Auto Monitor - 29 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. 14

w w w. am o n l i n e . i n

29 April 2013

INTERVIEW

Locally assembled 7 Series is here

`50

COLUMN

Road trippin’ Vivek Nayer, CMO, Auto Division, M&M.

24 Pages

Dealer Effectiveness Pg 10

Breaking the ‘growth’ ceiling

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

Pg 14

Vikas Group to JV with Hitachi Plans to introduce suspension products by Q3 2013 Nabeel A Khan New Delhi

Our Bureau Mumbai

B

MW will assemble the updated 7 Series at its Chennai plant.

The Bavarian carmaker launched the updated 7 Series last week at an ex-showroom price of `92.9 lakh for the 730 Ld. The diesel being the variant of choice will be the only 7 Series that will be locally assembled. The petrol models – 740 Li, 750 Li and the 760 Li will be imported as CBUs. Being CBUs, these models are priced higher; `1.12 crore, `1.29 crore and `1.73 crore respectively.

The F02 series ‘7’ was launched in 2008 and receives its final update before a completely new next-gen flagship model is launched sometime in 2015. Cosmetic changes are minimal and can only be spotted at a closer look, but the prominent upgrade is the introduction of an 8-speed torque converter replacing the 6-speed unit.

F

aridabad-based auto component major Vikas Group will sign a joint venture with Hitachi Metals, Japan, and Namyang Metals, Korea, in the next six months to produce suspension parts in India. Vikas Group signed a technical alliance with Hitachi and its Korean subsidiary Namyang Metals in February this year.

Hitachi is a well known suspension parts manufacturer globally, and Vikas Group is planning to leverage this opportunity by introducing the same in the Indian market by Q4 2013 or early 2014.

Abhimanyu Sharaf, Director, Vikas Group’s, said, “This is a major step towards reinforcing our commitment to our foundry business. The move will involve a major up-gradation in both the foundries, together with investment in additional capacities.

The building that houses the Vikas Group’s foundry.

Akihiro Matsunaga, Managing Officer, President, Automotive Components Company, Hitachi Metals; Seung-Cheon Kim, President & CEO, Namyang Metals Co. Ltd; and Abhimanyu Sharaf, Director, VIKAS Group.

This will result in our foundries becoming a healthier global manufacturing hub for Hitachi and Namyang’s global position and the growth it has forecast.”

The joint venture is expected to see an estimated investment of `200 crore in the next 3 years, and a target sales plan of `500 crore by 2016. The component maker currently has a capacity of around 2,000 tonnes per month and post the JV hopes to achieve capacities of 5,000 ton a month by 2017.

Simultaneously, the company is investing in modernizing its

foundry in Garima in Faridabad to increase capacity. The company expects to improve efficiency five-fold and increasingly, the knowledge and investment accrued from the JV should enable it to introduce suspension components such as steering knuckles and control arm.

At the time when Vikas Group purchased the foundry, its owner was seeking out a buyer to offset the losses. Now, Vikas expects to gain access to new markets that will contribute 25 percent to its revenue by 2017.

Is prowess of the MultiJet fading?

Anand Mohan Mumbai

A

large part of Fiat’s MultiJet diesel engine success goes to the sheer number of cars Maruti Suzuki rolls off the line.

Cumulatively Fiats, Tatas, GMs and Premiers sport fewer Fiat sourced diesel engines than the one lakh units sold to Maruti every year. So when CNBCTV18 broke the news of Suzuki developing 1- and 1.4 litre diesel engines in Japan for the Indian market quoting sources, the question that comes to mind is what happens to Fiat then?

The next most popular automotive term in India after Maruti is probably MultiJet. The famed Fiat diesel engine is their second generation JTD (uniJet Turbo

Diesel) engine with as many as 11 applications in India itself.

Fiat wanted to cash in on the adaptability of this motor so they began licensing this technology to other car companies. Maruti was quick to lap it up. They were India’s largest carmaker without a worthy diesel engine, and quick to notice a shifting trend to diesels, the company started producing the MultiJet under license from Fiat. The company set up Suzuki Powertrain India Limited in Manesar to produce three lakh units annually but that wasn’t enough. There was still a shortfall of diesels due to unprecedented popularity of these units, so Maruti inked a deal with Fiat in 2012 to supply one lakh units per year for the next three years. This worked well for Fiat since the company

had underutilized capacity that could be diverted to production of engines. This deal ends by 2014 and that’s around the time when Maruti will have their in-house developed units ready.

Fiat was unavailable for comment so we spoke to industry analysts on the future of the MultiJet in India. Deepesh Rat hore, Di rector, IHS Automotive India is of the opinion that when Maruti begins to produce its own diesel engines, Fiat will be impacted but it will not be too severe. He says, “By then, Fiat will have to re-align its growth targets and focus on other clients in its portfolio since the market will grow by then.

Demand from other manufacturers will increase as a result.”

Pradeep Saxena, Executive Director at market research firm

TNS Automotive, says that Fiat will have to focus on other manufacturers too but that is easier said than done. There aren’t any manufacturers in the country who need to buy engines from Fiat since they have engines of their own.

The current set of clients will continue to use the MultiJet engine.

He added that although seven years isn’t a long time for an engine to become out-dated, things may change in the next few years with a lot of new technology entering the market.

Maruti’s Wagon R, A-Star, Estilo and the Alto models, are all petrol powered so the 1-litre diesel under development can take sales of Maruti to a

whole new level considering popularity of diesel cars. This news comes as a game changer for Maruti and a setback for Fiat.

What’s seems good for Fiat is that they still have over 18 months to figure out a strategy.

EDITORIAL Meeting new standards

O

ver the last two years, growth has been continuous.

And it is in times like this that the growth becomes easy to manage. One keeps adding capacity, hiring more people, and readily looking at investing. But it’s when times are tough that the real interest of the manufacturer can be noticed.

Consider our front page story on the Vikas Group. Realizing that investments made now will not only aid in expansion, but the entire deal could be a lot cheaper when the markets are up. The company has plans to invest `200 crore and it seems to be gung-ho.

In today’s times, while growth will continue, albeit slowly, it is likely to be pretty volatile in nature. In such a situation, managing growth becomes more challenging. It requires much more careful assessment of investments, building in flexibility and responsiveness and, more importantly, it places a completely new level of challenge in managing business partners, so says A Balaraman, Partner & Managing Director, India Operations, CGN & Associates, a story that you will read in the next issue.

While sometimes the claims are tall, many Indian compa-

nies also fail to benchmark regularly. Most companies often cite that they have set parameters and do so willingly. But as a matter of fact, I know that is not so. Moreover, the parameters are fluid in nature.

In India, the main focus of benchmarking is cost comparison. A good set of benchmarks would cover reliability, responsiveness, flexibility, asset utilization and cost. These are outcome benchmarks. They should be used along with process benchmarks. Benchmarking is like a doctor taking a patient’s temperature. As an input it is useful, often vital, but it does not provide the solution and replace the need for the doctor.

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QUOTES Ivan Hodac, Secretary General, ACEA, on emission targets for European automakers

Martin Winterkorn, Volkswagen, Chief Executive Officer, on European automobile sales

Yes, we need to have a long-term target, but it has to be based on a scientific assessment, not a political target.

We remain confident overall that we can pick up speed over the rest of the year.

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CONTENTS CORPORATE Car sales record worst fall after 2001

8

Car sales in India continues to stay in the red even as the financial year ended, recording the highest fall in over a decade as it dipped by 6.7 percent in the 2012-13 fiscal.

Bosch Rexroth strengthens presence

8

Bosch Rexroth has put a new plant into operation in Sanand, Gujarat, replacing the previously rented facilities and increasing the overall square footage.

Faurecia to set up facility at Sanand

12

Faurecia’s seating systems division is evaluating plans to set up a new manufacturing facility in Sanand, Gujarat, to cater to its largest customer Ford, and to expand its presence in India.

Polaris launches off-roading circuits in Bengaluru

12

19

Polaris India inaugurated two off-road circuits in Bengaluru in association with Play in Sarjapur and with Target Games & Facilities in Yeshwanthpur.

Denso to invest in Pricol co for instrument clusters

19

Denso Corporation has acquired shares in Pricol Components, a subsidiary of Pricol, that designs, manufactures, and sells instrument clusters for passenger vehicles.

VW inaugurates export business

Volkswagen India will now export parts and components of Volkswagen Vento, and Polo, to Malaysia where the cars will be assembled for the local market.

JCB India rolls out 50,000th JCB Engine

20

17

JCB India rolled out its 50,000th JCB Engine at its Ballabgarh facility in India.

17

THE OTHER SIDE Mercedes-Benz inaugurates Navi Mumbai outlet

22

17

Mercedes-Benz India inaugurated Shaman Wheels Navi Mumbai, strategically located on the Satra Plaza, Palm Beach Road, Vashi, Navi Mumbai.

17

Tomas Ernberg, Managing Director, Volvo Auto India

A Volvo veteran, having spent 17-years with the company and fluent in Swedish, English, Turkish, Spanish and few Arabic languages, Ernberg holds the responsibility of overall planning and operations for the company in India.

Auto Monitor

29 APRIL 2013

NEWS

8

Car sales record worst fall after 2001 Nabeel A. Khan Anand Mohan

C

ar sales in India continues to stay in the red even as the financial year ended, recording the highest fall in over a decade as it dipped by 6.7 percent in the 2012-13 fiscal. About 18.95 lakh passenger vehicles were sold in the domestic market, the worst after the 2000-01 fiscal, as sales declined 7.7 percent.

