg 08

Sahil Sani, Director, Sahil Intl

Honda dares to Amaze Honda launches the Amaze with its first diesel engine in India and on paper, the car looks like it is going to trounce competition Nabeel A Khan Anand Mohan

F

or a company that has traditionally been manufacturing petrol powered cars in the Indian market, Honda Cars India Ltd (HCIL) has stormed into the entry-level sub-4 metre sedan space with the Amaze. The bigger news is, the Amaze is equipped with a 1.5-litre i-DTEC diesel engine and offers 100ps of power with a claimed fuel efficiency of 25.8kmpl.

The first diesel engine car from the Japanese manufacturer signifies that HCIL has thrown down the gauntlet signaling a major shift in strategy. Honda was the only mainstream manufacturer without a diesel motor in its line-up and that hampered the manufacturer in recent years due to rapid dieselization in the auto industry, declining 8.5 percent in FY12. Due to the launch of the Brio, the company’s most affordable car in India, sales bounced back in FY13, when it grew 35 percent to 73,483 units, even as

24 Pages

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INTERVIEW

overall car sales in India declined.

Honda is now pushing the envelope further with the Amaze, arguably its most important car in India. At first glance, and possibly a closer look, Honda seems to have evenly matched its closest rivals on the main parameters such as looks, pricing, and performance.

In terms of pricing, the diesel Amaze will range from `5.99 - 7.60 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi),

Contd. on Pg 15

L to R - Raman Kumar Sharma, Sr. VP and Director, Corporate Affairs; Hironori Kanayama, President and CEO; Shigeru Yamazaki, Sr. VP and Director, Mktg & Sales; and Jnaneshwar Sen, Sr. VP, Mktg & Sales, HCIL at the Amaze launch in Mumbai.

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Pg 12

Fiat makes the move Beleaguered Fiat India has lined up fresh plans and strategies to keep its operations kicking Anand Mohan Mumbai

F

or a company known for its small cars, Fiat didn’t quite find its footing in India for years, a market that craves for compact and economical cars. After realizing that the Indian operations are going nowhere for such a capable brand with its partnership with Tata Motors, Fiat decided to take the bold step last year when it ended its distribution agreement with the Indian carmaker and that move couldn’t have come at a better time.

Tata Motors has had one of

the worst years in their history, and that would have further affected Fiat as the Punto and the Linea, the only two cars in Fiat India’s line-up, were getting step-brotherly treatment at FiatTata showrooms. With pressure to increase sales of Tata products, the Fiat brand was being neglected.

Being a fringe player and being known only as an engine manufacturer wasn’t something Fiat was satisfied with. The company didn’t want to merely sell more cars in India, it wanted to build its image as a dependable...

Contd. on Pg 10

Nagesh Basavanhalli and Enrico Atanasio at the Fiat press conference in Mumbai.

Volvo to launch new S60, XC60, S80 in Sept V40 Cross Country to debut in June Nabeel A. Khan New Delhi

V

olvo Auto India will have at least four new launches this year.

The new launches will include some face-lifts, a refresh of existing models, and the debut of the V40 Cross Country. Tomas Ernberg, Managing Director, said, “We would be introducing a fifth model that would be the V40 Cross Country by June this year.”

Currently Volvo has four models with different engine variants in India.

The car would be in direct competition to the BMW X1 and the Swedish car maker plans to price it at approximately `28 lakhs (ex-showroom), slightly lower than its German rival. “We would like to price it slightly below the BMW X1, while we will also introduce lots of technological features which would be the first time in the segment,” Tomas said. The car will be equipped with ‘City Safety’, an automatic parking assist, among many other new features. The City Safety option allows automatic stopping if the car is at a

slow speed and the driver fails to brake. The V40 will have a 2L diesel engine and a 1.6L petrol engine. In September this year the company will be launching a new S60, XC60, and an updated version of the S80. All these cars will have a new exterior and additional features. The new S60 will have a digital dashboard with TFT screen.

The carmaker hopes to increase its sales this year to 1100 units from 820 units last fiscal (ending March 2013), while it expects to break the 2000-unit barrier in the next two years. “By 2020 we expect India to feature...

Contd. on Pg 15

Jeev Milkha Singh, Volvo India’s brand ambassador.

Contd. on Pg 12

EDITORIAL A flair for passion

F

or the last few weeks, we have been hearing nothing in the automobile world in India, but the launch of the Honda Amaze. We heard several eulogies from those who were waiting for a new car from the Honda stable and something that would beat the standing of the Dzire.

And finally it is here. It has not disappointed. The company is offering four grades in petrol and diesel variants. Most exciting is the engine. Finally, Honda Cars India Ltd (HCIL) has a car with a diesel mill. And many more of its current models may soon come equipped with the same in the future.

Honda is claiming that this car will be a game changer.

That only time will tell. However, in current market conditions where manufacturers are trying to push their diesel sedans and meeting little success, we are not sure of the numbers that Honda will see in the very near future. Moreover, the company’s super confidence of being unable to meet a contingency plan in case demand surpasses supply does raise eyebrows. I am not saying that Honda Amaze will not see numbers. But will it truly capture the hearts of the Indian buyers?

In another news TVS Motor has tied up with BMW Motorrad to make bikes ranging from 250-500 cc. The name itself should give TVS Motor some leverage. While the agreement is mainly confined to developing and manufacturing, both the companies will sell the bikes independently. BMW, on its part, will have to ramp up dealerships to give it an edge. Currently, the company has only two dealers at present.

This may be good news for bike lovers who were waiting for a higher range of bikes. And BMW gives it that name and flair.

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QUOTES Karl Slym, Tata Motors, Managing Director

Steve Girsky, Adam Opel AG board chairman

‘This fiscal we will be growing, and Tata Motors’ overall vehicle sales will be on positive side. We are expecting a single digit growth in 2013-14’.

“Opel is on the way to the biggest turnaround in the history of the European auto industry.”

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CONTENTS CORPORATE Automobile M2M gaining momentum in India

10

Vodafone India eyeing automotive sector for machine to machine (M2M) communication services in order to get a step closer to ‘connected car’ objective

10

Denso to Exhibit at Auto Shanghai 2013

17

Denso will exhibit technologies that focus on improving fuel efficiency, reducing emissions, and helping improve occupant and pedestrian safety at the upcoming Auto Shanghai.

Hindustan Motors inks alliance with IndusInd Bank

17

Hindustan Motors Ltd. (HM) has signed a deal with IndusInd Bank to provide easy and trouble-free financing facilities to its customers across the country.

Tata opens dealership in Myanmar

20

Tata Motors launches first fully integrated 3-S Dealership in Yangon, Myanmar, with partner Apex Greatest Industrial Co.

Leaving no ‘quarter’

20

10

TVS and BMW Motorrad sign co-operation agreement to build 250-500cc motorcycles.

Equipment for mass manufacturing of carbon parts

14

Schuler presents economic solutions at JEC trade show / RTM presses offer short cycle times and high part quality.

14

THE OTHER SIDE

Two-wheeler growth levels likely to moderate CARE Research pointed out the two wheeler sales growth remained around four percent during the April-February period of FY13 with occasional spurts.

16

KN Gupta, Chief Operating Officer, Padmini VNA Mechatronics

KN Gupta has over three decades of experience in the auto industry and manages the operations of the plant, diversification, greenfield projects and business development at Padmini VNA Mechatronics.

22

Auto Monitor

15 APRIL 2013

INTERVIEW

8

Banks should not be ‘over cautious’ in loan disbursal Ashok Leyland has made deep in roads into the light commercial vehicle space with Dost, a key product from its JV with Japanese major Nissan. In an interaction with Auto Monitor, Nitin Seth, Executive Director, LCV Sales and Marketing and Defence Business, Ashok Leyland, discusses the peculiarities of the LCV business and future plans.

Banks and finance companies have been extremely risk averse leading to a situation where first time buyers, the core customers for small CVs, are finding it very difficult to buy a vehicle and start a business.

Abhishek Parekh Mumbai What is your outlook on the Light Commercial Vehicle (LCV) segment in the near to medium term?

The growth in the LCV segment is sustainable and likely to continue in the coming months mainly led by Small Commercial Vehicle (SCV) sales. There is a significant demand in the FMCG and other sectors to cover the final leg of reaching out to end customers and hence the demand for LCV is unlikely to taper off.

What is your distribution strategy and are you planning any new initiatives?

We have already established around 50 dealers and 100 touch points across 12 states in which we sell our LCV Dost and we are looking to double this network in coming months. We are fortunate to have a most capable set of dealers in the business, and that has helped us meet the demand for high powered LCVs. But we feel there is much more pent-up demand for LCVs that needs to be addressed across goods trans-

portation and passenger carrier segment.

Could you elaborate on what could be done to further grow the market?

There is pent-up demand for small sized commercial vehicles and we are yet to address this demand. Banks and finance companies have been extremely risk averse leading to a situation where first time buyers, the core customer segment for small commercial vehicles, are finding it very difficult to buy a vehicle and start a business. The growth of LCV segment could have been higher if banks were not overly cautious and credit was more forthcoming. We are working with banks and finance companies to understand any role that we could play in removing bottlenecks to cater to creditworthy and deserving customers.

In terms of distribution network, we are looking to enrol quality dealers who have good understanding of local conditions and can help in communicating the benefits of our product technology to customers. We can only grow if we help our customers to prosper.

Could you elaborate on plans for new products?

Our objective is to have a presence across segments with different models and variants.

