In order to provide an opportunity for companies to examine and learn from the manufacturing excellence models and benchmark best manufacturing practices in their respective organisations, CII Chennai Zone had organised a one-day Mission to Wabco-TVS (India) Ltd & Wheels India Ltd on 15 December 2010. The objective of this mission was to provide an opportunity for industry representatives to examine and learn from the manufacturing excellence models and some of the best practices on 5S, TQM, Total Employee Involvement being followed by these organizations. Around 34 delegates from Companies like Ashok Leyland Ltd, Air Liquide Medical Systems Pvt Ltd, Carborundum Universal Ltd, Cura Healthcare Ltd, L&T-Komatsu Ltd, Mudrica, Roots Industries Ltd, Saint-Gobain Glass India Ltd, Sterlite Industries India Ltd, TTK-LIG Ltd & Rajalakshmi Engineering College participated in the Mission. The mission members felt that the mission was very interactive and informative
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Tata Motors introduces Tata Winger Platinum
Tata Motors today launched a new offering in the Winger range, the Tata Winger Platinum, in Mumbai. The Tata Winger Platinum is a luxurious 7 seater, designed to provide an enhanced on-road experience with a perfect blend of comfort and space.
The Tata Winger Platinum has been specifically designed to fulfill the needs of passengers who look for carriers but have to depend on Utility vehicles. The innovative design of the Tata Winger Platinum ensures that for a similar vehicle size, it provides much more space in the passenger seating area. This ensures that passengers are equally comfortable even in the last row making it the most apt vehicle for the segment. The seven individual reclining captain seats provide private space for each passenger.
With adjustable head rests, soft wide adjustable armrests, best in-class legroom, individual AC vents and wide luggage space, the Tata Winger Platinum ensures every journey is a pleasurable experience. Passenger comfort has been further enhanced with well thought out features like collapsible grab handles, a side foot step for easy entry, coat hooks and two mobile chargers. In addition, a 2-Din music system with 4 in-built speakers and provision for LCD provide sufficient entertainment for long trips.
The fully enclosed body, rugged engine sub-frame, anti-roll bars at both front and rear, retractable seat belts and child safety lock enhance safety. The 3-way adjustable driver’s seat with power steering and a turning radius of 5.65 metres helps reduce driver fatigue. Motorised headlamps, fog lamps and a demisting unit aid visibility while driving. The aptly designed suspension ensures ride comfort, while the monocoque design minimises NVH (Noise, Vibration & Harshness). The Winger is powered by a proven 2-litre turbo charged inter cooled diesel engine.
The versatility of the Tata Winger Platinum allows it to be deployed for both long-distance transportation as well as intra-city needs such as transportation for working executives, holidaying families and other tourist usage.
The Tata Winger Platinum comes in two colour options – Pearl White and Cycus Grey. It is backed with a 1.5 lakh km / 18-month warranty.
The Tata Winger Platinum BS IV would be available at a price of Rs. 739,724 lakhs (ex-showroom, Mumbai without Octroi).
Monday, December 6, 2010
Automotive aftermarket sector gears up to service complex vehicles with hi-tech equipment
Fuelled by the increasing number of vehicles on the road and ongoing aggressive expansion of Indian and foreign players, the automotive aftermarket for parts and services are growing rapidly. The aftermarket segment, which covers equipment and parts manufacturers, distributors, retailers, service providers and garages, is estimated to be worth Rs 24,000 crore. It is estimated to zoom to Rs 44,000 crore by 2015.
The Indian and international companies that showcased their state-of the art and futuristic equipment and parts at the Auto Serve 2010 exhibition organized by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) during November 19-21, 2010, confirm this optimism in market uptrend. They have moved a step ahead and are ready to meet the service requirements of the modern day complex vehicles with world class equipments and spares.
They, however, find the shortage of skilled manpower as a stumbling block in this apparently booming market. The Union Human Resource Development Ministry and the Technical Universities in the country are requested to seize this opportunity for huge employment creation by making strategic modification in curriculum and establishing more dynamic industry-institution partnerships.
The sky-rocketing price of land, even in suburbs, is another major problem the automotive service providers face. The need for service stations are on the increase but the land for them is becoming scarce and unaffordable.
However, there is sustained innovation in the manufacture of equipment and spares and also in the way they are delivered.
Bosch is ready to meet the new requirements of the growing automotive industry. We want to prepare the Indian after market to face the new technologies with confidence’’, says Mr Sujit Nayak, Head, Brand Management, Bosch Limited.
Bosch is offering complete solutions for automotive diagnostics, complete range of automotive spare parts, service concepts for independent workshops, technical training with technology transfer and even a technical hotline, he says.