In March 2013 alone, passenger car sales further declined by 22.51 percent over March 2012.

Total passenger vehicles sales also fell by 13.01 percent in March 2013 over same month last year.

“The reason behind the fall is obviously the market sentiment and changing pattern of the customer,” said S Sandilya, President of SIAM. According to SIAM, Passenger Vehicles segment grew at 2.15 percent during April-March 2013 over same period last year.

Utility Vehicles grew by 52.20 percent and Vans only by 1.08 percent during April-March 2013 as compared to the same period last year. The Indian automotive industry is showing clear patterns now and car makers are aligning their strategies accordingly. A few years ago, diesel cars didn’t dominate sales so manufacturers didn’t have the capacity to cater to the sudden surge in demand. Now they are much better equipped to supply almost as much as the market demands.

Also, the four-metre rule wrote a whole new chapter in the Indian auto industry. Not many manufacturers had products to exploit it from the beginning. Now we have the Dzire, Amaze, Quanto and the upcoming EcoSport to name a few cars that are specifically engineered to take advantage of this rule. Compact SUVs are another segment catching up in India.

The Duster is creating a record of sorts for Renault and according to news a Nissan version of the Duster is coming soon. Last year could be termed the year of the MPV but the segment hasn’t really picked up as much as expected.

The Ertiga and Innova are doing well but besides them, the other people movers have been duds in the market.

The overall growth in domestic sales during April-March 2013 was 2.61 percent over the same period last year. While in March 2013 overall sales fell by 7.76 percent over March 2012.

The overa ll Commercia l Vehicles segment registered de-growth of 2.2 percent in April-March 2013 as compared to the same period last year. While Medium & Heav y Commercial Vehicles (M&HCVs) declined by 23.18 percent, Light Commercial Vehicles grew at 14.04 percent. In March 2013, M&HCVs sales further declined by 26.16 percent over March 2012. Tata Motors, the manufacturer that can change these numbers almost single-handedly pulled the segment down.

Production dropped almost 18 percent and domestic sales of goods carriers in particular dropped by 32.6 percent.

Three Wheelers sales grew by 4.87 percent in April-March 2013.

Passenger Carriers grew by 8.58 percent during April-March 2013 and Goods Carriers registered de-growth at 9.20 percent during this period.

Two W heelers registered growth of only 2.90 percent during April-March 2013. Scooters, mopeds and motorcycles grew by 14.24 percent, 1.53 percent and 0.12 percent respectively over same period last year. However, in March 2013 all sub-segments of two wheelers, scooters, motorcycles and mopeds registered de-growth at 3.18 percent, 8.32 percent and 4.54 percent respectively.

Exports During April-March 2013, overall automobile exports registered de-growth of 1.34 percent compared to the same period last year. PVs grew by 9.02 percent, while the other segments like CVs, 3-Wheelers and 2-Wheelers fell by 13.35 percent, 16.22 percent and 0.72 percent respectively. In March 2013, PVs, Two & Three Wheelers grew by 3.07 percent, 3.51 percent and 7.50 percent respectively. While Commercial Vehicles declined by 28.33 percent.

Forecast 2013-14 The apex body of the automo-

Segment Cars Uvs Vans PV Total LCV Goods MHCV Goods Passenger Buses

Expected growth (FY14) 3-5 percent 11-13 percent 4-6 percent 5-7 percent 10-12 percent 1-3 percent 6-8 percent

Total CV

7-9 percent

2W

6-8 percent

3W Goods 3W Passenger

2-4 percent 3-5 percent

3W Total

3-5 percent

Auto Total

6-8 percent

bile manufacturers association, SIAM, makes a positive outlook for the financial year 2013-14. It predicts that passenger car sales will grow 3-5 percent. The reason for the positive outlook is based on the macro-economic situation and policy implementation of the government.

The industry body also said total sales of all vehicles in the countr y during 2013-14 will grow by 6-8 percent. “There are a lot bumps on the road, but there is also some shine.

In recent times, we have seen some positive policy decisions from the government and we hope this gets implemented which will help in recovery,” S Sandilya told the media.

The other reason he sighted was the new launches by OEMs. Sandilya slightly moderated the projection for UV segment at 11-13 percent sighting the recent imposition of additional duty on these vehicles. The segment grew by over 50 percent last fiscal and as the base has increased, the projection seems realistic. It predicted a positive outlook for the LCV segment expecting a growth of 10-12 percent in FY14.

Talking about the commercial vehicle segment, Sandilya said the manufacturers are likely to see an overall growth of 7-9 percent, primarily led by LCVs, which is estimated to raise 10-12 percent in FY14 while MHCVs will rise marginally by 1-3 percent.

Lanxess opens App Development Bosch Rexroth strengthens presence centre in Hong Kong New plant in Sanand; invests `280 cr

B

osch Rex rot h has put a new plant into operation in Sanand, Guja rat, replacing the previously rented facilities and increasing the overall square footage. In order to be able to address the specific regional product and system requirements, the company is not only expanding production but also stepping up sales and development. A round 550 associates work at Bosch Rexroth in Ahmedabad.

Overall, the company is investing around `280 crore into the expansion in the region.

Bosch Rexroth manufactures hydraulics components and systems at the site.

“Going beyond production, we have developed the Sanand plant into a technology center,” said Dr. Johannes T. Grobe, MD, Bosch Rexroth in India. Based on the product platforms, engineers develop regional product variations which meet requirements of t he loca l customers.

The hydraulic components and systems from the new plant are used in Machinery Applications and Engineering, Factor y Automat ion, a nd Mobile Applications. The new plant will have a total area of around 37,000 square meters.

Bosch Rexroth has been

With their “local for local” strategy, they are opening up market segments that they would not be able to reach from Germany. present in India for over 35 years and has continuously increased local added value there. Since 2007, the company has almost doubled its transaction volume. In total, Bosch Rexroth employs around 880 associates in India.

“With our strateg y “local for local”, we are opening up additional market segments that we would not be able to reach from Germany. In the long run, this also ensures higher capacit y utilization in Germany,” emphasized Dr. Wolfgang Horn, Senior Vice President Technica l, Industrial Applications business unit at Bosch Rexroth AG. In March 2013, the company expanded its presence in Fountain Inn in the US and doubled its production capacity there. In fall 2012, Bosch Rexroth put into operation new production facilities and offices as well as an R&D center in Wujin, China.

Anand Mohan Hong Kong

S

pecialty chemicals company Lanxess opened a new application development centre in Hong Kong for the Asia-Pacific region. Located in the sprawling Hong Kong Science and Technology Park, this centre will be Lanxess’ creative epicenter in the east. Unlike a R&D centre that researches on new technology and materials among other things, an application development centre deals with support to customers in part development and application of new plastic parts. The facility in Hong Kong was set up with equipment to cater to such demand. The company says that this centre is on par with equipment used at their main technology centre at their German headquarters.

Hong Kong doesn’t have an automotive industry of its own but according to Lanxess, strategic location of the Hong Kong region and specifically the facilities of the science and technology park made it an ideal location for the company. “The new application development centre will support our customers and industry partners with parts development and qualification for successful launching of new applications and plastics parts. With the top-notch simulation tools, we are able to

provide innovative solutions for cost reduction, environmental protection, energy savings and shortening time to market,” said Thomas Babl, Head of Technical Marketing & Engineer Services for High Performance Materials APAC. Lanxess has technical development centres in Dormagen (Germany), Pittsburg (United States), Sao Paolo (Brazil), Wuxi (China), Mumbai and now Hong Kong. The Hong Kong set-up will be the main base in the east supporting activities in Wuxi and Mumbai. The Mumbai centre, said Hartwig Meier, VP global product and application development of the High Performance Materials (HPM) business unit, as essential to stay in touch with local customers.

Meier added that the compa ny integ rat ing Tepex (Custom-made plastic composite sheets that are reinforced with materials such as glass fibers sold under the brand name Tepex) into their laxness environment and they are building teams to focus specifically on Tepex applications.

The Hong Kong centre will focus on HPMs Durethan and Pocan and once Tepex is ready, it will be part of the three materials that the tech centre will focus application development on.

“High performance plastics play a vital role in the green mobility megatrend by reducing weight and fuel consumption as lighter alternatives to metals” concluded Christof Krogmann, VP APAC, HPMs business unit.

HSAutoLink™ Interconnect System

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See how we can enhance your designs: molex.com/auto/hsautolink.html

Auto Monitor

29 APRIL 2013

INTERVIEW

10

Road trippin’ Mahindra Adventure is a division of Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd which organizes adventure and motorsports events for its vehicle owners. In its third edition, Mahindra Adventure has inaugurated a 28-acre Off-Road Training Academy at Igatpuri near Nashik. Pradeb Biswas finds out more about Mahindra Adventure and its new academy from Vivek Nayer, Chief Marketing Officer, Automotive Division, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. What was the inspiration behind Mahindra Adventure?

We always organize the Mahindra Great Escape event which happens once or twice in a year. We used to invite our customers to bring their vehicles and experience a day of off-road driving. We used to organize everything, including the backup vehicles and safety requirements.

Two years ago we found out that aspirations and lifestyles in India were changing. An increasing number of people were on the lookout for a new experience which could be as simple as getting out of the city, going out for a family picnic, or going on a long road trip. People were even aspiring to explore far-off places like Leh and Ladakh.