We will gradually introduce models with advanced technologies and user-friendly features up to six tonnes (JV partner Ashok Leyland’s range starts from seven tonnes). We are looking to capture customers who are looking to upgrade from a very basic four-wheeled commercial vehicle and in need for more power, as well as first time small commercial vehicle buyers. We would broadly have three major platforms that would cater to a variety of customer needs and requirements. We are looking to launch a passenger carrier variant of Dost christened ‘Style’ and are also looking to develop a light commercial vehicle in 3.5 to six tonne capacity range that would cater to specific applications and needs. We have the capacity to manufacture around 50,000 units at our Hosur facility on a two shift basis and we might exhaust this capacity sooner than expected as the Dost is yet to be available on a nationwide basis.

What are the expectations of customers from you and how are you looking to meet such expectations?

Entrepreneurs and small time transporters form our core customer group. They expect a friendly and hassle-free experience at the dealerships.

Additionally, we have to ensure that there is pan-India service backup as our customers would be badly hit by downtime of even a few hours. Most importantly, vehicle financing needs to be available across all touchpoints and beyond with quick loan disbursal. We are increasingly witnessing a trend of light commercial vehicles being deployed instead of heavy tonnage commercial vehicle for even inter-city goods movement due to favourable economics. This is leading to additional demand for light commercial vehicles. We are looking to beef up our sales and service capabilities before we make the Dost available on a nationwide basis. We have top dealers on our panel with long experience and passion for automotive retailing and we are looking to capitalise on our distribution base for further expansion of our network.

Auto Monitor

15 APRIL 2013

NEWS

10

Automobile M2M arrives in India Vodafone eyeing automotive sector for machine to machine (M2M) communication services.

Abhishek Parekh Mumbai

V

odafone is eyeing an increase in revenues by providing machine to machine (M2M) communications services to the automotive sector in addition to location-based services and utility services.

“We are looking to a mutua lly benef icia l partnership w ith vehicle manufacturers that could be expanded and emulated in order to get to the next stage of car to car communication and services available to customers,” said Naveen Chopra, Director, Vodafone Business Services, Vodafone India Ltd. He was

talking on the sidelines of an event organised to announce partnership w ith Mahindra Reva Electric Vehicles enabling Vodafone to provide M2M communication services to power the recently launched electric vehicle, Mahindra e2o.

The e2o which has just been launched in India is a truly ‘smart car’ and among a select few in the world to support telematics. Using their smart phones or any internet-connected computer, e2o owners can know the state of charge in the battery of their car and how far they can travel with the available charge, remotely control its air-conditioning, lock or unlock the car doors, find the nearest charging station and receive alerts.

“Vodafone is renowned glob-

ally for being a specialist in M2M solutions and a market leader in telematics. Our secure telematics connectivity offering, best in class M2M service platform, and a superior network which has been tailor-made to suit unique aspects of Mahindra Reva’s product and industry processes,” said Chopra.

According to Chopra, automobiles have remained relatively untouched by the rapid advancements in communication and information technologies. This partnership, involving a telecom service provider and an automaker, ushers futuristic technology into the Indian market. Vodafone’s M2M communication technologies enable secure connectivity between the vehicle and the central application powered by the M2M service platform.

Naveen Chopra, Director, Vodafone Business Services, Vodafone India with Chetan Maini, Chief of Strategy & Technology, Mahindra Reva Electric Vehicles.

Leaving no ‘quarter’ TVS and BMW Motorrad sign co-operation agreement to build 250-500cc motorcycles.

Anand Mohan Mumbai

T

VS has motorcycles under 200cc and BMW Motorrad over 600cc.

There’s a gap to fill there, and the bikes in this segment demand the best of both worlds – power and efficiency, but at an affordable cost. Thus the two companies have come together to fill the gap with a co-operation agreement. The agreement brings into play TVS’ frugal engineering and manufacturing skills and BMW’s technical expertise at building performance motorcycles.

Synergising strategies have been quite generously adopted by the automotive industry. The

The only large motorcycle maker in India capable of complimenting BMW’s capabilities with its own turned out to be TVS.

idea is that if you sell the same product under different brands with minor tweaks to give them separate identities, the product wins a wider reach at a fraction of the cost of developing another all-new model. Another advantage is division of skill sets during product development.

BMW’s smallest capacity motorcycle at the moment is the 650GS. The worldwide market for such large capacity motorcycles is shrinking. BMW motorcycles have always been priced on the expensive side so it was important for BMW to find a way to make motorcycles with lower input costs to enter the sub500cc segment. The only large motorcycle manufacturer in India capable of complimenting BMW’s capabilities with its own turned out to be TVS. Speaking about the benefits of the agreement, Venu Srinivasan, chairman of TVS Motor said, “We are certainly pleased at TVS as this gives us the ability to produce products above 250cc that we do not make today.” Noticing the increasing popularity of motorcycles over 200cc in India,

Fiat makes...

Contd. from Pg 1 ...brand that is committed to the Indian market. Nagesh Basavanhalli, President and Managing Director, Fiat Chrysler India Operations, said, “The Fiat brand is at a position where we feel we have a very good emotional connect with the customers, and that can be leveraged to take us to the next level.”

While we saw the first sign of promise in December 2012 when Jeep President and CEO Mike Manley visited India to announce the entry of the Jeep brand in India, plans were already in place for a high impact couple of years with more than just the

Jeeps. Feedback from customers and industry analysts about Fiat has been loud and clear: owning a Fiat isn’t a hassle-free experience. A Fiat purist may not mind that, but for a larger customer base, ownership has to be as stress-free. Fiat had announced a huge product portfolio for the coming years but they knew right from the beginning that in order to have a good shot at sales, after sales service had to be considerably better.

To ensure this, Fiat has announced a comprehensive service package that includes a 3-year/1 lakh km manufacturer

TVS Racing began developing a 250cc motorcycle that company sources tell us will be launched by the end of this financial year.

With BMW entering the picture, expect further development to be carried out in Berlin if the prototype results in the first

joint product from the co-op.

Company officials say that a new model from the co-op is at least 18 months away, but if the already in-the-works 250cc motorcycle is up to BMW standards, expect a quicker launch date.

“These products will be man-

ufactured by us in India with two different styles, features and specifications, one for BMW for sale throughout the world and one for TVS,” added Srinivasan about the production plans. The agreement is only for developing and producing motorcycles though. It is up to the individual companies to market and sell the motorcycles on their own. This means that you will not be able to buy a BMW from a TVS dealer and vice versa. In India, BMW has only two dealers at the moment.

Ignoring the Indian market isn’t an option now and although production will begin in India, BMW will have to develop a larger sales network to do justice to the production. Stephan Schaller, President BMW Motorrad said, “In view of changing motorcycle markets, demographic developments, and increasing environmental demands we are expanding our product range so as to tap into fresh growth potential.” He further added, “In future we will be able to offer vehicles in smaller capacity classes in addition to the BMW Motorrad core segments.”

warranty that can be extended to 5 years and 24/7 roadside assistance. They also plans mobile service vans as well. Since procuring parts for Fiat vehicles is time consuming, Fiat has set up a warehouse capable of stocking up to 6,000 different parts. The company had a 0.7 percent market share in 2011, which dropped further in 2012 after almost nine months of no sales. In the transition phase, Fiat was setting things right backstage hiring skilled sales, marketing, IT and logistics personnel. The Italian manufacturer then set up the National Sales Company (NSC) as an independent entity within the Fiat Chrysler India operations.

Enrico Atanasio, Director, Fiat Group Automobiles India Private Limited, said, “I brought 43 peo-

ple from the former JV (with Tata Motors) to the NSC and now we are more than 80 and more will come in all the functions.” The IT and logistics departments were created and other departments were reinforced. Fiat’s technical centre in Chennai has 1,200 engineers, the Ranjangaon facility has 2,500, and the NSC will have strength of about 100 employees.

Since the beginning of the year, the company has started 51 exclusive Fiat dealerships and the company hopes to see this number rise to 112 by 2013 end. Once this target is met, Fiat aims to achieve a market share of over 1 per cent. In the next three years the Group plans to launch nine products in India, three of which will come in a few months from the Jeep stable. Abarth will come

to India too, rumored to be first as kits for the existing line-up and then as complete models.

The bread-and-butter models for Fiat are still going to be the Punto and the Linea. Both cars have been around for over four years and there is a sense of product fatigue setting in on these models. Fiat believes that setting up new dealerships will push their products to a wider customer base, but whether customers are willing to opt for these two cars over fresher products from better established competitors remains to be seen. This isn’t a market for CBUs and performance-oriented models. More than Jeep and Abarth, Fiat needs more Fiats in India if it wants to sell more cars, and that’s the next move Fiat needs to make.

Auto Monitor

INTERVIEW

12

15 APRIL 2013

Reaching nooks and crannies Sahil International has signed a seven-year exclusive distribution contract for Harman Lifestyle products that include their consumer products such as car audios, home audios, home theatre and multimedia products of headphones, iPod docks and Bluetooth speakers. In a tête-à-tête with Sahil Sani, Director, Sahil International, he explains the company’s multi-layered distribution strategy to Pradeb Biswas.

What is your marketing strategy for the JBL car audio range?

Each category of products has a different strategy. For example, the car audio has a multi-layered strategy where we have an operating network of 40 to 45 distributors across states, and some places more than one distributor for a state.

Simultaneously, we also operate through LFR’s (Large Format Retail) like Reliance Autozone or Lucas that manage a chain of organized retail.

We also push the products directly through new car showrooms. For example, JBL is an

approved product at Maruti Suzuki, Tata and Mahindra showrooms.

Most car showrooms have an accessories counter. Our sales people approach them directly and we supply directly.

So at the time of buying a new car you get the option of fitting an accessory whether it is a mat or a set of speakers. Or otherwise, one can always go to various outlets and buy them at the aftermarket accessories store.