Bosch offered on -the - spot class room training for mechanics and end-users at their exhibition stall on various aspects of engine management systems, anti-lock braking system passive safety system and automotive networking.
The Tube & Garage Equipment Division of TVS & Sons Ltd offers latest tools and garage equipment such as; lifting system, A/c management system, paint booth, heating system and others.
Mr R Sheshadri, General Manager, TVS & Sons Ltd said, `To suit the requirements of the new cars with new technology we supply the service equipment and train the end-users. As the number of cars increase the need for equipment also would rise and we find steady growth in this segment’’.
The Puducherry-based Manatec Electronics Pvt Ltd, which design and manufacture garage equipment, specializes in developing electronic-based auto service equipment. ``We mainly focus on wheel care equipment, body shop and utility and pollution control equipment. Our strength is the sales and service network spread across the country. As we are directly involved in marketing and services we understand the customer needs and deliver the right product and service to the industry’’, Mr. S Vijayaraghavan, Director (Business Development), said.
Mr Vijayaraghavan said as the vehicle population increases, the service infrastructure has to grow. The number of garages also should go up. Spiraling land price is making this difficult.
Madhus Garage Equipments Pvt Ltd is in the automotive aftermarket with high quality, latest and trendy equipment to suit the world class cars running on Indian roads, Mr K Narasimhan, Director, says. The Bangalore-based company brings to the market wheel service equipment from leading manufacturers. Madhus also is engaged in providing training to the mechanics and customers and equipment users.
The companies at the Auto Serve exhibition are aware of the large opportunity, the growing automotive market is presenting for all the players across the value chain. However they consider it a big challenge to meet the market demand which is set to double in the next five years. Many of the companies are enhancing their capabilities to produce parts and are empowering themselves to service a wide variety and complexity of vehicles.
Over 95 Exhibitors showcased wide array of products and services in the automotive care, maintenance, service parts, garage equipments, diagnostic instrumentation, collusion & repair equipments, tyre & lubricants and pollution control equipments at Auto Serve 2010 Exhibition. The exhibition provided industry an ideal platform to source latest products and services in automotive aftermarket industry and also identified potential dealers / distributors for the exhibitors
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Car sales in India loses steam
“The demand remains robust. Lower sales last month was because of fewer working days. We have a seven-day plant shut down in December which will reflect on our volumes next month too,” Mr Mayank Pareek, Executive Managing Officer, Maruti Suzuki said.
“We were constrained because of the maintenance shutdown of both our plants. We continued to maintain steady growth in the domestic market. In December, we expect the market to continue its growth trend,” said Mr Arvind Saxena, Director Marketing, Hyundai Motors India.
Friday, November 26, 2010
CII to fight piracy and fake in auto industry
With printing technology being able to print almost anything, counterfeiting FMCG and automobiles products has become child’s play. There’s also a known and unknown complicity by the consumer who does not mind the ‘bargain’. In such a bleak scenario, what is the way to fight piracy and counterfeiting of FMCG goods, or why should it be fought in the first place?
Panels representing the FMCG and automobile industry debated and discussed the same on the second day of the “4th International Conference on Counterfeiting & Piracy: Measuring and addressing the Cost of the 21st Century Crime,” organized by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) at Taj Hotel.
Stating the ignored-obvious Mr. O S Sadhwani, Joint commissioner - Law, Government of Maharashtra said, “One simple reason to fight counterfeiting is because when someone buys such a product but is not satisfied, it affects the brand adversely in the long run. Sadly the customer might not know that the product is a counterfeit.” His solution for fighting it was simple, but complex in its coordination, “Three stake holders lose to counterfeiting - manufacturers, govt. and consumer. They have to come together. At manufacturing level, they should be able to identify a counterfeit that can be done by introducing tacit identifiers in the packaging which only a select field staff would know.” He stressed upon the need for manufacturers to maintain integrity of supply chain, the printer who prints and one who makes the packaging material. “Even the rejected material should be discarded and destroyed.”
One simple but the obvious way was to keep a check on profits and loses. “If you are suddenly showing loses at a particular place, chances are that a counterfeit of your product has made its way there.” There was also a need to change the packaging material often to fool counterfeiters.
The media plays a very crucial role in the fight against counterfeiting and piracy. It is up to them to publicize raids and punishments, thus discouraging counterfeiters.
Yet, despite these measures often counterfeit products do make their way into the supply chain. That is where the law comes into the picture. Elaborating on the legal issues to curb them, Mr. Pravin Anand, Patent Attorney, Anand & Anand Advocates, said, “Somewhat of a revolution is taking place in the Indian judicial system that are not so well known.” He gave examples where video recordings has been made permissible in court, where there is no longer a need to file a written statement, a limit was imposed on time for filing replies, limiting witnesses to a case, courts working on Saturdays etc. This has led to the completion of IP violation cases in as less as 6 months.