So we thought that with our DNA of making tough and rugged vehicles, Mahindra should leverage itself with this changing trend – and it is experiential marketing at the end of the day. Once people attend these events, they realize how tough and rugged our vehicles are. They go back and talk about their experiences with friends and family which results in brand building. Based on this, we set up Mahindra Adventure two years ago which organizes several events under its umbrella.

I am pleased to say that our customers and fans are very happy participating in them.

Mahindra Adventure has been organizing numerous events in various regions across the country. What has the customer feedback been? What

suggestions have you received from participants?

We have several different kinds of events across several different locations. Some are short duration events lasting for a day while some last for 12 days. Based on customer feedback we kept expanding, and by now we have a wide range of events for our customers to participate in. The feedback has been very positive and people are very happy. We also keep innovating and the calendar of events always includes something new every year.

For this year’s calendar, we have announced the Off-Road Academy will allow people to learn how to indulge in proper off-roading in a Mahindra four-wheel drive vehicle. The OffRoading Academy has been set up on 28 acres of land in Igatpuri.

It has a custom-built track with different kinds of obstacles. The Mahindra Thar is the vehicle which we use for training participants, and two batches have already been through it.

Have you found Mahindra Adventure events to be more popular in a particular region or regions?

The events have been popular everywhere and as a matter of fact in most locations our events are taking place with full capacity. Like for this year’s Monastery event, we have barely opened bookings and already it is full. We had to close bookings because, given safety considerations, there is a limit to the number of people we can take.

If consumer lifestyles are changing, then Mahindra with its DNA of making rugged vehicles is in the best position to leverage it. Because it’s in our DNA. According to you, what are the current priorities and challenges for the Mahindra Adventure division?

The priority and challenge is to ensure that we keep on bringing in something new, something innovative as we go along. We are also keen to reach more people. We have a huge competitive advantage because across all our Mahindra brands we have about 10 million fans on Facebook.

Mahindra Adventure alone has over one million fans. This is our

competitive advantage, that a few hundred people may participate in one event on the ground, but we are able to take those pictures and videos to millions of people. No other manufacturer has this kind of reach. We have the reach and the ability to reach out to more people.

With respect to the Mahindra brand and also the product Thar, how much help do you think the Mahindra Adventure division and the new academy will give in pushing your brand and product?

If consumer lifestyles and aspirations are changing in this country, then Mahindra with its DNA of making tough and rugged vehicles is in the best position to leverage it. It’s in our DNA and it tells people why Mahindra vehicle are the right vehicles to undertake such events, and you can’t do this in a car. You need a tough vehicle to do off-roading

or to go long trips where you may have to go off the road. It is working well for the brand and helping in building the brand.

Will the Off-Roading Academy be open for interested people throughout the year?

We run the courses based on demand. But yes, the academy will have training sessions throughout the year. As soon as we have a full batch of around 15 people ready, the course will start. Bookings have begun online and there are three levels of courses on offer, namely basic, intermediate and advanced.

Will the new training academy be limited only to Igatpuri?

Any expansion plans?

It takes a lot of commitment, effort and investment to put something like this together. Let’s see how it does and then we will take a call in the future. For now it’s going to be only in Igatpuri.

Aftermarket distribution model set for major revamp Abhishek Parekh Mumbai

T

he growing number of vehicle models and variants in the market and resulting rise in demand for spares and services is likely to lead to better organisation and consolidation in the aftermarket distribution business. The increasing number of stock keeping units (SKUs) is also leading to a demarcation of distributors according to fast moving parts and slow moving parts, according to a survey on the automotive aftermarket conducted by the Automotive Component Ma nu fact u rers Association of India (ACMA).

“We are anticipating a major shift in the aftermarket business model based on frequency of parts requirement and distribution network and reach.

We are increasingly looking at

a two or three tier structure of distribution or any other model taking into account market realities and customer preferences,” said Vinnie Mehta, Executive Director, ACMA, in an earlier interaction with Auto Monitor on the sidelines of the Automechanika in New Delhi.

The survey points out that it would be difficult to sustain high SKU volumes beyond a point, and that could lead to a demarcation of distributors according to fast or medium moving parts or stock items, and slow or very slow moving parts or non-stock items.

Distributors or parts manufacturers would be required to make suitable transportation or logistics arrangements for both sets of spares. Moreover, large or pan-India distributors-cumretailers are likely to emerge in the coming months to gain scale efficiency and cut the layers of intermediaries in the aftermar-

Though one of the most effective ways to fight piracy of spares is to widen the distribution network, aftermarket models seen in developed markets may not be suitable in India,” sa id Sou m it ra Bhattacharya, Joint Ma naging Director, Bosch India.

The survey further points out t hat ma nu facturers and the downstream distribution cha in Vinnie Mehta, Executive Director, ACMA would need to ket supply chain. make significant investments in “The challenge of parts information technology in order distribution in the aftermarto enable better flow of informaket is growing especially with tion between garages, retailers, the threat of counterfeits. distributors, wholesalers, and

other intermediaries and participants in the aftermarket.

Such changes are also likely to improve margins for distributors from the current level of five to seven percent, even as wholesalers’ and semi-wholesalers‘ margins may reduce as distributors increasingly deal with customers directly. Retailers are also likely to see their profit margins drop from around 14 to 18 percent to 12 to 15 percent as the network becomes more efficient.

Though players in the aftermarket network are not willing to hazard a guess on likely cost implications due to such changes, logistics-related costs are likely to increase depending on vehicle specialisation and other factors. Efficient utilisation of IT infrastructure and other initiatives could lead to lower costs, depending on adaptability of the players and other stakeholders.

Auto Monitor

29 APRIL 2013

NEWS

12

Faurecia to set up facility at Sanand Abhishek Parekh Mumbai

F

rench auto component major Faurecia’s seating systems division is evaluating plans to set up a new manufacturing facility in Sanand, Gujarat, to cater to its largest customer Ford, and to expand its presence in India. The new facility for which the company has set aside an investment of around EUR 4-5 million would help in increasing the company’s total capacity in India by around 40 to 50 percent over the next couple of years.

“We are looking to enhance our supply base of tier-II manufacturers and that along with current uncertainty in the market are two of the biggest challenges we are facing in the Indian market. We are looking to enhance our presence in India by enhancing capacity for seating system components and diversifying the product base,” said Adrian Williams, RBU Director, Faurecia Automotive Seating.

The French components major manufactures around 8,000 units of seating system components per day at its two facilities in Manesar in the National Capital Region (NCR) and Pune. A facility

in Chennai, a joint venture with Krishna Maruti and NHK Spring, is under development and is likely to be commissioned this year.

Faurecia Automotive Seating (FAS) is a global supplier of seat mechanisms and frames and the third largest supplier of complete seat systems. Its portfolio of products and solutions include frames, tracks, adjustment mechanisms, foam and covers. Faurecia seamlessly assembles the different components to create a complete seat and offers just-in-time delivery to its customers’ plants.

It boasts expertise in the full range of critical technology used in automotive seating, operating a global manufacturing and R&D network (2,000 engineers and technicians, including 350 skilled employees at 18 R&D centres) to serve its customers in each of their markets.

In case of a crash, the seat plays a key role in driver and passenger safety by being firmly anchored to the floor and holding the body in place. Over 90 percent of the seats that the French auto component major supplies are fitted on vehicles that have obtained a five-star rating in the Euro NCAP crash tests. Seats account for 6 to 10 percent of the vehicle’s weight.

As part of the “Light Attitude”

Seat Mechanisms production in Groject plant, Poland

weight reduction program, it uses very high tensile steel offering superior resistance, while reducing volume and weight. It employs a laser beam welding process that does not require additional materials that would otherwise increase the vehicle’s weight. The company also has the requisite skills for incorporating

Vikas Group enhances backward integration Cuts import to manage profit as rupee continues to devaluate Nabeel A. Khan New Delhi

A

competitive environment and sagging market conditions has compelled the Vikas group to cut down imports of sub-components, while easing inventory. It has chosen to sign a JV with the Sanden Group of Japan to manufacture compressor components in India.

Production is expected to start soon. The new JV will be a major supplier to the existing JV, Sanden Vikas, a leading automobile airconditioning and compressor manufacturer in India.

It is understood that together the company’s will invest around Rs 50 crore in a new plant at Neemrana-Japanese Park spread over five acres. While actual production is expected to start in September, trial production will commence in July this year.

“We will produce all the components that we import – cylinder blocks, cylinder heads and front housing, followed by precise engine parts. All these are currently being imported from Korea and Malaysia,” said Abhimanyu Sharaf, Director, Vikas Group.

Introducing braking system The Group’s other joint venture, Sata Vikas, a JV with Sata, Italy, boasts of one of the most modern and efficient machine shops in the country.

Mr Sharaf added, “With our continued investments in the

machine shop, Sata Vikas, we are committed to becoming a prominent player in the casting & machining business, focusing on critical parts of engine, transmission, suspension & braking.”

With two globally strong companies as JV partners for the foundry and machine shop, both will strongly complement each other in terms of knowhow, markets, customers and geographies. The machine shop will also complement Vikas Group’s upcoming business of Aluminum High Pressure Die casting as well.

Sharaf emphasized that the Group’s core ideology of challenge and innovation together with wisdom and harmony

have been the cornerstone of the Group’s journey till now.

They plan to continue this with a higher-level of collaborative & customer-centric approach. With a focus on driving operational efficiency, together with a focus on leveraging synergies by developing adjacent businesses through vertical integration would continue to be their focus for growth.

The backward integration will help the company in lowering inventory to seven days from three to five months. Sata, based out of Italy, operates machine shops globally, and has been a leading supplier of precision-machined components to the automotive industry worldwide.

biomaterials into seat foam and controlling the recycling process for certain materials used.