What are your priorities with respect to distribution?

We are keenly looking at expanding our distribution network. Currently, we deal with a network of 40 distributors at the national level. We intend to add 60 more and then split territories. While this may shrink the size of the territory for the distributor, it will help them to concentrate on a smaller market and focus on generating more business within that territory. We have set a target of expanding to 100 distributors with a year.

How do you intend to expand your distribution network?

Our policy has always been to work through a network of dealers and distributors. Talking about the distribution structure, we intend to expand it by encompassing available talent in India. Simultaneously, we do not plan to leave out those distributors that push other brands within our client base.

What are your criteria for choosing new distributors?

Our aim is to extend our reach to every small area in the country and make sure we extend our distribution network in every nook and corner. For example, if we have a distributor handling Karnataka, then we would like to ensure that through him or another distributor, we reach even the remote villages in Karnataka.

Which regions of the country are lying under- or un-tapped for JBL’s in-car entertainment range? What are the reasons?

We have yet to fully explore the central and eastern belt of India. These markets have great potential. Traditionally these markets were ignored because of the low income levels. But now these areas are witnessing plenty of investments and development across sectors, which have led to a higher aspiration levels among the youth.

In certain areas one may not have accessibility to JBL products, but they know about the brand through advertisements or the internet.

What are the challenges that you intend to overcome?

We are working towards maximising penetration at the new car showrooms. Right now, we are close to acquiring maximum penetration in the aftermarket channel. Of course, there is still plenty of room for the aftermarket to grow.

But we would like to improve penetration into all of India’s new car showrooms. This will allow customers to see the products on display and also receive a demo at the time of buying a car or paying a visit. Before a new car buyer drives out of the showroom, our products should be pre-fitted.

I would say our next goal, not a challenge, is to ensure that all of India’s new car showrooms have our products in stock.

Auto Monitor

15 APRIL 2013

NEWS

14

Equipment for mass manufacturing CFRP parts Schuler presents economic solutions at JEC trade show / RTM presses offer short cycle times and high part quality

C

arbon fibre-reinforced plastics (CFRPs or simply carbon) have been used for the manufacturing of cars for several years now. As the ultra-light and extremely rigid material is much more expensive than steel or aluminium, however, it is rarely used in mass manufacturing processes. Schuler now offers lines which can economically produce CFRP parts – even in large volumes. At the “JEC Europe” trade show in Paris from March 12 to 14, the press manufacturer will be unveiling these new solutions (stand Y64).

For the manufacturing of carbon parts, Schuler uses the RTM (Resin Transfer Molding) process in which woven carbon fibre mats are placed in a die, filled with resin and hardened by applying heat and the pressure of the press.

“High-pressure RTM presses not only enable shorter cycle times for complex parts with high requirements regarding geometry and rigidity, but also deliver consistently high part and surface quality,” says Product Manager Raimund Zirn. This virtually eliminates so-called voids, i.e. resin-free vacuum pores or gaps

within the part or along its edges.

In the high-pressure RTM process, resin is injected as quickly and smoothly as possible into the vacuum mould which is opened by just a few tenths of a millimetre.

This gap injection process enables the resin to spread over the mat with far less flow resistance and thus with low injection pressure.

It then quickly infiltrates the mat before polymerization is started by heat induction.

The curing process begins with the wetting of the last fibres “The vacuumising, fast resin injection, high resin pressures and tempered dies mean that the gelling process virtually begins with the wetting of the last fibre,” explains Raimund Zirn. Curing takes four to eight minutes – the thicker the part, the longer, as the reaction heat cannot be led as easily into the die. Depending on the part, the necessary resin pressures also vary between 30 and 150 bar. Large-surface exterior panels with clamping areas of 3,600 x 2,400 mm require total press forces of 36,000 kN or more.

Due to the geometry of the part or cavity surface, the die’s cen-

Schuler composite press (CHAP line) with a press force of 3600 metric tons for mass manufacturing of materials such as CFRPs.

tre of loading is not necessarily in the middle of the press. There are also off-centre forces from the injection positions. “The parallelism control prevents the slide or upper die from tilting during gap injection and thus ensures smooth and even injection over the entire surface,” explains the Product Manager. With a positioning speed of 1 mm/s, the Schuler presses achieve parallelism values of 0.05 mm in absolute terms with diagonal clamping surfaces of 4 m.

The pre-form and part handling processes, as well as the necessary die cleaning, account for a considerable part of the RTM cycle lasting two to three minutes.

“This largely involves the removal of plastic residues, which mainly stick to the polymer seal located in the lower die,” adds Raimund Zirn. On request, however, Schuler can fit the RTM presses with two shuttle moving bolsters so that a common upper die can be operated with two alternating and movable lower dies. This reduces downtime to the period it takes to replace the lower dies, e.g. with a distance of 4.5 m per moving bolster approximately 20 s.

Upstroke short-stroke presses offer more benefits

The benefits of the upstroke short-stroke press are high closing speeds, shorter pressure build-up times, and a lower height.

RTM presses are available in two designs: conventional downstroke machines work with a fixed bed and moving bolster, and a slide whose press force is transmitted via cylinders in the press crown. Parallelism is ensured by four servo-controlled coun-

terpressure cylinders located at the bed corners. These are also responsible for the breakout force needed to counter the adhesive forces and open the die.

In the upstroke short-stroke press, the slide only acts as support during the pressing process.

From top dead centre, the slide is moved by a drive cylinder to its support position and locked there. The actual working stroke is performed by the bed plate, driven by several short-stroke cylinders. Parallelism is ensured by the servo controlling of these cylinders. The breakout force in upstroke presses is achieved by the withdrawal of the bed plate.

“The benefits of the upstroke short-stroke press compared to downstroke designs are the high closing speeds of 1000 mm/s, the shorter pressure build-up times of under 0.3 s and the significantly lower construction height,” states Raimund Zirn.

Order from British National Composites Centre These benefits coupled with Schuler’s expertise in the field of forming technology also led the National Composites Centre in Bristol, UK, to place an order with the press manufacturer for a line to manufacture composite materials. The order is for an upstroke short-stroke press with 36,000 kN of press force and a clamping surface of 3.6 x 2.4 m. With its various process modes, the press covers all common press methods for composite materials, including CFRPs.

15 APRIL 2013

NEWS

Honda dares...

Contd. from Pg 1 which is closely matched to the pricing of its principal rival, the Maruti Dzire. It offers more power than the Dzire, but also offers significantly more space to its passengers. HCIL has been able to offer a competitive price purely because it has been able to localize production by up to 90 percent. It is about Rs 10,000 costlier than the Dzire, its arch rival but that’s the price you pay for more power, better mileage (ARAI certified Amaze diesel -25.8kmpl, Dzire diesel – 23.4kmpl), more rear seat legroom and boot space. The Brio is about `40,000 cheaper than the Swift so logically, the Amaze’s pricing should undercut the Dzire but Honda seems to have confidence in the quality of the product to price it at a premium over its Maruti counterpart.

The company will manufacture the Amaze at its facility in Greater Noida. The body panels, critical engine components for both i-VTEC and i-DTEC engine and manual transmission are being manufactured in-house at HCIL’s Tapukara facility and then supplied to the Greater Noida plant.

In terms of the engine, HCIL has exclusively developed the 1.5L diesel engine for India after downsizing its existing 1.6L and, in keeping with tradition, has enriched the Amaze in terms of light-weight engineering. The 1.5L engine weighs just 157 kilos and that makes it one of the lightest in its class. The company is wants to take the offensive further and is planning to achieve a higher sales target by extend-

Auto Monitor

ing reach from the current 150 outlets spread across 97 cities – miniscule compared to the vast network of Maruti Suzuki.

It is reinforcing its dealerships strength to 162 facilities in 102 cities by the end of this fiscal.

An increase in dealerships will have to commensurate with an increase in capacity. The carmaker currently has a capacity of 440 units per day at its Greater Noida plant, and will see an additional capacity of 20,000 units per month at its new plant in Rajasthan when it becomes operational next year. Currently production is skewed towards manufacturing more diesels, around 75 percent cars coming out of the Greater Noida facility will be diesels. Yet interestingly Honda continues to expect the petrol to sell strongly in metros with tier 2 and 3 cities and rural areas to latch onto the diesel.

Prior to the launch of the Amaze, where the company expects to be a volume player, HCIL had last week announced to invest `2,500 crore by 2014 to enhance its manufacturing activities, including a new car assembly line. As part of its plans, HCIL will set up a car assembly line, a diesel engine component unit and a forging plant at its Tapukara facility in Rajasthan.

The launch of the entry-level sedan also implies a change in its marketing strategy. HCIL is keen that it wants considerable numbers from emerging markets in the smaller cities and towns. “We expect that most Amaze buyers would be those upgrading from two-wheelers (optimistic expectations considering the strategy did not work in the case of the

Since the Amaze will be mainly targeted at the Indian middleclass, the company is banking on (and reiterating) its fuel efficiency of 25.8 kmpl for the diesel mill, the highest in the industry (accord. to ARAI).

Tata Nano - Ed) or new customers of Honda,” said Jnaneswar Sen, Senior Vice-President (Marketing & Sales). It is fulfilling this by launching advertising campaigns in 8 regional languages such as Marathi, Tamil, Telugu etc without a single TVC in English.

Armed with its new strategy, Honda expects to gain a market share of around five percent, double of what it currently holds.

Hironori Kanayama, President & CEO, Honda Cars India Ltd, said, “We have worked on aggressive localization overcoming many challenges in terms of timelines, technology and costs to launch the Amaze in India at an attractive and affordable price. With the best of both petrol and diesel technologies, we are ready for an exponential growth in our business in India. Amaze will be a game changer for us and over the next few years we will look to increase our operating universe in India to around 50 percent.”