Yet no one can deny that prevention is the best cure. If counterfeiting is fought at the point of origin i.e. during exports of goods, it becomes easier to nab. Sadly most countries to increase profits of their Customs department raid only imports. Mr. Michael Ellis, Head of Brand Protection, Beiersdorf, informed of an interesting statistic about China, “People usually blame China for counterfeit products. Ironically China, along with Argentina, is the only one of the two countries in the world where customs check exports, rather than imports. The result - 99.96% of all counterfeiting seizures in China was from its exports.”
Sadly that is not the drive of the Indian govt. complained Mr. Anubhav Jain, Brand Protection, South Asia, Mercedes-Benz India Pvt Ltd. “For the Indian govt. unlike the Chinese govt. export of counterfeiters is a non-issue because they believe that even counterfeits generate employment opportunities. The Chinese believed the same once, but now understand that it is much more profitable for everyone to prevent it proactively,” he said.
Counterfeiting in the automobile industry, as in the pharma industry, is a serious matter with counterfeit products taking many lives. The solution, Prof. Sudhir Gupte, Managing Committee Member, SAE India, believes is: “for legal manufacturers to constantly evolve. As we tried to create our own niche market, the counterfeiters have created their own with an excellent distribution network. We find ways to combat the menace, but they find new ways to counterfeit.”
On the other spectrum he informed that sometimes the legal manufacturers themselves are to be blamed as led by greed they have produced substandard parts so that money can be made out of their sale. This has led to creation of counterfeiters.
Ironically, as regards auto spare parts, often the counterfeit part is more expensive than the original. Thus, besides enforcement and laws, there are often simpler solutions. Prof. Gupte suggested one. “Spare parts should be put on sale in a company’s website, giving the customer a way to know the price and buy them from a legitimate source.”
Different types of counterfeiting, is thus dependent on the kind of problem being faced. And both the panels were unanimous in one thing: that if this menace has to be fought, a paradigm shift is required from all the stakeholders – manufacturers, govt. and customers to effectively address, and curb the cancerous growth of piracy and counterfeiting.
Thursday, November 25, 2010
CII Auto Show in Kolkata - analysis
The First Auto Show East, a 4 Day show got inaugurated at Salt Lake Stadium Grounds, Salt Lake, Kolkata, today. Organized jointly by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), the Auto Show East – Kolkata, it is scheduled from 19th to 22nd November, 2010 at Salt Lake Stadium, Kolkata. The event is supported by the Automotive Component Manufacturers Association of India (ACMA) and Federation of Automobile Associations of India (FADA).
A number of Vehicle Manufacturers including – Hyundai, Tata Motors, Toyota, General Motors, Fiat India, Mahindra & Mahindra, TVS Motors, Ford India, Maruti Suzuki, Honda Cars, Honda Motorcycles, Yamaha, Hindustan Motors etc. are participating at this four day exhibition in Kolkata. Spread over an indoor and outdoor area of 10,000 sq meters, the Auti Show East also displays primarily passenger cars and vehicles like super bikes and high end cars. The participants will use this as an opportunity to strengthen brand image with stakeholders, networking for new dealers/customers, sharing best practices, and display/launch of new products for the Eastern region markets. The newly launched Aria by Tata Motors worth 16 lakhs and the Suzuki Hayabusa, the world’s fastest bike worth Rs 23 lakhs are the star attractions of this show.
A number of activities will be held concurrently during the show to give a unique experience to the people and auto enthusiasts of Kolkata. The events have been planned primarily keeping in consideration the love for vehicles of the people in the city. The events include: Safety Ride by Honda Motorcycles; 4x4 Track experience by Mahindra & Mahindra ; Painting competition for students by General Motors.
The timings for visitors are from 11 a.m to 7 p.m .
After the successful conclusion of the first edition of the Regional Auto Show in Hyderabad this is the second in row and the first initiative of organizing Regional Auto Shows by the organizers of legendary biennial Auto Expo – the complete automotive show – in Delhi. This event is expected to serve as a platform for networking and interaction with the stakeholders of the Automotive Industry at Regional level. Followed by the Auto Show East – Kolkata, the organizers are planning to rotate the Regional Auto Shows across the country in a phased manner. The next is scheduled in Pune.
The fair was inaugurated by Shri Ranjit Kundu, Transport Minister, Government of West Bengal. In his Inaugural speech, he commended this significant initiative of hosting an auto show in the City and mentioned that he is privileged to be a part of it. Speaking at the occasion he also touched upon various achievements of the State Transport Department in easing out the transport system of the City and bringing down the pollution rate consequently.