Additionally, the company develops modular rear seating solutions that adapt the vehicle’s interior to suit the number of passengers and the type of journey.

Some of the vehicle models feature a third row of seats, which

can be tucked fully away into the floor to maximize the size of the trunk. This WIN feature (When I Need) is a standard feature for some family vehicles.

The company also develops a vast array of built-in functions, such as shoulder adjustments, neck heating systems and various electric controls.

MyTVS eyes country wide presence Pradeb Biswas Mumbai

W

ith its new outlet in Kolkata up and running, MyTVS has set its sights into further expansions. Ushering in a new enthusiasm and expertise is the recently appointed President & CEO of TVS Automobile Solutions Limited, Sanjay Nigam.While most automobile industry heads and analysts are worried about the current slowdown, Nigam sees an opportunity for MyTVS. Owing to the economic slowdown most individuals are holding back on their purchasing decisions.

It does not matter which among them an individual chooses as they will still be on the lookout for quality service at an affordable price. MyTVS specializes in that and hence Nigam believes that the slowdown offers an opportunity to bring in more customers.

“Every new CEO comes in with their own personal strategy and mine is to make MyTVS grow progressively. We need to consolidate and get our existing facilities perform to their full capacity. I will also ensure that our service quality is second to none. We are investing heavily in training manpower, on the quality of parts, workshop experience, customer satisfaction,” said Nigam.

“Once I see an improvement in customer satisfaction then, I will ramp up the network expansion. Within the next two years we would definitely to double the number of outlets. I have also observed that at times one is in the rush of expansion and as a result of which quality ends up taking a hit,” he added.

The existing service centers of MyTVS are currently company owned as well as franchise operated. With respect to its expansion plan the company does not have a planned outlook neither is it looking at ratio between increasing its company owned outlets or franchisee outlets. The decision of either partnering or owing it will depend on the individual requirements of a particular market or region.

Elaborating more about his plans for MyTVS, Nigam said, “My priorities for as of now are to expand the business and tie up with more OEMs. We already have a tie up with Tata Motors for servicing and 24/7 roadside assistance to its vehicle owners.

We also have a near similar tie up with Renault-Nissan.”

“If there are eager partners, have aspirations and are willing to develop the brand then we will take them up as our franchisees.

But in areas where we find that TVS has its own resources then we look at expanding our company owned outlets. We want to cover the whole country,” he added.

Asked about the earlier plans of MyTVS for having a presence in foreign markets, Nigam replied, “We are looking at expanding into Sri Lanka and Middle East. I am not eager to rush into it as the strategy that I am looking at is to consolidate and get the existing packages right.”

MyTVS already has a strong presence in the four states of South India apart from a service centre in Kolkata and Vadodra. There are 70 outlets nationally. MyTVS is looking at expanding its network in Kerala & Gujarat. Among the southern states, Tamil Nadu generates the highest revenues.

Auto Monitor

29 APRIL 2013

COLUMN

14

Dealer Effectiveness Breaking the ‘growth’ ceiling for automotive dealerships Quarter-on-Quarter Commercial Vehicle Sales (‘000s)

Quarter-on-Quarter Passenger Vehicle Sales (‘000s)

Anirban Majumdar Project Leader Tata Strategic Management Group

Source: Crisil Research, SIAM and Tata Strategic Analysis

A

Shripad Ranade Senior Principal of Auto & Engineering Practice Tata Strategic Management Group

utomot ive dea lerships are facing a “low growth–low profit” scenario that is diluting their present and future market potential. The root cause for this is reactive strategic direction setting, limited process/capability enhancement plans, and slow alignment of organization structure and people competencies. Dealerships need to adopt a holistic improvement approach that focuses on strategic planning for revenue growth and diversification, drives operational excellence, and develops people capabilities for an effective and efficient business model, say Shripad Ranade and Anirban Majumdar of Tata Strategic Management Group.

Introduction

The current situation warrants a strong dealer organization to cope with and manage the changes. However, most dealerships lack a professional organizational setup, making them illequipped.

The Indian automobile market is witnessing a surge in competition and intense demand cyclicity with huge pressure on margins. The impact of this is particularly severe on the dealerships, who are even passing on discounts to customers at the cost of dealer margins in an effort to retain market share. And despite volumes rising in specific segments, the disproportionately high efforts in selling/servicing is severely eroding dealer profitability. To make matters worse, the lack of career or compensation growth in dealerships is driving away good talent which could have offset the industry challenges.

Challenges Strategic Shift The commercial vehicle industry is witnessing a shift in volumes growth from MHCV to SCV, which accounted for 45% of sales in 2011-12. This implies a change in the way that deal-

erships need to operate their business, as customers in the SCV segment are more like passenger vehicle customers than MHCV customers. Likewise, the passenger vehicle industry too is witnessing intense competitive activity, with OEMs and dealers resorting to discounts and other freebies to attract customers.

To be able to sustain a business in such an environment, auto dealerships will need to change not only the way vehicles are sold, but also how and where these are sold and how they are maintained, including understanding a customer’s total cost of ownership. This requires a re-evaluation of existing sales and marketing strategies and operations in order to create an alignment with the current business environment. However, most dealerships lack the required exposure and competency to carry this out, as dealership roles have been restricted to only executing strategic and tactical changes handed down by the OEMs. Organizational Alignment The current business situation warrants a strong dealer organization to cope with and manage the changes. However, most dealerships lack a professional organizational setup, making them ill-equipped for the task at hand. A strong promoter-driven culture at dealerships has seen dealership organizations become person centric, having been built around a few key individuals over the years. Roles and positions are often ad hoc and created to accommodate loyal employees rather than to serve any specific business objective. Very often, there is overlap of different roles, lack of clarity in responsibilities and absence of any definite

Year-on-year Profitability of Dealers (PBT%)

Source: Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Tata Strategic Analysis

career path for employees. This results in talented employees either underperforming or seeking opportunities elsewhere, making the organization more susceptible to market vagaries.

Most dealerships admit that talent management and talent retention are major concern areas for them. Attrition rates at auto dealerships are high and lie in the range of 20%-30%, even going up to 40% for certain levels.

The reasons for this are two-fold: s , O W C O M P E N S A T I O N - Compensation levels at commercial vehicle dealerships are low, with gross monthly salaries (excluding incentives) for sales executives in the range of Rs 7000 – Rs 8000, for senior sales executives in the range of Rs 12000 – Rs 15000 and for sales managers between Rs 18000 – Rs 22000. The figures are around 15%-20% higher in passenger vehicles. s ,ACK OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPment – Employees do not see any professional development for themselves if they stay for a continued period in the dealership, with limited or no training imparted for skill and competency enhancement.

Dealer principals themselves are not interested in investing in employee training as they do not see any return from it. The lack of pecuniary and non-pecuniary motivation for employees means that many employees leave jobs even for meagre increments in pay packets.

The impact of high attrition is further compounded by the difficulty dealerships face in attracting quality resources from the market. The passenger vehicle market is already crowded with many players, so dealership employees have a plethora

of options. In the commercial vehicle segment, with the entry of new players e.g. Bharat Benz, Mahindra Navistar, MAN, and the expansion of existing commercial vehicle players into new product lines and segments, the demand for quality resources has gone up. However the resource supply pool from ITIs, polytechnics, etc. has not kept pace. Consequently, many dealerships have started recruiting people from other industries too, especially in the field sales force. This is likely to have an impact on sales force effectiveness. This is evident in Tier 1 & 2 town auto dealerships, where there is an increasing trend of field sales executives being dismissed in the past year due to non-performance.

Operational Effectiveness The slowdown in the automobile industry in recent years, coupled with increased competition, has resulted in reducing profitability for auto dealerships (refer figure below).

This brings into focus the need for dealerships to improve their operational efficiencies on a priority basis.

However, different vehicle segments may need to focus on different aspects of their operations. In commercial vehicles, there is a definite shift in volume mix from MHCV to SCV vehicles, which have lower margins but which require proportionately greater effort from dealer sales executives for each sale. The customer value proposition of SCV vehicles is also completely different to that of MHCVs. This implies the need for different selling skills, operational strategies and sales process changes.

On the other hand, the slowing sales of passenger vehicles imply

Competitive Intensity in Passenger Vehicle Segment

Source: Crisil, SIAM and Tata Strategic Analysis

29 APRIL 2013

that dealers may need to focus more on enhancing their service revenues. This can be achieved through faster turnaround times of vehicles in workshops, better availability of spares, and better connect with the customers to ensure increased vehicle inflow.

These need to be addressed on priority, else customers will flock to other co-dealers or garages that focus on these aspects.

Way Forward Dealerships will need to adopt a holistic approach that aligns their strategic plans, organization structure and processes, people capabilities and business processes to drive and enable growth.

St rateg ic Grow t h – Dealerships need to have an in-depth understanding of their OEM’s strategic objectives in order to identify their own strategic thrust areas. That should form the basis for a comprehensive growth strategy that charts out the segment specific growth requirements (that includes adding new product lines or exiting from existing ones), strategic plans and support required from the OEMs. In addition, dealerships may also need to look at diversification opportunities

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COLUMN with non-auto OEMs that would help offset the inherent cyclicity of the automotive industry.

Operational Excellence – Dealerships need to focus on improving the effectiveness of their sales and service processes.

Introduction of customer contact points, remote working of sales executives and IT enablement of the sales process could help dealers improve their sales coverage, increase conversion ratios, and improve sales productivity and channel ROI for dealerships.