However, for now, the company will focus on the domestic market and look at exports only later.

Since the Amaze will be mainly targeted at the Indian middle-class, the company is banking on (and reiterating) its fuel efficiency of 25.8 kmpl for the diesel mill, the highest in the

15 industry (according to ARAI).

The petrol variant also offers price and fuel efficiency advantage. The petrol variant starts at `4.99 lakh and claims a fuel efficiency of 18 kmpl for manual transmission, and 15 kmpl for the automatic.

What’s next…

According to Hironori Kanayama, Honda plans to launch all new models with diesel engines. In the next three years Honda will launch four new models in India. Jnaneswar Sen confirmed that one model will be a Jazz based seven-seater MPV. The next generation Jazz and City will be among the line-up and possibly a compact SUV will be part of the portfolio although the company hasn’t confirmed the SUV. A prototype of the compact SUV was shown at the North American International Auto Show in January. It is also based on the next generation Fit (Jazz in the Indian market) and will be part of Honda’s ‘Global Compact Series’ models which includes the next generation City. The company plans to manufacture this car next year at Honda’s Mexico plant. Since it is a spin off of the Jazz expect a shared assembly line for the compact SUV, the new Jazz and the next-gen City. However Honda needs to keep in mind that their product line has to match that of Maruti which offers several cars at several price points. This means Honda will need to come out with newer products quicker and target the more cost effective segments as well as those that are trending at the moment.

Honda cannot afford to rest on the appeal of the Amaze and will need to innovate and work harder in other segments as well to gain that 5 percent market share.

Volvo to launch...

Contd. from Pg 1 ...among our top 10 markets for Volvo cars worldwide.

We should deliver more than 20,000 units by that time,” Ernberg said.

To augment sales figures the company is also looking to widen its dealer and service support network. Currently it has around 13 outlets in India and hopes to have around 45 to 50 outlets by 2020. Volvo sells around 4.5 lakh cars globally and India’s contribution is minuscule.

“Today the luxury segment in India is very small, that is around one percent of the total volume but globally it is 10 percent of the total volume and Volvo Cars hopes that by 2020 it will increase substantially,” he added.

The company does not have any plans to start local assembly units currently as it feels it can compete as CBU.

New Brand Ambassor Volvo Auto India has appointed golfer Jeev Milkha Singh as its first brand ambassador in India. Ernberg said, “Volvo and Jeev share an enduring association since April 2006 when he won the Volvo Masters and became the second Indian player to win on the European Tour. As part of this association Jeev will be driving the Volvo XC90.”

“I am excited to be a part of the Volvo Family. I redeemed my career by winning the Volvo Masters in 2006, making my country proud by being the first Indian to win in Europe,” said Jeev Milkha Singh about endorsing Volvo.

Auto Monitor

AUTOPOINT

16

15 APRIL 2013

“Growth levels likely to moderate; scooters to act as growth engine�

Slowdown in economy deflated consumer sentiments in FY13 The demand environment for the two wheeler industry remained subdued in the current fiscal. CARE Research believes tough economic scenario owing to high inf lation, depleting growth in all economic activities, coupled with challenges like firm interest rates and spiralling fuel prices have moderated the growth in near term. Income levels in urban areas have been affected by the slowdown in the industrial activities, while rural income is impacted due to below normal monsoons in most regions that has significantly affected agriculture output. CARE Research observed inspite of some sort of momentary spurt owing to festive demand during third quarter of FY13, the two wheeler sales growth remained around 4 per cent during the April-February period of FY13.

Income levels in urban areas have been affected by the slowdown in the industrial activities, while rural income is impacted due to below normal monsoons in most regions.

Motorcycles expected to take back seat in near to medium term The motorcycle segment that has been mainstay for the industry since last two decades, has been witnessing slowdown in growth levels during past 4-5 years. For FY13 motorcycle demand growth remained around 1 per cent for first eleven months. Impact on income levels in urban areas owing to slowdown in industrial and service activities has strained the demand for motorcycles in FY13. Furthermore, growing popularity of ungeared scooters has also added to the woes of the motorcycle manufacturers. CARE Research foresees

it would be difficult for the segment to retain the strong growth levels it has witnessed in past one decade owing to rising pressure due to substitution by scooters.

Ungeareds scooter likely to remain growth engine in near term The ungeared scooter segment has been w itnessing robust growth trend since last 4-5 years. The scooter manufacturers which init ia lly targeted working women population have off-late expanded their customer base by launching products catering to male buyers. For example, new models like HMSI Aviator, T VS Wego, Suzuki Access, Mahindra Rodeo, etc has been able to lure considerable proportion of middle and upper middle class male buyers (primarily in age bracket greater than 35 years) for second vehicle. Hence, inspite of the current challenging scenario, ungeared scooter segment has been able to grow by 16 per cent during April-February period of FY13. CARE Research foresees, scooter segment to remain the growth engine for two wheeler industry in near to medium term period.

Two wheeler industry likely to register a growth of 8-9 per cent in FY14 CARE Research estimates ma rg ina l improvement in the economic scenario and expects the industry to grow by around 8-9 per cent in FY14. The growth would be aided by moderation in inf lation post first half along with the assumption of normal monsoon season.

The motorcycle segment is likely to grow in a range of 6-7 per cent in FY14. The scooter segment is expected to remain the growth driver and is estimated to observe a growth of around 13-14 per cent for FY14. CARE Research foresees, demand from rural and semiurban areas would drive the two wheeler demand growth in near to medium term period.

15 APRIL 2013

Auto Monitor

NEWS

17

Denso to exhibit at Auto Shanghai 2013 Will exhibit technology focusing on safety and environment helping improve occupant and pedestrian safety.

Main Exhibit Denso will display its interactive cockpit, Resonance 2020, which will show visitors how a vehicle will seamlessly connect people, vehicles and society in the future. Denso’s Resonance uses technologies that are here today, like active safety “sensing” techResonance 2020 cockpit on exhibition.

nology and vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2X) communication technologies.

Combining these technologies gives the vehicle a 360-degree situational awareness of the roadway. This allows the vehicle to provide the driver and occupants with information about traffic congestion or even help avoid a potential collision with another vehicle or pedestrian.

The cockpit will also demonstrate how it collects driver’s preference to propose a pre-

Hindustan Motors inks alliance with IndusInd

H

industan Motors Ltd. (HM) has signed a deal with IndusInd Bank to provide easy and trouble-free financing facilities to its customers across the country. The tie-up will facilitate prompt financing to potential customers in rural and semi-urban areas for buying cost-effective HM vehicles at competitive interest rates.

According to the agreement, the bank will work in close coordination with HM dealers for providing car loans for both commercial and passenger vehicles. The facility will be available through IndusInd Bank’s country-wide network of 254 branches spread across 180 geographical locations in 28 states and 6 union territories.

The memorandum of understanding was signed by HM’s Uttarpara unit Financial Controller & Head IT, Dibyendu Chatterjee, and T.A Rajagopallan, Senior VP, Consumer Finance of IndusInd Bank, on March 25.

Commenting on the development, Uttam Bose, MD & CEO, Hindustan Motors Ltd., said, “Customer-centricity is HM’s credo. Our objective is to make purchase of HM vehicles easy and pocket-friendly for customers. Our concern for customers extends beyond manufacturing of quality products. We make sure that the buyer gets hassle-free financial support followed by smooth after-sales service no matter where he is based out of. IndusInd Bank’s strong network will, therefore, help us serve our customers better.”

ŠKODA introduces 100 percent finance offer on the Rapid

Š

KODA Finance Private Limited has introduced a 100% finance offer on the ŠKODA Rapid. The new scheme will cover the ex-showroom price as 100% of the loan amount. Consumers do not have to make a down payment, and can avail of the loan at low interest rates. The offer has been made available from 8th April to 18th April, 2013.

Kamal Basu, Marketing Head, ŠKODA Auto India, said, “Continuing with our strategy of keeping consumer interests at the forefront, we have introduced innovative schemes in the recent past.

Our latest offer on ŠKODA Rapid covers 100% of the ex-showroom loan amount which in itself is significant and makes the buying experience easy.

We are also extending the Rapid EMI Holiday offer for an additional month.”

ferred type of shop or restaurant to the driver when visiting new areas.

Exhibits for Safety and Environment In the area of safety, Denso will exhibit the pedestrian collision detection sensor for the Pop-up Hood, millimeter wave radar for Pre-crash Safety (PCS) and Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) systems. Denso will also showcase the driver status monitor system that detects a driver’s

inattentiveness level based on the driver’s facial images, and the vehicle-infrastructure cooperative system based on V2X technology.

In the area of environment, Denso will exhibit products for hybrid and electric vehicles, such as inverters, battery monitoring units for lithium ion batteries, motor stators, and DC-DC converters, and products relating to stop/start systems, such as lithium ion battery packs and cooling storage evaporators.

,PDJH VRXUFH 'HQVR $PHULFD ÀLFNU VWUHDP

G

loba l automotive supplier Denso Cor porat ion will exhibit at the 15th Sha ng ha i I nt e r n a t ion a l Automobile Industry Exhibition (Auto Shanghai 2013), in Shanghai from April 21 to 29.