Later on, at a separate Press Conference Mr. P. Balendaran, Member, Executive Council, SIAM and Director, General Motors mentioned that Eastern Region has got immense potential in the automobile sector. In this regard, he also informed that in FY March 2010, the domestic sales in passenger car section grew by 26% nationally of which Eastern India contributed about 13% and West Bengal has got a share of 3.5%-4% in that. In Calendar Year 2009, Eastern India car sales figure was around 8800 cars and it touched a figure of 14,000 cars in Calendar Year 2010 till date.
Speaking at the occasion, Mr. Sugata Sen, Senior Director, SIAM opined that the Indian Automobile Industry has started growing beyond a single annual Auto Expo in Delhi. So a growing need is being felt for more and more Regional Auto Shows. However, unlike the concept car focus of the Delhi Auto Expo, these Regional Auto shows will be more local in character and have customer oriented to ensure high deliverables for the Industry.
Other dignitaries like Mr. Mauris D’ Lima, Head, Sales and Marketing, Fiat, Mr. Manoj Jha, MD, Hindustan Motors, Mr. G. Sanjay, GM, Marketing, Hyundai and Mr. S.B. Ganguly, Past Chairman, CII (ER) were also present to grace the CII Auto Show East.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Auto industry to support India’s infrastructure
The last decade was the decade of IT, this would be the decade of Infrastructure said Mr Kamal Nath, Minister of Road Transport & Highways, Government of India at the Inaugural Ceremony of 10th Auto Expo jointly organized by Automotive Component Manufacturers Association (ACMA), Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) here today. While complimenting India’s automotive industry for its entrepreneurial and leadership spirit, the Minister added that an 8% GDP growth meant stress on infrastructure; the biggest deficit in the country today is in the infrastructure sector and Roads are at the heart of it.
“For building 20 km of roads a day, a work in progress of 20,000 km of roads is required which poses the challenge of building capacity in NHAI, for workers, contractors and consultants” emphasized the Minister.
Accentuating the need for governance & reforms in the automotive sector, Mr Nath said that his ministry was carrying out a comprehensive review of Motor Vehicles Act keeping in view the requirements of today and future. He also highlighted the Government’s commitment to meeting international standards in roads and making travel seamless throughout the country using technology and regulatory framework.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr Vilasrao Deshmukh, Minister of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises, Government of India said that the Auto Industry has come a long way since Auto Expo’s first edition. Auto Expo is a great opportunity for Indian auto industry to showcase its capabilities and enhance its global reach, he added.
Emphasising the Government’s commitment to create a world class auto industry, he further added that his ministry had taken measures to bridge the skill gap, set up a Technology Development Fund for the auto sector, facilitate adoption of cleaner technologies and promote linkages between global and Indian industry.
Elaborating on the tremendous progress made by India’s auto industry, Mr Venu Srinivasan, President, CII said “In 2008-09, 1.82 million cars and 8.4 million two-wheelers were sold with an aggregate vehicle sale of over 11 million.”
Highlighting that the Indian industry had fared better than the global automotive majors despite the downturn, Mr Srinivasan added “Driven by our own robust internal demand conditions, and a proactive and effective government stimulus package, the automotive industry could even manage to grow during 2008-09”.
Acknowledging the Government’s support to the industry, CII President said “India can emerge as a hub for the international automobile industry, especially in the Asian region. New product development is fast, appropriate, and accurate. India is rapidly progressing as a center for clean auto technologies as well, developing hybrid and fuel efficient vehicles and exploring new sources of fuel”
ACMA’s President, Mr Jayant Davar, mentioned that its focus would be to showcase greater capacity in creating intellectual property in collaboration with vehicle manufacturers, highlighting global outsourcing of auto components and new wave of building and enduring global partnerships.
Dr Pawan Goenka, President, SIAM said that Indian auto industry has been the showcase of resurgence of Indian economy. Regulation, road safety and international harmonization are the key for the sustainable growth of the Auto industry.
SIAM members have already committed an investment of Rs. 40,000 crore and are targeting an investment of Rs. 145 Billion crores despite the global slowdown, he added. Highlighting SIAM’s theme, Dr Goenka mentioned that growth with greater responsibility towards reducing emissions and road safety would be the essentials in reaching the further growth trajectories.
The 10th Auto Expo was inaugurated by Mr Kamal Nath and Vilasrao Deshmukh, Minister of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises. Also present on the occasion were Mr Gurudas Kamat, Minister of State for Communications & Information Technology and diplomats representing various countries, senior representative from the automotive sector, international and domestic exhibitors.