Similarly, service workshop initiatives like Kaizen and process workf low improvement can vastly improve service productivity and customer satisfaction while focused service marketing activities can enhance service revenues.

Organization effectiveness – Dealerships need to put in place an organization structure that is geared to achieve their business objectives. Roles and KPIs need to be strongly aligned to strategic goals and people competencies mapped to specific positions. Dealerships will also need to invest in capability building and training of its workforce to be better prepared for the challenges ahead.

Case Study 1: When a lead-

Mahindra First Choice Services inaugurates Nellore workshop

M

ahindra First Choice Services Ltd. (MFCS), India’s leading multi-brand car workshop company, launched its Nellore workshop today. The facility is spread over 18,000 sq. ft with 15 bays and a monthly capacity of servicing 900+ cars of various brands. It was inaugurated by YVS Vijay Kumar, CEO, Mahindra First Choice Services.

“Nellore is one of the fastest growing places in Andhra Pradesh and we are delighted to be a part of this growth story. This expansion shows our commitment to the car owners in AP. This launch follows from the overwhelming response we received at our other two workshops in Hyderabad. Soon, we are going to add our third facility in Hyderabad,” YVS Vijay Kumar said.

Brand building strategy “We believe that the existing car workshops are unable to keep pace with the growing servicing needs of car owners in Nellore. This gap presented us with the opportunity to begin our operations here. Being a leading player in the multi-brand car workshop business in India, we are constantly endeavouring to provide customers with services which will offer them greater value and convenience. This workshop will function as a one-stop-shop for any brand of car which needs to be serviced or repaired.

This is part of our strategy to address the aftermarket requirements of the entire category of car owners, irrespective of the brand that they own,” Vijay Kumar added.

MFCS offers skilled technicians, quality spare parts, state-of-the art equipment, free pickup and drop facility, all geared to give a world class car servicing experience for any brand of car.

YVS Vijay Kumar, CEO, MFCSL and Alok Kapoor, Head Marketing, MFCSL at the inauguration.

ing automobile manufacturer in India saw the profitability of its major dealership declining sharply as a result of increased competition, the difficulties of managing a large product portfolio, operational inefficiencies, and the lack of managerial capability at the dealership, it launched an initiative for improving dealer effectiveness. The initiative encompassed restructuring of the dealer organization structure, competency and capability building for dealer personnel and sales and service process improvements and helped the dealer to become future-ready.

The successful initiative is now being currently rolled out to all full range dealerships for the OEM across India.

Case Study 2: A leading PV manufacturer in India wanted to improve the effectiveness of the spare parts function at its channel partners. The OEM launched a country-wide initiative at its dealers that focused on creating an effective spare parts organization structure, defined job descriptions, set up clear career paths for employees, and identified role-specific training needs.

It also recommended compensation packages for all roles and positions and re-engineered

15

processes for spare parts operations. The initiative helped the OEM to achieve high customer service levels through a structure, process and improvement by developing strategic alliances across the dealer network.

Conclusion Dealers are at a critical inflexion point today and need heightened strategic interventions. Dealers need to drive strategic direction setting and explore diversification opportunities. At the same time, they need to work closely with the

OEM to chart out their segmentspecific growth requirements, skill set enhancement plans, and operational improvements. This will require significant time and effort from the dealers. As dealers are critical customer touch points, the OEMs will need to support them with time and resources. Commitment and maturity shown by the dealers will be critical in order to derive benefits over an extended period of time, help them break the growth ceiling and maintain their viability in an increasingly competitive market.

Auto Monitor

29 APRIL 2013

AUTOPINION

16

Transport matters Logistics Strategies for Current Challenges in the Indian Automotive Industry

Overview of the Indian Automotive Industry One of the largest industries in India, the automotive sector has deep forward and backward linkages with other sectors and the global automotive chain. It has also been one of the world’s fastest-grow ing automotive industries during the last decade. As of 2012, the industry has been ranked 11th in the manufacture of passenger cars, fourth in the manufacture of commercial vehicles, and second in the manufacture of two wheelers in the world. The Indian automotive industry was valued at about USD 65 billion in 2012, contributing around 3.5-4 percent to the country’s GDP, and was one of the largest contributors to the manufacturing sector. Exports constituted around 10 percent of the entire industry revenues. The industry is concentrated in three major hubs – National Capital Region (NCR) comprising locations around Delhi, West-Central Region comprising locations around Mumbai and Pune, and Southern Region comprising locations around Chennai and Bangalore.

The Indian automotive industry is dominated by the organized segment and there is no scope for unorganized participants. Domestic participants dominate the commercial vehicles, two-, and three-wheeler segments, while international majors control the passenger car segment. As of 2012, there were approximately 50 manufacturers – 15 in passenger vehicles (PV) and utility vehicles (UV), nine in commercial vehicles (CV), 10 in two wheelers (2W) and four in three wheelers (3W).

Overview of Logistics Functions in the Automotive Industry Logistics is considered the most important function in the automotive industry after product development, since there is a significant volume of goods movement, both inbound (material sourcing) and outbound (distribution). Most companies in the Indian automotive industry insist on their vendors handling logistics activities related to the material supply.

However, ensuring timely delivery of all materials in required quantities to meet daily production schedules needs major involvement in logistics planning and execution on the part of the automotive companies too. Similarly, on the outbound side, since companies normally have just one or two manufacturing locations, ensuring timely consignment delivery to various retailing centers across the country involves significant planning and management of the transportation function and related service providers.

The Indian auto industry spends approximately 4 percent of its turnover on logistics, and the total logistics market in the automotive industry was worth USD 2.6 billion in 2012.

Transportation accounted for

a very large share in the overall logistics spend of the automotive industry, mainly because the level of warehousing activity is very low. Domestic transportation of automobiles within India is mainly by road due to the bulky nature of products. Open and/or closed trailer trucks with two/ three level stacking facilities are used for this purpose.

The Indian automotive industry was one of the earliest adopters of outsourcing logistics functions. Currently, over 95 percent of automotive companies outsource logistics functions.

However, outsourcing end-toend logistics functions is not yet done by most companies due to various reasons, including concerns over losing control over the supply chain.

Challenging Times for the Indian Automotive Industry The Indian automotive industry is facing a gloomy scenario for the second time within a span of four years. It was one of the most affected sectors in the country during the global economic crisis of 2008-09. However it witnessed quick revival during the next year and was also one of the key contributors in fast recovery of the Indian economy. But in 2012, the industry again started witnessing stagnant or declining sales month after month.

The industry reported about 6-7 percent decline in overall sales during FY2013. While PV and CV segments witnessed decline, two- and three-wheeler segments registered some growth (as shown in Exhibit 1 below).

This decline is considered to be resulting from a number of adverse factors ranging from the global economic turmoil emanating from Europe, to domestic troubles such as increasing fuel prices, high input costs, persistent inflation, high interest rates, and no supporting measures from the government in the consecutive annual budgets of 2012 and 2013. In addition, new measures in the 2013 budget such as increase in excise and customs duty on automobile imports and sport utility vehicles (SUVs) added to the industry’s troubles, since luxury cars and SUV segments are considered to hold relatively high growth potential in coming years.

The challenging business scenario in 2012 added substantial additional pressure on the automotive industry participants to reduce operational and logistics costs so as to sustain in this milieu. However, most companies seem to be focused on short-term measures rather than re-inventing strategies for longterm benefits.

The overall industry growth prospects are expected to be low (or even negative) for the year 2013 too, with high volume segments such as two and three wheelers also reporting decline or stagnation in the early months of 2013.

Logistics Strategies for Challenging Times Logistics strategies or measures adopted by automotive original equipment manufactur-

ers (OEMs) to address the difficult business scenario included mostly reactive measures such as cutting down on labor and operational costs, liquidating assets, and reducing service charges for existing logistics service providers (LSPs) or shifting to smaller (sometimes unorganized) service providers. But these initiatives hold less potential to optimize logistics costs in the long term.

Frost & Sullivan recommends that companies undertake more effective initiatives such as supply chain optimization and collaborative logistics for realizing sustainable efficiencies and other benefits over the long term.

Supply Chain Optimization: Supply chain optimization involves thorough evaluation and reworking of all activities within the supply chain such as: Q Vendor optimization by location, that is re-evaluating vendors based on overall cost of purchase and procurement Q Transport routes optimization by linking routes with further scope for two-way engagements, instead of individual point-to-point routes Q Load planning and fleet optimization through bundling and consolidation, and using larger vehicles whenever required Q Employ ing cost-eff icient modes like railways and coastal shipping instead of the commonly-used road mode Q Outsourcing small valueaddition works, done as part of final production stages, to LSPs through bundled contracts for integrated logistics.

For example, packaging, kitting, and pre-delivery inspection.

7>

3W

Source: SIAM; Frost & Sullivan analysis

Source: SIAM; Frost & Sullivan analysis

C ol l a b or at i v e L og i s t ic s : Collaborative logistics is the partnership or cooperation between two or more parties to achieve optimization of costs, processes, and resources across logistics functions. In a practical sense, collaborative logistics involves an enhanced level of information sharing, and execution of supply chain functions through close working relationships with a wide range of stakeholders.

Frost & Sullivan’s research on this aspect revealed that while

the automobile industry was a pioneer in various innovative logistics practices including collaboration in logistics, the collaboration was primarily focused on association with LSPs, and not on exploring the potential benefits by collaborating with industry peers. While transportation and warehousing are the common major areas of collaboration, if customers are willing, LSPs can also explore and support through other options of sharing resources such as blue

collar work force, material handling equipment, and technology systems.