Denso’s exhibit will introduce technologies and products that focus on improving fuel efficiency, reducing emissions, and

Auto Monitor

15 APRIL 2013

N O R T H A M E R I C A N A S S E M B LY

18

AUTOFACTS Global Automotive Outlook PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

North America Assembly Tracking 3-2013 (Tracking by Brand & Nameplate) February 2013 Ownership Org/

Last 3 Months

Year to Date

YOY

Assembly

YOY

Volume

% Chg

Share %

Share Chg

AutoAlliance International (USA)

-

-100.0%

-

(-1.1)

-

-100.0%

-

(-1.0)

-

-100.0%

-

Ford Mustang

-

-100.0%

-

(-0.6)

-

-100.0%

-

(-0.6)

-

-100.0%

-

(-0.6)

Mazda Mazda6

-

-100.0%

-

(-0.5)

-

-100.0%

-

(-0.5)

-

-100.0%

-

(-0.5)

Brand & Nameplate

Volume

YOY

Assembly

YOY

% Chg

Share %

Share Chg

Volume

YOY

Assembly

YOY

% Chg

Share %

Share Chg (-1.0)

BMW (Germany)

26,811

-1.6%

2.0%

(-0.1)

75,341

4.5%

2.1%

0

54,739

6.5%

2.1%

BMW X3

12,672

-0.3%

0.9%

(-0.0)

35,532

5.8%

1.0%

0

25,872

7.1%

1.0%

0 0

BMW X5

11,569

12.8%

0.9%

0.1

31,282

16.0%

0.9%

0.1

23,620

23.2%

0.9%

0.1

BMW X6

2,570

-40.0%

0.2%

(-0.1)

8,527

-26.3%

0.2%

(-0.1)

5,247

-35.0%

0.2%

(-0.1)

Chrysler Group LLC (USA)

1,87,931

-4.9%

14.1%

(-0.9)

5,22,802

-4.9%

14.3%

(-1.2)

3,60,862

-5.7%

13.7%

(-1.4)

Chrysler 200

9,457

-14.8%

0.7%

(-0.1)

30,182

2.1%

0.8%

(-0.0)

20,891

5.2%

0.8%

0

Chrysler 300

5,917

-26.5%

0.4%

(-0.2)

18,020

-8.6%

0.5%

(-0.1)

12,482

-15.6%

0.5%

(-0.1)

Chrysler Town & Country

0.6%

(-0.1)

Dodge Avenger

11,838

36.9%

0.9%

0.2

33,435

54.3%

0.9%

0.3

23,987

59.6%

0.9%

0.3

Dodge Caliber

-

9,666

-

11.3%

-

0.7%

-

0.1

-

23,102

-100.0%

-13.1%

-

0.6%

(-0.1)

(-0.1)

-

14,939

-

-7.7%

-

Dodge Caravan

15,300

-8.0%

1.1%

(-0.1)

34,067

-24.2%

0.9%

(-0.3)

21,790

-29.1%

0.8%

(-0.4)

Dodge Challenger

5,106

30.1%

0.4%

0.1

12,891

16.6%

0.4%

0

9,647

29.7%

0.4%

0.1

Dodge Charger

10,098

30.2%

0.8%

0.2

26,859

20.0%

0.7%

0.1

19,147

20.4%

0.7%

0.1

Dodge Dart

6,757

-

0.5%

0.5

22,741

-

0.6%

0.6

13,803

-

0.5%

0.5

Dodge Durango

5,446

50.4%

0.4%

0.1

13,566

32.6%

0.4%

0.1

8,984

44.1%

0.3%

0.1

Dodge Journey

10,262

4.7%

0.8%

0

29,677

7.4%

0.8%

0

21,727

5.8%

0.8%

0

Dodge Nitro

-

-

-

-

-

-100.0%

-

(-0.0)

-

-

-

Fiat 500

5,054

-17.1%

0.4%

(-0.1)

12,808

-24.2%

0.4%

(-0.1)

8,670

-29.3%

0.3%

-

(-0.2)

Fiat Freemont

3,532

-25.4%

0.3%

(-0.1)

10,297

-32.5%

0.3%

(-0.1)

7,621

-30.8%

0.3%

(-0.1)

Jeep Compass

10,087

-9.2%

0.8%

(-0.1)

29,100

-2.3%

0.8%

(-0.0)

21,468

2.0%

0.8%

(-0.0)

Jeep Grand Cherokee

18,044

-10.3%

1.4%

(-0.2)

50,200

-12.5%

1.4%

(-0.2)

32,660

-20.5%

1.2%

(-0.4)

Jeep Liberty

-

-100.0%

-

(-0.9)

-

-100.0%

-

(-0.9)

-

-100.0%

-

(-0.8)

Jeep Patriot

7,375

-42.9%

0.6%

(-0.4)

24,159

-24.2%

0.7%

(-0.2)

17,116

-27.1%

0.6%

(-0.3)

Jeep Wrangler

5,877

-10.5%

0.4%

(-0.1)

16,265

-12.4%

0.4%

(-0.1)

11,675

-7.5%

0.4%

(-0.1)

Jeep Wrangler Unlimited

11,280

13.6%

0.8%

0.1

32,894

15.3%

0.9%

0.1

23,778

20.1%

0.9%

0.1

Lancia Flavia

180

-

0.0%

0

369

-

0.0%

0

369

-

0.0%

0

Lancia Grand Voyager

762

55.2%

0.1%

0

1,496

2.2%

0.0%

(-0.0)

1,243

31.1%

0.0%

0

Lancia Thema

208

26.1%

0.0%

0

449

-73.0%

0.0%

(-0.0)

449

-50.8%

0.0%

(-0.0)

Ram Cargo Van

987

-0.9%

0.1%

(-0.0)

2,514

-10.4%

0.1%

(-0.0)

1,469

-24.2%

0.1%

(-0.0)

Chrysler Group LLC (USA)

1,87,931

-4.9%

14.1%

(-0.9)

5,22,802

-4.9%

14.3%

(-1.2)

3,60,862

-5.7%

13.7%

(-1.4) (-0.1)

Ram Pickup

34,666

2.2%

2.6%

0

97,670

4.4%

2.7%

0

66,906

-1.5%

2.5%

SRT Viper

32

-

0.0%

0

41

-

0.0%

0

41

-

0.0%

Volkswagen Routan

-

-100.0%

-

(-0.1)

-

-100.0%

-

(-0.1)

-

-100.0%

-

3.5%

1.2%

0

46,956

9.6%

1.3%

0.1

35,037

11.3%

Daimler AG (Germany)

16,489

0 (-0.1)

1.3%

0.1

Freightliner Sprinter

173

-78.7%

0.0%

(-0.0)

929

-57.2%

0.0%

(-0.0)

350

-77.8%

0.0%

(-0.0)

Mercedes-Benz GL-Class

5,925

76.3%

0.4%

0.2

16,525

78.1%

0.5%

0.2

12,277

82.7%

0.5%

0.2

Mercedes-Benz GL-Class AMG

30

-

0.0%

0

83

-

0.0%

0

62

-

0.0%

0

Mercedes-Benz M-Class

9,380

-6.5%

0.7%

(-0.1)

26,422

-1.9%

0.7%

(-0.0)

19,583

-2.4%

0.7%

(-0.0)

Mercedes-Benz M-Class AMG

47

-6.0%

0.0%

(-0.0)

132

-9.6%

0.0%

(-0.0)

98

-2.0%

0.0%

(-0.0)

Mercedes-Benz R-Class

293

-82.6%

0.0%

(-0.1)

795

-81.5%

0.0%

(-0.1)

597

-80.3%

0.0%

(-0.1)

Mercedes-Benz Sprinter

641

-

0.0%

0

2,070

-

0.1%

0.1

2,070

-

0.1%

0.1

Ford Motor Company (USA)

2,54,229

18.4%

19.0%

2.7

7,25,458

19.1%

19.9%

2.7

5,15,065

24.1%

19.5%

3.1 0.3

Ford C-MAX

4,189

9208.9%

0.3%

0.3

11,847

25106.4%

0.3%

0.3

8,363

17693.6%

0.3%

Ford Edge

15,959

13.1%

1.2%

0.1

45,834

8.3%

1.3%

0.1

33,169

12.2%

1.3%

0.1

Ford Escape

32,794

15.4%

2.5%

0.3

91,916

15.4%

2.5%

0.3

64,542

15.0%

2.4%

0.2 (-0.0)

Ford E-Series

12,173

-11.2%

0.9%

(-0.1)

30,896

-6.5%

0.8%

(-0.1)

21,656

-1.0%

0.8%

Ford Expedition

6,230

16.7%

0.5%

0.1

17,341

11.4%

0.5%

0

12,498

18.9%

0.5%

0.1

Ford Explorer

19,219

43.2%

1.4%

0.4

54,892

31.4%

1.5%

0.3

39,305

37.6%

1.5%

0.4 0.1

Ford Fiesta

11,538

16.5%

0.9%

0.1

33,483

5.4%

0.9%

0

24,719

11.0%

0.9%

Ford Flex

2,870

29.9%

0.2%

0

8,423

5.8%

0.2%

0

5,954

9.2%

0.2%

0

Ford Focus

24,824

20.9%

1.9%

0.3

71,427

19.5%

2.0%

0.3

50,963

27.4%

1.9%

0.4

Ford F-Series

72,719

8.4%

5.4%

0.4

2,14,857

15.7%

5.9%

0.7

1,51,966

17.1%

5.8%

0.6

Ford Fusion

26,302

4.4%

2.0%

0.1

73,576

15.2%

2.0%

0.2

53,054

28.9%

2.0%

0.4

Ford Mustang

9,456

-

0.7%

0.7

23,500

-

0.6%

0.6

15,397

-

0.6%

0.6

Ford Ranger

-

-

-

-

-

-100.0%

-

(-0.1)

-

-

-

Ford Taurus

8,055

42.0%

0.6%

0.2

24,600

31.3%

0.7%

0.1

16,130

22.4%

0.6%

0.1

Lincoln Mark LT

18

38.5%

0.0%

0

62

40.9%

0.0%

0

62

63.2%

0.0%

0

Lincoln MKS

893

-16.5%

0.1%

(-0.0)

2,677

-21.9%

0.1%

(-0.0)

1,821

-19.9%

0.1%

(-0.0)

Lincoln MKT

537

-45.5%

0.0%

(-0.0)

2,175

-1.7%

0.1%

(-0.0)

1,201

-23.8%

0.0%

(-0.0)

Lincoln MKX

1,649

-40.5%

0.1%

(-0.1)

6,389

-25.1%

0.2%

(-0.1)

4,570

-17.7%

0.2%

(-0.0)

Lincoln MKZ

4,355

26.6%

0.3%

0.1

9,481

17.4%

0.3%

0

8,390

49.6%

0.3%

Lincoln Navigator

449

-42.1%

0.0%

(-0.0)

2,082

-5.2%

0.1%

(-0.0)

1,305

-18.0%

0.0%

(-0.0)

Fuji Heavy Industries (Japan)

23,691

-9.6%

1.8%

(-0.2)

66,664

-9.3%

1.8%

(-0.2)

48,913

-6.9%

1.9%

(-0.2)

Subaru Legacy

4,237

-16.8%

0.3%

(-0.1)

12,158

-16.2%

0.3%

(-0.1)

8,894

-11.8%

0.3%

(-0.1)

Subaru Outback

11,572

-2.9%

0.9%

(-0.0)

31,897

-5.8%

0.9%

(-0.1)

23,455

-2.3%

0.9%

(-0.1)

Subaru Tribeca

210

-41.8%

0.0%

(-0.0)

759

-33.4%

0.0%

(-0.0)

428

-44.7%

0.0%

(-0.0)

Toyota Camry

7,672

-13.1%

0.6%

(-0.1)

21,850

-8.8%

0.6%

(-0.1)

16,136

-8.7%

0.6%

(-0.1)

General Motors Company (USA)

2,68,601

-9.6%

20.1%

(-2.4)

7,21,870

-5.1%

19.8%

(-1.6)

5,28,643

-4.0%

20.0%

(-1.7) (-0.1)

0.1

Buick Enclave

4,799

-18.6%

0.4%

(-0.1)

14,573

-3.4%

0.4%

(-0.0)

9,930

-10.9%

0.4%

Buick LaCrosse

2,439

-38.6%

0.2%

(-0.1)

7,866

-34.5%

0.2%

(-0.1)

7,865

5.3%

0.3%

0

Buick Regal

1,746

58.0%

0.1%

0

4,846

-33.1%

0.1%

(-0.1)

3,296

-4.0%

0.1%

(-0.0) (-0.0)

Buick Verano

4,477

-9.5%

0.3%

(-0.0)

11,386

-1.8%

0.3%

(-0.0)

8,859

-2.3%

0.3%

Cadillac ATS

2,367

-

0.2%

0.2

11,013

-

0.3%

0.3

5,831

-

0.2%

0.2

Cadillac CTS

1,514

-70.7%

0.1%

(-0.3)

5,189

-65.3%

0.1%

(-0.3)

2,986

-68.5%

0.1%

(-0.3)

Cadillac Escalade

1,100

-8.6%

0.1%

(-0.0)

2,336

-35.6%

0.1%

(-0.0)

1,278

-50.6%

0.0%

(-0.1)

Cadillac Escalade ESV

609

5.0%

0.0%

0

1,164

-31.5%

0.0%

(-0.0)

684

-43.5%

0.0%

(-0.0)

Cadillac Escalade EXT

393

54.7%

0.0%

0

1,022

84.1%

0.0%

0

726

87.6%

0.0%

0

Cadillac SRX

6,551

-11.1%

0.5%

(-0.1)

16,087

-23.2%

0.4%

(-0.1)

11,402

-25.4%

0.4%

(-0.2)

Cadillac XTS

3,062

-

0.2%

0.2

8,368

-

0.2%

0.2

5,715

-

0.2%

0.2

Chevrolet Avalanche

3,210

25.6%

0.2%

0

9,020

47.4%

0.2%

0.1

7,070

64.5%

0.3%

0.1

Chevrolet Aveo

6,290

-9.1%

0.5%

(-0.1)

19,237

11.5%

0.5%

0

13,593

-0.9%

0.5%

(-0.0)

Chevrolet Camaro

8,224

22.7%

0.6%

0.1

23,505

-4.8%

0.6%

(-0.1)

16,127

-7.5%

0.6%

(-0.1)

Chevrolet Captiva

4,446

4.9%

0.3%

0

12,277

-3.0%

0.3%

(-0.0)

9,283

9.1%

0.4%

Chevrolet Colorado

-

-100.0%

-

(-0.3)

-

-100.0%

-

(-0.3)

-

-100.0%

-

0 (-0.3)

15 APRIL 2013

N O R T H A M E R I C A N A S S E M B LY February 2013

Ownership Org/ Brand & Nameplate

Auto Monitor

Volume

YOY % Chg

19

Last 3 Months Assembly Share %

YOY Share Chg

Volume

YOY % Chg

Year to Date

Assembly Share %

YOY Share Chg

Volume

YOY % Chg

Assembly Share %

YOY Share Chg

Chevrolet Corvette

1,438

20.7%

0.1%

0

4,341

44.9%

0.1%

0

3,155

59.0%

0.1%

0

Chevrolet Cruze

24,793

-5.0%

1.9%

(-0.1)

58,325

-6.4%

1.6%

(-0.2)

46,067

-7.2%

1.7%

(-0.2)

Chevrolet Equinox

22,723

-0.6%

1.7%

(-0.0)

62,103

-0.2%

1.7%

(-0.1)

46,113

4.3%

1.7%

0

Chevrolet Express

7,986

2.9%

0.6%

0

16,669

-5.9%

0.5%

(-0.0)

10,367

-18.4%

0.4%

(-0.1)

Chevrolet Impala

13,470

-18.3%

1.0%

(-0.2)

35,800

-20.2%

1.0%

(-0.3)

27,488

-15.9%

1.0%

(-0.2)

Chevrolet Malibu

10,008

-56.1%

0.7%

(-1.0)

31,117

-49.2%

0.9%

(-0.9)

29,657

-33.1%

1.1%

(-0.6)

Chevrolet Silverado

48,077

-8.3%

3.6%

(-0.4)

1,36,551

10.2%

3.7%

0.3

1,00,435

10.0%

3.8%

0.2

Chevrolet Sonic

11,756

28.8%

0.9%

0.2

31,500

27.5%

0.9%

0.2

24,935

48.1%

0.9%

0.3

Chevrolet Suburban

3,998

-28.1%

0.3%

(-0.1)

7,732

-39.6%

0.2%

(-0.1)

4,384

-55.4%

0.2%

(-0.2)

Chevrolet Tahoe

8,556

-18.8%

0.6%

(-0.2)

16,934

-28.7%

0.5%

(-0.2)

9,553

-49.7%

0.4%

(-0.4)

Chevrolet Traverse

8,396

-3.4%

0.6%

(-0.0)

23,507

10.1%

0.6%

0

16,050

7.3%

0.6%

0

General Motors Company (USA)

2,68,601

-9.6%

20.1%

(-2.4)

7,21,870

-5.1%

19.8%

(-1.6)

5,28,643

-4.0%

20.0%

(-1.7)

Chevrolet Trax

3,761

-

0.3%

0.3

12,513

-

0.3%

0.3

7,995

-

0.3%

0.3

Chevrolet Volt

3,265

39.1%

0.2%

0.1

7,658

94.8%

0.2%

0.1

6,180

163.3%

0.2%

0.1

GMC Acadia

10,293

35.9%

0.8%

0.2

26,906

16.5%

0.7%

0.1

20,798

48.8%

0.8%

0.2

GMC Canyon

-

-100.0%

-

(-0.1)

-

-100.0%

-

(-0.1)

-

-100.0%

-

(-0.1)

GMC Savana

2,120

-35.4%

0.2%

(-0.1)

4,230

-46.7%

0.1%

(-0.1)

2,525

-53.5%

0.1%

(-0.1)

GMC Sierra Pickups

20,639

-10.7%

1.5%

(-0.2)

59,274

11.8%

1.6%

0.1

42,036

9.9%

1.6%

0.1

GMC Terrain

9,671

-13.4%

0.7%

(-0.1)

25,473

-15.8%

0.7%

(-0.2)

18,957

-13.8%

0.7%

(-0.1)

GMC Yukon

3,948

-23.3%

0.3%

(-0.1)

8,369

-30.0%

0.2%

(-0.1)

4,393

-52.7%

0.2%

(-0.2)

GMC Yukon XL

2,443

-25.8%

0.2%

(-0.1)

4,833

-38.2%

0.1%

(-0.1)

2,801

-54.4%

0.1%

(-0.1)

Holden Volt

33

-

0.0%

0

98

-

0.0%

0

67

-

0.0%

0

Opel-Vauxhall Ampera

-

-100.0%

-

(-0.1)

48

-97.8%

0.0%

(-0.1)

42

-97.3%

0.0%

(-0.1)

Honda Motor Company (Japan)

1,54,840

2.0%

11.6%

0.1

4,18,506

3.1%

11.5%

0

3,05,506

1.3%

11.6%

(-0.3)

Acura ILX

1,202

-

0.1%

0.1

2,468

-

0.1%

0.1

1,627

-

0.1%

0.1

Acura MDX

2,101

-67.0%

0.2%

(-0.3)