At several industry forums, Frost & Sullivan has recommended a model for collaboration in warehousing, tailored for automotive OEMs. It is called Multi-User Yard and there is ideally one for each key distribution centre covering an entire region or zone, where finished vehicles as well as spares of multiple manufacturers are stored and sent for delivery as required by dealers in the region.

29 APRIL 2013

Auto Monitor

NEWS

17

JCB India rolls out 50,000th JCB Engine

J

CB India Ltd. has today rolled out its 50,000th JCB Engine at its Ballabgarh facility in India. In 2011, JCB had launched its first domestically-built, world class, fuel efficient, state-of-the-art, BSIII, 16 valve diesel engine, which claims to be high in fuel efficiency, low in maintenance cost, and providing the best return on investment to its customers.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Vipin Sondhi, MD & CEO, JCB India Ltd., said, “It’s a moment of great pride for the JCB India Team to become the first construction equipment manufacturer in India to roll out 50,000 engines in just two years. These world class engines are a testimony to the immense hard work put in by JCB teams from the UK and India working together. India plays a vital role in JCB’s global expansion plans and this development marks another step towards JCB’s growth in India.”

The JCB ecoMAX engine has over 93% indigenization by value.

It is the first engine in India that

has been developed exclusively for off-highway applications and available with the range, they are naturally aspirated, turbo-

charged and common rail. The 4.8 naturally aspirated engine is specifically developed and designed for India.

Current ly, JCB ecoM A X engine is fitted into Backhoe Loaders 3DX (56 KW), 3DX Super (68 KW), 4DX (68 KW), 3DX Xtra (63 KW), Excavators JS 120 (63 KW), JS210 Wheel Loaders 430ZX (97 KW), Compactors VM115 (85 KW), VMT860 (56 KW), VM115E (93 KW).

Sondhi added, “JCB engine ecoMAX is known for its best in class fuel efficiency. At present, JCB’s ecoMAX engine is used to power JCB’s world beating range of Backhoe Loaders, Wheeled Loaders, Compaction Equipment and part of its Excavator range.”

Prior to the launch in 2011, JCB had organized an extensive Training Program for all the dealers to ensure that expert servicing and guidance is provided to all the customers at JCB dealerships.

Mangla Ram, a proud owner of two JCB Backhoe Loaders fitted with ecoMAX engine, said, ”My Backhoe Loader running on the JCB ecoMAX engine has successfully crossed 12,000 hours of

operation in April 2013 without any error or failure. The entire credit goes to the timely engine oil and air filter maintenance.

Thanks to the service provided

by JCB and the dealership team, I can use my machines for as long as I want. The productivity of these machines is absolutely commendable. My operators are also extremely satisfied with the machine and the engine performance.“ The manufacturing process of the engine plant works on the ‘no fault forward’ production model. To maintain high quality standards, the engine is verified at every stage of production using cutting edge technology, cameras, and sensors providing optimum engineering value to the manufactured product.

JCB has a lso recent ly announced a proposed investment of Rs. 500 crore at their upcoming fourth facility in Jaipur. JCB India holds a leading position in India and it is India’s largest manufacturer of construction equipment.

Mercedes-Benz inaugurates Navi Mumbai outlet

M

ercedes-Benz India has inaugurated a state-of-the-art outlet in the satellite township of Navi Mumbai.

Shaman Wheels Navi Mumbai is strategically located on the Satra Plaza, Palm Beach Road, Vashi, Navi Mumbai. The new outlet was inaugurated by Eberhard Kern, Managing Director and CEO, Mercedes-Benz India, and

Amar Sheth, Managing Director, Shaman Wheels Pvt. Ltd. Speaking on the occasion, Eberhard Kern, Managing Director and CEO, MercedesBenz India, said, “Navi Mumbai is a crucial business district witnessing a steady rise in the demand of luxury cars in the recent past. Shaman Wheels have been our long-standing partner and the brand has

been very well represented in the financial capital of India, Mumbai.” Shaman Wheels Navi Mumbai was created over a span of five months, and can display eight cars. The facility features a Mercedes café, valet parking, accessories boutique, a unique video wall, and a hand-picked staff of 20 personnel to assist customers.

With the inaguration of this

facility, Mercedes-Benz India retains the distinction of being the leading luxury car brand with the densest sales and services network penetration in India with 57 outlets spread over 32 Indian cities.

Mercedes-Benz India also inaugurated a service centre in Churchgate, Mumbai. This service centre from Shaman W heels is spread over 45,000

sq. ft. area and is built with an investment of Rs 35 million.

The centre features 18 dedicated bays that can undertake service, repairs, body and paint jobs and can service up to 18 cars each day. The service centre boasts of staff strength of 45 employees who are trained to provide unparalleled service experience to the MercedesBenz customers.

Auto Monitor

Passenger Vehicles

OEMs

Passenger Cars OEMs

2011-12

2012-13

BMW*

9,593

7,221

16,074

6,933

Ford

90,423

75,771

GM

86,849

67,220

HM

2,954

3,485

HCIL

54,108

73,182

-24.73% -56.87% -16.20% -22.62%

HMIL

3,87,168

3,82,851

M&M

17,839

15,344

MSIL

8,55,730

8,61,337

Merc*

7,419

5,006

Nissan

32,971

35,504

Renault

3,301

12,887

Skoda

32,334

27,941

17.98% 35.25%

Tata

2,57,966

1,74,692

796

1,597

TKM

90,969

72,000

Audi*

6,547

6,901 65,379

-92.52% Force

147

11

M&M

25644

31437

22.59% -23.28% Maruti

1,44,061

1,10,517

Tata

64,909

95,333

Total 2,34,761

-

1.08%

2,37,298

Two-Wheelers Two wheeler sales grew by 2.9 percent last year.

Motorcycle sales haven’t grown from the previous fiscal but a lot of activity in the form of launches in the scooter segment meant scooters were the torch bearers this fiscal. The segment grew 14.24 percent last year from 2.55 million to 2.92 million units. India’s largest scooter manufacturer, Honda continues to soldier-on at a brisk pace growing 15.97 percent in the last financial year and in the process capturing almost 49 percent of the market share. Honda 2 wheelers as a whole grew even faster at 30.58 percent in FY13. Hero Moto lost 4.72 percent of it’s motorcycle share, majorly to Honda, but gained in scooters at an impressive 32.68 percent. The surge in the scooter segment has benifitted Suzuki too selling 3.28 lakh units in FY13 compared to 2.88 units in the same period last year. TVS and Mahindra couldn’t capitalize on the growth slipping to their competition. Royal Enfield crossed the one lakh mark for the first time due to increased capacity at their plant. TVS and Yamaha has lost market share in challenging conditions in the motorcycle segment but in the monopolised moped segment, TVS continues to grow.

OEMs 7.68%

-13.59%

2011-12

4,14,389

5,49,808

HMSI

12,24,579

14,20,115

IYM

-

60,281

-32.28% M&M 2W Piaggio

32.68%

Force

5,087

4,551

1,34,518

1,01,530

-

38,718

SMIL

2,88,603

3,28,766

TVS

4,96,892

4,24,183

5.41%

2,242 23,201

BAL HDMC

-10.54%

HML

6.86%

HM

1,969

2,104

HCIL

312

301

-3.53% -52.82%

1,611

760

483

260

M&M

2,02,217

2,63,926

MSIL

6,525

79,192

Nissan

290

1,451

365

39,576

1,755

1,126

Skoda

2011-12

13.92%

48,475

44,439

TKM

69,234

93,504

VW

6

86

Total 3,63,772

5,53,660

21,786

157

214

HM M&M

1,27,029

1,42,796

MNAL

9,933

8,096

Piaggio

10,579

2,469

Swaraj

4,537

3,838

2,66,164

3,01,410

-10.71%

36.31% 12.41% -18.49% -76.66% -15.41%

Tata

9,610

9,123

13.24% -5.07% 14.04%

M&HCVs (PC+GC) OEMs

2011-12

2012-13

ALL

81,263

70,556

10,021

6,533

85

NA

MNAL

3,885

3,806

Swaraj

8,276

7,719

14.24%

25,66,757

24,63,863

476

7,71,715

11,86,726

IYM

3,55,493

3,02,562

-

4,007

RE

78,546

1,20,694

SMIL

50,081

85,211

2,07,014

1,43,381

VECV - Eicher

37,400

35,051

VECV - Volvo

595

616

Volvo Buses

-4.01%

1325

HMSI

-13.18%

-2.03% -6.73% -30.74%

2012-13

53,62,730

Total

677

601

3,49,216

2,68,263

-6.28%

3.53% -11.23%

-23.18%

-4.72%

53.78% -14.89%

3-Wheelers (PC+GC)

53.66%

-46.17% 70.15%

OEMs

2011-12

2012-13

Atul

26,698

31,788

19.07% 11.41%

Bajaj

2,02,979

2,26,131

Force

11

1

M&M

67,440

65,510

-2.86%

1,84,362

1,83,408

-0.52%

Scooters

17,590

15,837

TVS

14,201

15,616

-90.91%

30.52%

TVS Total

6,21,722

5,58,468

1,00,73,303 1,00,85,586

-10.17% 0.12%

400.34% 10742.74%

Piaggio

Mopeds/Electric

-35.84%

OEMs Tata

24,399

346.41%

-14.63%

25,58,981 29,23,401

56,28,513

M&M 2W**

1133.67%

Renault

Force

Daimler***

178.36%

20,930

ICML

35,155

Tata

1,454

HMIL

7,875

AMW

-6.69%

-9.79% GM

ALL

-34.81%

-16.46%

-35.15% Ford

2012-13

15.97%

-24.52%

UV 2012-13

2011-12

2012-13

HML

OEMs

2011-12

OEMs

Scooter/Scooterettees

Motorcycles/StepThroughs

OEMs

LCVs (PC+GC)

0.66% -32.52%

220

Total 20,31,306 18,95,471

M&HCV sales had a dismal year falling 23.18 percent in FY13. Every manufacturer in in the red except niche player Volvo. Tata Motors stronghold reduced with sales falling 30.74 percent in this segment. India’s second largest M&HCV manufacturer, Ashok Leyland, slipped 13.18 percent showing an overall decline in the segment. Where heavy trucks lost out, the light commercial vehicles gained. The segment grew by 14.04 percent in the past year where Tata Motors has done well growing almost at the industry pace. Equally impressive was Mahindra growing at 12.41 percent. The Dost from Ashok Leyland is sold in just a few markets in India but sales have been strong with 35,155 units making their way to customers.