5,822

-67.6%

0.2%

(-0.3)

3,961

-69.3%

0.2%

(-0.4)

Acura RDX

5,520

7900.0%

0.4%

0.4

13,927

649.6%

0.4%

0.3

10,567

12786.6%

0.4%

0.4

Acura TL

4,561

13.5%

0.3%

0

10,921

-21.9%

0.3%

(-0.1)

7,623

-21.6%

0.3%

(-0.1)

0.0%

(-0.0)

120

-46.2%

0.0%

Acura ZDX

120

-46.2%

0.0%

(-0.0)

179

-51.9%

(-0.0)

Honda Accord

40,828

11.4%

3.1%

0.3

1,07,188

16.5%

2.9%

0.3

78,367

8.9%

3.0%

0.1

Honda Civic

39,446

-2.2%

3.0%

(-0.1)

1,08,627

-8.6%

3.0%

(-0.4)

81,753

-3.5%

3.1%

(-0.2)

Honda Crosstour

841

-72.5%

0.1%

(-0.2)

6,063

-21.1%

0.2%

(-0.1)

3,008

-40.5%

0.1%

(-0.1)

Honda CR-V

31,969

7.2%

2.4%

0.1

85,326

20.8%

2.3%

0.3

63,369

11.2%

2.4%

0.2

Honda Odyssey

11,634

-25.1%

0.9%

(-0.3)

31,891

-24.0%

0.9%

(-0.3)

22,024

-27.6%

0.8%

(-0.4)

Honda Pilot

14,213

-3.1%

1.1%

(-0.0)

39,210

10.9%

1.1%

0.1

28,560

8.3%

1.1%

0

Honda Ridgeline

2,405

116.7%

0.2%

0.1

6,884

35.7%

0.2%

0

4,527

42.2%

0.2%

0

Hyundai Motor Company (South Korea)

64,595

9.3%

4.8%

0.4

1,75,913

14.8%

4.8%

0.5

1,29,405

12.4%

4.9%

0.4

Hyundai Elantra/i30

16,181

75.8%

1.2%

0.5

41,604

75.9%

1.1%

0.5

31,254

67.8%

1.2%

Hyundai Santa Fe

-

-100.0%

-

(-0.7)

-

-100.0%

-

(-0.6)

-

-100.0%

-

0.4 (-0.7)

Hyundai Santa Fe/ix45

7,628

-

0.6%

0.6

23,810

-

0.7%

0.7

17,340

-

0.7%

0.7

Hyundai Sonata/i40

16,776

-14.7%

1.3%

(-0.2)

48,553

-12.6%

1.3%

(-0.2)

35,803

-9.3%

1.4%

(-0.2)

Kia Optima

11,492

8.8%

0.9%

0.1

32,726

23.0%

0.9%

0.1

24,610

29.2%

0.9%

0.2

Kia Sorento

12,518

20.2%

0.9%

0.1

29,220

8.1%

0.8%

0

20,398

-1.8%

0.8%

(-0.0)

Mitsubishi Motors Corp (Japan)

5,799

107.8%

0.4%

0.2

16,457

151.4%

0.5%

0.3

11,983

163.8%

0.5%

Mitsubishi Galant

-

-100.0%

-

(-0.2)

-

-100.0%

-

(-0.2)

-

-100.0%

-

0.3

Mitsubishi Outlander Sport

5,799

-

0.4%

0.4

16,457

-

0.5%

0.5

11,983

-

0.5%

0.5

Nissan Motor (Japan)

1,25,461

11.8%

9.4%

0.9

3,33,298

6.3%

9.1%

0.3

2,45,000

8.5%

9.3%

0.4

Infiniti JX Series

3,958

1037.4%

0.3%

0.3

10,757

2328.2%

0.3%

0.3

7,844

1937.4%

0.3%

0.3

Nissan Altima

32,909

10.7%

2.5%

0.2

90,467

8.2%

2.5%

0.1

63,404

7.9%

2.4%

0.1

Nissan Armada

525

-75.8%

0.0%

(-0.1)

2,059

-64.9%

0.1%

(-0.1)

1,239

-70.9%

0.0%

(-0.1)

(-0.2)

Nissan Frontier

12,524

88.0%

0.9%

0.4

18,516

1.3%

0.5%

(-0.0)

17,180

33.1%

0.7%

0.1

Nissan Leaf

2,305

-

0.2%

0.2

4,435

-

0.1%

0.1

4,349

-

0.2%

0.2

Nissan March

3,720

-51.3%

0.3%

(-0.3)

7,690

-63.7%

0.2%

(-0.4)

5,615

-64.5%

0.2%

(-0.4)

Nissan Maxima

4,140

-38.3%

0.3%

(-0.2)

13,571

-28.9%

0.4%

(-0.2)

8,486

-38.4%

0.3%

(-0.2)

Nissan NV200

285

-

0.0%

0

373

-

0.0%

0

373

-

0.0%

0

Nissan NV-Series

906

8.4%

0.1%

0

2,401

-4.5%

0.1%

(-0.0)

1,710

-3.0%

0.1%

(-0.0)

Nissan Pathfinder

11,682

400.5%

0.9%

0.7

29,312

274.7%

0.8%

0.6

19,844

275.9%

0.8%

0.5

Nissan Pickup

7,462

14.3%

0.6%

0.1

22,327

47.0%

0.6%

0.2

16,598

40.2%

0.6%

0.2

Nissan Sentra

17,110

33.0%

1.3%

0.3

48,189

39.0%

1.3%

0.3

36,357

41.6%

1.4%

0.4

Nissan Tiida

4,428

-68.7%

0.3%

(-0.7)

14,679

-65.6%

0.4%

(-0.8)

10,007

-66.8%

0.4%

(-0.8) (-0.2)

Nissan Titan

653

-74.2%

0.0%

(-0.1)

1,482

-77.8%

0.0%

(-0.1)

913

-81.4%

0.0%

Nissan Tsuru

5,067

19.2%

0.4%

0.1

13,368

12.0%

0.4%

0

10,728

20.7%

0.4%

0.1

Nissan Versa

16,730

25.1%

1.3%

0.2

50,018

36.3%

1.4%

0.3

38,177

43.6%

1.4%

0.4

Nissan Xterra

1,057

-46.3%

0.1%

(-0.1)

3,654

-43.0%

0.1%

(-0.1)

2,176

-51.3%

0.1%

(-0.1)

Suzuki Equator

-

-100.0%

-

(-0.0)

-

-100.0%

-

(-0.0)

-

-100.0%

-

(-0.0)

Tesla Motors (USA)

1,600

-

0.1%

0.1

4,480

3455.6%

0.1%

0.1

3,280

-

0.1%

0.1

Tesla Model S

1,600

-

0.1%

0.1

4,480

-

0.1%

0.1

3,280

-

0.1%

0.1

Tesla Roadster

-

-

-

-

-

-100.0%

-

(-0.0)

-

-

-

Toyota Motor Corporation (Japan)

1,41,292

1.5%

10.6%

0

3,88,381

-0.7%

10.6%

(-0.4)

2,87,095

2.0%

10.9%

(-0.2)

Lexus RX Series

6,489

-9.7%

0.5%

(-0.1)

19,598

-5.0%

0.5%

(-0.0)

14,114

-4.0%

0.5%

(-0.0)

Toyota Avalon

8,638

174.3%

0.6%

0.4

23,488

168.5%

0.6%

0.4

17,707

175.1%

0.7%

0.4

Toyota Camry

30,794

-5.7%

2.3%

(-0.2)

80,405

-15.1%

2.2%

(-0.5)

62,151

-8.8%

2.4%

(-0.3)

Toyota Corolla

24,641

-4.4%

1.8%

(-0.1)

77,777

16.0%

2.1%

0.2

53,792

8.2%

2.0%

0.1

Toyota Highlander

11,589

4.1%

0.9%

0

32,824

8.7%

0.9%

0

24,348

9.9%

0.9%

0

Toyota Matrix

1,493

-33.6%

0.1%

(-0.1)

3,820

-28.0%

0.1%

(-0.0)

2,805

-35.2%

0.1%

(-0.1)

-

Toyota RAV4

15,734

11.1%

1.2%

0.1

30,086

-30.2%

0.8%

(-0.4)

23,726

-18.0%

0.9%

(-0.2)

Toyota Motor Corporation (Japan)

1,41,292

1.5%

10.6%

0

3,88,381

-0.7%

10.6%

(-0.4)

2,87,095

2.0%

10.9%

(-0.2)

Toyota Sequoia

2,191

12.0%

0.2%

0

6,657

13.8%

0.2%

0

4,608

17.2%

0.2%

0

Toyota Sienna

11,742

-3.5%

0.9%

(-0.0)

33,677

-5.1%

0.9%

(-0.1)

24,683

-1.9%

0.9%

(-0.1)

Toyota Tacoma

14,151

21.7%

1.1%

0.2

39,780

16.7%

1.1%

0.1

29,346

23.3%

1.1%

0.2

Toyota Tundra

9,435

-11.4%

0.7%

(-0.1)

26,204

-14.9%

0.7%

(-0.1)

19,781

-9.9%

0.7%

(-0.1)

Toyota Venza

4,395

-32.2%

0.3%

(-0.2)

14,065

-8.0%

0.4%

(-0.0)

10,034

-17.4%

0.4%

(-0.1)

Volkswagen (Germany)

64,531

7.0%

4.8%

0.3

1,55,619

12.9%

4.3%

0.4

1,14,990

17.7%

4.4%

0.5

Volkswagen Beetle

11,142

77.0%

0.8%

0.4

22,736

96.4%

0.6%

0.3

17,743

96.6%

0.7%

0.3

Volkswagen Bora

-

-

-

-

-

-100.0%

-

(-0.0)

-

-

-

-

Volkswagen Golf/Jetta Variant

12,386

-5.1%

0.9%

(-0.1)

29,062

-1.2%

0.8%

(-0.0)

21,280

4.9%

0.8%

0

Volkswagen Jetta

28,903

-5.0%

2.2%

(-0.1)

67,806

-1.2%

1.9%

(-0.1)

49,652

4.9%

1.9%

0

Volkswagen Passat

12,100

15.0%

0.9%

0.1

36,015

27.5%

1.0%

0.2

26,315

25.0%

1.0%

0.2

Total Light Vehicle

13,35,870

1.3%

100.0%

-

36,51,745

2.8%

100.0%

-

26,40,518

4.1%

100.0%

-

Auto Monitor

15 APRIL 2013

NEWS

20

Tata opens dealership in Myanmar Launches first fully integrated 3-S dealership in Yangon, Myanmar, with partner Apex Greatest Industrial Co. Ltd.