In three wheelers, the gap between Bajaj and Piaggio increased due to a strong showing by the former. Atul Auto in growing into a national force froma regional player posting an impressive 19 percent rise in sales.

Total 4,60,283 5,24,887

Total Porsche

46.87%

-1.12%

-20.85%

78,265

2012-13

-13.99%

100.63%

VW

2011-12

VECV - Eicher

290.40%

Tata JLR

Commercial Vehicles

MPV

The financial year has ended and the numbers are out.

Cumulatively, passenger vehicle sales have risen 2.12 percent in the past year but it’s not a rozy picture with passenger car sales falling 6.7 percent. SUVs have got the cash registers ringing posting a phenomenal 52.2 percent rise in sales. Despite increase in excise duties for SUVs last year, it didn’t deter customers away from the segment and the trend seems to continue after this year’s budget too. It was a good year for the Renault-Nissan alliance, the group selling 89,418 units in FY13. Renault has overtaken Nissan selling almost 59 percent of the cars. Maruti car sales have hit a plateau growing by a miniscule 0.66 percent despite hot selling models like the Swift and the Dzire in their line-up but overall, considering all segments, the manufacturer’s sales are up 4.45 percent.

This despite the fact that the company faced worker troubles for a couple of months resulting in a factory lock-down. Tata Motors is making up for the poor show in passenger cars by good numbers in the MPV segment growing by 46.87 percent. These include the Ace and the Magic Iris which skews numbers a bit since these vehicles aren’t seen as private cars for families. German luxury car manufacturers have stopped providing numbers since a few months.

Fiat

29 APRIL 2013

A N A LY S I S

18

2011-12

2012-13

-9.97% 9.96%

-8.33% TVS

35.06%

7,76,866

7,88,761

1.53%

7,76,866

7,88,761

1.53%

Total

5,13,281 5,38,291

4.87%

1333.33%

Total 52.20%

* BMW, Mercedes and Audi monthly data not available ** Figures from Jan-March 2013 *** Data not available since August 2008 onwards

29 APRIL 2013

Auto Monitor

NEWS

19

ARAI: Product development innovations Design and Development of Radiator Fan for Automotive Applications Cooling fans are required to provide air ow for engine cooling, air conditioning compressor uid cooling and charged air cooling. An optimally designed cooling fan can reduce energy consumption, which an off-theshelf design may not provide.

Trial and error methods being time consuming and expensive, a methodology for generating a blade proďŹ le for the given functional requirements is very useful.

The Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) has developed a methodology for design and development of radiator cooling fans for automotive applications which facilitate shorter product development cycle and cost saving in prototyping. Features of the methodology: s 'ENERATION OF INITIAL BLADE proďŹ le for the given functional requirements using the in-house Axial Fan Design

software. The software packages complex airf low concepts, airfoil behaviour and design expertise. s 0REPARATION OF #!$ MODEL AND CFD analysis of initial design to predict fan performance in terms of airow, pressure rise and power consumption. s 0ARAMETRIC OPTIMIZATION OF initial fan design using CFD. s 0REPARATION OF A RAPID PROTOTYPE MODEL OF THE OPTIMIZED fan design, and testing to evaluate the performance. s &INE TUNING OF THE lNAL FAN geometry to meet functional requirements and validation with the experiments.

Using this methodology, we developed fan designs reporting up to 13% improvement in static efďŹ ciency.

Forging Process using Computer Simulation With conventional practices, developing a forging process for any new component requires many shop oor trials, including

initial billet dimensions. But with the help of reliable computer simulation tools it is now possible to optimise the forging process and billet dimensions with minimum or no shop oor trials. The simulation can also provide insights into variations and reveals potential forging defects.

A R A I-Forg i ng I ndust r y Division at Chakan, Pune, has developed software simulation, the Forge2011, with dedicated workstations and 16 core cluster computing infrastructure along with other modelling and pre/post processing software tools such as Unigraphics, ProEngineer, Autodesk Inventor, Hy perWorks, a nd UGN X – Nastran.

Case Study: Optimisation of forging process for a Circular Flange In the conventional forging process, a circular ange is forged in two stages after heating. That is, blocker using a hammer, followed by a combined operation of trimming/piercing/draw-

Polaris launches off-roading circuits in Bengaluru

F

or those who love to go off-road with their quad bikes or race down bumpy tracks, Polaris India Pvt. Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Polaris Industries Inc., the world leader in off-road and all-terrain vehicles, have inaugurated two off-road circuits in Bengaluru in association with Play in Sarjapur, and with Target Games & Facilities Pvt. Ltd. in Yeshwanthpur. Adventure and motorsport enthusiasts can

now experience the thrill of riding the heart thumping series of powersport vehicles lined up by Polaris on these tracks.

Commenting on the ocassion, Pankaj Dubey, Managing Director, Polaris India Pvt. Ltd., said, “Bengaluru has a rich racing culture and has a wide variety of terrains, hence the off-road vehicle segment has the potential for growth.

We are pleased to start Polaris Experience Zone with Play

and Target Games & Facilities to offer off-road motor experience to motor sports lovers in Bengaluru. Southern India is an important market for us as it contributes majorly towards our growth story in India and hence strategic for us. We foresee huge interest and potential in this market and plan to introduce more off-road tracks in southern India. We plan to increase the number of such tracks from 13 to 25 by this year-end.�

ing using hydraulic press. This process creates different forgING DEFECTS AT BOTH STAGES VIZ

under-ďŹ lling in blocker stage, and undesired curvature forming and tearing in the combined operation. An additional problem is reduced tool life.

The ďŹ rst step chosen in the methodology was to simulate existing forging process and validate it. Inputs required for SIMULATION WERE INITIAL BILLET SIZE

material details, thermal details, die design, forging equipment details, lubrication details, etc.

A detailed study was carried out to understand the possible reasons for these defects.

Modifying the existing forging process was a challenging job, which requires knowledge of die design and an understanding of the forging process.

Shop-oor trials were carried out using modiďŹ ed dies as per the new designs created following the re-design, and no defects were observed in the modiďŹ ed process. Machining require-

ment after combined operation was also reduced considerably: s #OMPUTER SIMULATION COULD capture the defects in the existing forging process. s 3IMULATION RESULTS GAVE INSIGHT about the forging process and it enabled to ďŹ nd possible reasons for the defects. s /PTIMUM BILLET SHAPE AND modified die designs were arrived at by iterative computer simulations. s !LL THE FORGING DEFECTS WERE removed using the modiďŹ ed forging process. s "ECAUSE OF MODIlED PROCESS

press load was reduced considerably (@ 1/3rd) and hence improved tool life. s 2ESULTS OF THE SIMULATION WERE validated by shop-oor trials. s 4HE ENTIRE EXERCISE OF COMPUTer simulation helped to arrive at optimum forging process with no forging defects which gave beneďŹ ts of reduction in time, cost, energy consumption, waste and improved product quality.

Denso to invest in Pricol co for instrument clusters

I

n an effort to grow its instrument cluster business in India, Denso Corporation has acquired shares in Pricol Components, that designs, manufactures, and sells instrument clusters for passenger vehicles. Denso holds 51 percent ownership and Pricol the remaining.

Pricol Components will be renamed Denso Pricol India.

Pricol Components began man-

ufacturing instrument clusters for passenger vehicles recently, in a section of Pricol’s two plants located in Coimbatore and Manesar using production equipment obtained from Pricol.

Pricol is an automotive suppliers of instrumental clusters and oil pumps in India. Denso has been a longtime partner with Pricol mainly in the field of instrument clusters.

7KH GHÀQLWLYH œ(GJH¡ IRU 0HWDO ZRUNLQJ DQG DOOLHG EXVLQHVV 7KH GHÀQLWLYH (GJH IRU MMT is a leading monthly magazine for the metal working & allied industries that brings forth the latest market trends & emerging technologies, highly useful features on machine tool and cutting tool applications, business strategies, success stories, views & visions of industry leaders, etc. Moreover, it serves as an active business-to-business platform for the manufacturing industry in India and across the world

om ne.c tonli m m . www

Your Partner in Growth To sou source products from the magazine sms MMT(space) product name to 51818 Today Network18 Media & Investments Ltd, Ruby House, 1st Floor, J K Sawant Marg, Dadar (W), Mumbai 400 028.

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Auto Monitor

20

29 APRIL 2013

I M P R I N T F E AT U R E

E-Cube dry filtration technology

A

t t he March 2013 Technology Forum in Germany, Eisenmann presented its pathbreaking E-Cube spray booth technology. The E-Cube separation system uses an intelligent filtration method to remove paint overspray from the air.

It is a dry system, energy and resource efficient, simple to use, and can be operated by unskilled staff. The E-Cube is suitable for systems of all sizes and, with its ingenious filter technolog y, operates without the need for chemicals, water or other additives – conserving resources and simplifying waste disposa l. The cube-shaped design means separation modules require less space for storage; when fully assembled they fit on a euro pallet. E-Cube can be quickly and efficiently retrofitted to existing solutions

that previously featured other separation modules.

to re-circulate air or utilize a supply and exhaust air system.

An ingeniously simple paint separation solution

Filters replace chemicals, water and additives

The E-Cube mechanical overspray separation system is situated below a grid in the spray booth. Air, contaminated with paint particles during spraying, is sucked in and routed through the separation system.

As it passes through the separation modules, paint particles are removed from the air. There is a second filter stage after the separation modules (also known as ‘cubes’), to increase the separation rate. Motorized shutters ensure that E-Cube modules can be individually removed and replaced during periods when the plant is not in use. System pressure is monitored to ensure steady, consistent operation, without cross-flow. It is possible

The separation modules are hybrid filters, consisting of surface and depth type filters.

Individual filter elements are arranged in such a way as to create a labyrinthine flow path. This configuration provides an ideal sequence of coarse and fine separation, ensuring even distribution of particles in the separation module. Depending on the type of paint applied, the system can achieve a separation rate between 0.5 and 2 mg/m³ of air.

Cubes have a high capacity and a service life ranging from one to several weeks. For example, a cube in a ten meter long spray booth, operated in three shifts and producing 60 kg of overspray per hour, has a mean

E-Cube is resource efficient, does not require chemicals, water or other additives, and can be operated by unskilled staff.

NEWS

V

olkswagen India Private Limited has inaugurated the Parts and Components Business Unit at the Volkswagen Pune Plant in the presence of Dr. Hubert Waltl, Member of the Board of Management of Volkswagen Passenger Cars Brand with the responsibility for Production and Logistics; Mahesh Kodumudi, President a nd Ma naging Director, Volkswagen India Private Limited; and Andreas Lauenroth, Executive Director Technical, Volkswagen India Private Limited. As a part of its growth strategy, Volkswagen India Private Limited will now export parts and components of Volkswagen Vento, and in the near future, of Volkswagen Polo, to Malaysia where the cars will be assembled for the local market.

Volkswagen India Private Limited has been exporting cars from its Pune plant since last year as fully-built units to markets such as South Africa, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Malaysia,

service life of one week.

Simple to operate The cubes themselves are made mostly from recycled material and can be folded up during storage and delivery to save space. What’s more, they are easy to assemble and replace – this can be undertaken by unskilled staff.

As the E-Cube does not consume chemicals, water or other additives, waste and associated costs are significantly lower than for comparable separation systems.

E-Cube can be used in any wet paint application, for example by automakers, automotive suppliers and by manufacturers of commercial and agricultural vehicles. Other areas of application include wind power, plastics coating, and metal finishing.

About Eisenmann Eisenmann is a leading glob-

al industrial solutions provider for surface finishing, material flow automation, environmental engineering and thermal process technology. The company develops and builds made-to-measure manufacturing, assembly and distribution plants that are highly flexible, energy- and resource-efficient. The family-run enterprise is headquartered in southern Germany and has been advising customers across the globe for over 60 years. Today, Eisenmann has a workforce of approximately 3,700 worldwide, with subsidiaries in Europe, the Americas and the BRIC countries. In 2012, Eisenmann generated annual revenues of 640 million euros.

Eisenmann started its operations in India, in early 2010 and executes turnkey paint finishing systems for its customers in Automotive and General finishing industry.

Eisenmann E-Cube for spray paint booths: maintenance access.

VW opens export business unit and left-hand drive version of Volkswagen Vento to the Middle East Countries. The inauguration of the parts and components business unit marks the next step in its export business, and supports the growth strategy of Volkswagen AG in South East Asia.

The body and assembly parts exported to Malaysia will be assembled at the DRB Hicom Plant for their domestic market.

The Indian export parts constitute approximately 70 percent of the car and will be manufactured and packaged at the Pune plant.

The investment in developing the business unit is approximately `56 crores (8 million Euro), and will create about 215 new jobs for Volkswagen and its suppliers.

Dr. Hubert Waltl congratulated Volkswagen India and said, “Malaysia is a key market for Volkswagen in South East Asia region. Volkswagen Pune plant has the quality competence and perfectly fulfils the requirements to successfully export parts and

components to Malaysia. The German engineering with highest quality made by Volkswagen in India, will be the unit’s key to success.”

“The parts and components business unit is the next important strategic step for us to grow beyond the domestic market and contribute towards the growth strategy of Volkswagen AG in South East Asia region,” said Mahesh Kodumudi.

“For our production plant, this is the next level of growth.

Export is a future orientated business unit and it is our task to ensure that we fulfil the demand of the Malaysian market. It is a challenge for both, the production as well as the logistics departments. Therefore, we will create about 215 new jobs in both the divisions for the required task. Apart from the Malaysian market, if there is a demand from any other region for parts and components, we are on the pole position to support”, said Andreas Lauenroth.

29 APRIL 2013

Auto Monitor

CLASSIFIEDS

21

ADVERTISER’S LIST Advertiser’s Name & Contact Details ACE Micromatic Group

Pg No 1, BC

Advertiser’s Name & Contact Details Engineering Expo

Pg No 13

Advertiser’s Name & Contact Details

Pg No

Larsen & Toubro Limited

FIC

T: +91-80-40200555

T: +91-9819552270

T: +91-09967800456

E: customercare@acemicromatic.com

E: engexpo@infomedia18.in

E: SM.Haridas@larsentoubro.com

W: www.acemicromatic.net

W: www.engg-expo.com

W: www.larsentoubro.com

Carl Zeiss India (Bangalore) Pvt Ltd

3

Fox Solutions

5

Molex Incorporated

T: +91-80-43438102

T: +91-253-6618100

T: +86-28-8789-5088

E: imtndia@zeiss.co.in

E: sales@foxindia.net

E: adam.ong@molex.com

W: www.zeiss.co.in

W: www.foxindia.net

W: www.molex.com

Dhoot Transmission Pvt Ltd

11

G W Precision Tools India Pvt Ltd

15

Moxie Engineering Pvt. Ltd

T: +91-80-40431252

T: ‘+91-161-2671124

E: sales@dhoottransmission.com

E: info@gwindia.in

E: maninder@moxie.co.in

W: www.dhoottransmission.com

W: www.gwindia.in

W: www.moxie.co.in

DSM India Pvt Ltd

W: www.dsm.com/air-management

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

17

Jyoti CNC Automation Pvt. Ltd.

BIC

9

21

Tata Motors Ltd.

7

T: +91-2827-287081

T: +91-22-66586195

E: info@jyoti.co.in

E: charu.gulati@tatamotors.com

W: www.jyoti.co.in

W: www.tatamotors.com

Not Applicable

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Auto Monitor

22

THE OTHER SIDE

Getting Personal with Tomas Ernberg, Managing Director, Volvo Auto India

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

The hotel industry. I love to interact with people.

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

I drive the Volvo XC90. The Volvo P1800 is a classic and I would be proud and excited to drive this car.

Your most recent indulgence…

Last evening. Sharing a bottle of wine with my wife.

What are you currently reading?

1984 by Haruki Murakami.

What do you do when not talking auto?

Spending time with my wife and two daughters.

An outdoor activity you would miss office for…

Tennis.

Where did you go for your last holiday?

Andaman islands. Wonderful beaches!

You get angry when…

People in traffic are not considerate.

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

I would love to weigh five kilos less.

Illustration: Sachin Pandit

Best thing to have happened to you…

Marrying my longtime girlfriend Sebnem and having my two girls!

29 APRIL 2013

In Real Life Tomas Ernberg, Managing Director, Volvo Auto India, is responsible for overall planning and operations for the company.

A Volvo veteran, he has spent 17-years with the company, Tomas began his journey with Volvo in 1994 as the Tourist and Diplomat Sales Manager at Volvo Cars, Turkey. He later moved on to work in several management positions including network, marketing and sales.

In March 2008, Tomas assumed the role of Regional Managing Director, based in Dubai. He managed 13 markets in the Middle East and North Africa there.

Fluent in Swedish, English, Turkish, Spanish and few Arabic languages, Tomas has travelled extensively, across geographies.

A Swede born in Spain, he has lived in Nigeria, Argentina, Malaysia, Sweden, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates. Tomas is an outdoor person and likes playing Tennis in his free time.

An experience I won’t forget…

Although Swedish, I learnt skiing a little later in life. One reason was that it wasn’t till I was 16 that I first saw snow. I had always lived in countries with hot climates. When I was 16, we visited my cousins in the ski resort Verbier in Switzerland. They had been skiing since they were three years old. Anyway they promised to teach me and my brothers to ski. To start off they took us to the second biggest mountain in Verbier to learn. Forget the baby lifts, they said. We took six hours to get down a slope that would take a good skier five minutes. Our feet and arms had never experienced such pain. The best part of the day was taking off the ski boots and having a beer after the ski. After a week in Verbier we learned the basics of skiing and can now go down most slopes, albeit not so gracefully.

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