T

ata Motors, along with its partner Apex Greatest Industrial Co. Ltd. (AGI), has launched its first fully integrated 3-S commercial vehicle dealership in Yangon, Myanmar. The new dealership serves as a model dealership for all future setups in Myanmar.

The new dealership offers sales, service and spare parts facilities for its full range of commercial vehicles.

The vehicles launched and displayed at the function range from the Tata Ace, Tata Magic, Tata Super Ace along with five different fully built applications in the SCV Range, Tata LPT 407, Tata LPT 613, Tata LPT 1116, Tata LPK 1615, Tata LPT 1618, Tata LPT 2116, Tata LPT 2123 and Tata LPK 2523 in the Truck range and the Tata LP 407, Tata LP 613, Tata LP 913 & Tata LPO 1924 RE SLF in the Bus range.

The new 3S facility was inaugurated by U Win Myint, Hon.

Minister of Commerce, Myanmar, R. T. Wasan, Head – International Business, Commercial Vehicles Business Unit, Tata Motors, U Kyi Thein, Chairman – Apex Greatest Industrial Co. Ltd., U Tint Lwin, Founder, Lwin & Swan Group & major shareholder of AGI, Sailas Thangal, Commercial Counsellor & Chargé d’affair – Embassy of India in Myanmar, and Rudrarup Maitra, Regional Head – South Asia & Far East, Commercial Vehicles Business Unit, Tata Motors.

Speaking on the occasion, R. T. Wasan, Head – International Business, Commercial Vehicles Business Unit, Tata Motors, said, “This is a historic moment for us at Tata Motors and AGI which reaffirms our commitment to our customers in Myanmar.

Today, Tata Motors can offer a comprehensive range of commercial vehicles which provide superior value to our customers in Myanmar. We already have

over 400 Tata vehicles running on the roads of Myanmar and it is an important market for Tata Motors in ASEAN. We plan to launch two more dealerships in Yangon and will continue to introduce our world-class facility in some of the major cities of Myanmar, in future.”

Speaking about the new 3-S facility, Rudrarup Maitra, Regional Head – South Asia & Far East, Commercial Vehicles Business Unit, Tata Motors, said, “This new dealership is an impressive 9,000 sq. m. facility which has a 10-bay workshop and ample space for both display and work bay expansion in the future. Apart from the spare parts warehouse, the vehicle showroom and display area, it also has a modern training facility for sales and service technicians based on the Tata Motors e-learning modules.

Both, the Tata Motors – AGI Yangon 3S dealership, along

with the assembly facility at the Heav y Truck Plant in Magwe, will further enhance the brand experience and engagement of our customers with the Tata Motors brand in Myanmar.”

Tata Motors had signed a turnkey contract with Myanmar Automobile & Diesel Industries Limited (MADI), an enterprise under the Government of Myanmar’s Ministry of Industry, for setting up a heav y truck

assembly plant, at Magwe, in central Myanmar, funded by a US$ 20 million line of credit from the Government of India.

With a highly flexible chassis & frame assembly line, along with cab manufacturing, paint shop and trimming set-up, the plant has a capacity of producing 1,000 vehicles per annum initially and has the flexibility of augmenting up to 5,000 per year.

Off to a great start

M

ercedes-Benz’ Performance Drive programme, launched two months ago, has attracted significant interest from motor sport enthusiasts and registrations for many programmes are already full. Motor sports are gaining popularity in India, creating a niche for programmes such as Performance Drive.

z Young

Star Driver’s Programme, a first step to achieve the dream of becoming a Formula 1 driver, receives an encouraging 1665 registrations z AMG Driving Academy – Advanced Course which will be launched in India for the first time on 15-April, 2013, has received an impressive response and has been sold out (Price of Advanced Course is `1,00,000) z StarDrive Experience which enables participants to experience the capabilities of the Mercedes-Benz cars and SUVs through specially created driving situations under expert guidance attains more popularity. A total of 8000 participants set to experience the Star Drive in India in 2013. (Presently registrations open for Nashik StarDrive Experience till 12-April) z About 5000 additionally waitlisted participants seeks functional details towards booking finalizations z www.mercedesbenzperformancedrive.in is the dedicated online destination created for Mercedes-Benz Performance Drive Eberhard Kern, Managing Director & CEO, Mercedes-Benz India commented, “MercedesBenz Performance Drive is the most comprehensive driving programme in India.

The overwhelming response is a clear indication of the fascination of the Three Pointed Star among the young Indian achievers and points towards the fact that the culture of performance driving is coming of age in India.”

The Mercedes-Benz Performance Drive is a program that comprises six unique driving events aimed at ensuring participants with different expectations and driving skill levels can be engaged effectively and be given a fascinating experience with Mercedes-Benz Performance Drive: 1. Young Star Driver Program 2. Star Off-Road Experience 3. Track Day Experience 4. International Driving experiences 5. AMG Driving Academy 6. Star Drive experience

15 APRIL 2013

Auto Monitor

CLASSIFIEDS

21

ADVERTISER’S LIST Advertiser’s Name & Contact Details

Pg No

ACE Micromatic Group

1

Advertiser’s Name & Contact Details Engineering Expo

Pg No 20

Advertiser’s Name & Contact Details

Pg No

KDM Enterprises

21

T: +91-80-40200555

T: +91-9819552270

T: +91-9872012333

E: customercare@acemicromatic.com

E: engexpo@infomedia18.in

E: info@hydraulicssolutions.org

W: www.acemicromatic.net

W: www.engg-expo.com

W: www.hydraulicssolutions.in

Basf India Ltd.

13

Fox Solutions

5

Meiban Engineering Technologies Pvt Ltd

T: +91-253-6618100

T: +91-80-26860600

E: contact-us-india@basf.com

E: sales@foxindia.net

E: sales-turning@meibanengg.com

W: www.india.basf.com

W: www.foxindia.net

W: www.meibanengg.com

Carl Zeiss India (Bangalore) Pvt Lt

3

G W Precision Tools India Pvt Ltd

T: +91-80-43438102

T: +91-80-40431252

E: imtndia@zeiss.co.in

E: info@gwindia.in

W: www.zeiss.co.in

W: www.gwindia.in

Dhoot Transmission Pvt Ltd

9

Jyoti CNC Automation Pvt. Ltd.

12

Microsoft Corporation India P Ltd

6, 7

W: www.microsoft.com

BIC

Tata Motors Ltd

BC

T: +91-2827-287081

T: +91-22-66586195

E: sales@dhoottransmission.com

E: info@jyoti.co.in

E: charu.gulati@tatamotors.com

W: www.dhoottransmission.com

W: www.jyoti.co.in

W: www.tatamotors.com

Ecocat India Pvt Ltd

11

Kamal Ced Solutions Llp

FIC

Turbo Bearing Pvt Ltd

T: +91-129-4266500

T: +91-9313137970

T: +91-281-2389087

E: alok@ecocatindia.com

E: enquiry@kamalcedsolution.com

E: info@turbobearings.com

W: www.ecocat.com

W: www.kamalenvirotechgroup.com

W: www.turbobearings.com

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

15

Not Applicable

17

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Auto Monitor

22

THE OTHER SIDE

Getting Personal with KN Gupta, Chief Operating Officer, Padmini VNA Mechatronics

If not in the auto industry, where would you be?

I would have been in any industry which offers a lot of excitement and also innovates consistently -- possibly the film industry.

What car do you drive? What do you dream of driving?

Skoda Superb. No dreams of driving anything. There are better things to dream of.

Your most recent indulgence?

I prepared an exclusive dessert, with secret ingredients, for a family dinner.

What are you currently reading?

Some books and articles on yoga and pranayama.

What do you do when not talking auto?

Calling up old friends to keep in touch and reliving the fun we had together.

Watching Hindi movies and comedy serials.

An activity you would miss office for?

Watching classic old Hindi movies.

Where did you go for your last holiday?

Chicago. Had a lot of fun exploring the city and relaxing.

The best thing to have happened to you in the last one year?

Birth of my grandson on 31 December, 2012.

What is your dream for the auto components industry going forward?

To be on top of the world. We have a hardworking, talented, and willing workforce.

Illustration: Sachin Pandit

A word of advice for budding auto geeks?

Be natural and practical.

In Real Life KN Gupta has 35 years of experience in the auto industry. His domain expertise is in human capital management, manufacturing science, project management, new business development, and plant operations.

At Padmini VNA, Gupta is responsible for the operations of the plant, diversification, greenfield projects, and business development. He holds an engineering degree and an MBA.

15 APRIL 2013

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:16th & 17th Fortnightly Issue. Date Of Publication: 13th of Every Month

24