aftermarket - january 2012

I N D I A ’ S F I R S T M A G A Z I N E F O R T H E A U T O M O T I V E A F T E R M A R K E T

Vol. 1 No. 7 January 2012 70 Pages `50

of Anandof Anand

ThePursuit

ThePursuit

CUTTING EDGEKPIT’s Hybrid Solution

INTERVIEWNikunj Sanghi,President, FADA

EXTRA MILEAutovikas

Auto MonitorBrought to you by

JANUARY 2012 AFTERMARKET 7

IT is that time again, when the world’s largest auto exhibition, in terms of maximum number

of footfalls, is happening in Delhi. And the country is witnessing about 50 launches, again,

the largest ever in 27 years / 11 editions of the Auto Expo. More than 1,500 participants

from 25 countries are participating at the expo, which is yet another milestone in the annals

of the Expo.

Despite the sentiments being low, especially in the passenger vehicle segment, the exhibi-

tors have tried their best to make the show successful. While every edition of the expo turns

out to be yet another starting point for increased action in the following two years with

new models flooding the market, it calls for an equal or more action in the aftersales service

and aftermarket products. This is due to shrinking lifecycles of new products, which in turn

expands the used vehicles market significantly. Also, the authorised service centres are not able

to cater to the increasing demand for aftersales service, primarily due to diversity of vehicle

population. Increased focus on aftermarket will help address the consumers’ demands in terms

of service in addition to containing the counterfeit components.

The vehicle manufacturers from all the segments can look at setting up more ‘quick service

centres’ in major towns and cities and full-fledged service centres on the outskirts and smaller

towns. This will help the end-user to have routine checks done at the quick service centres

and major services done at the outskirts. Though this method of service has been prevalent for

sometime in a few cities, the numbers are not matching the demand. According to a report

released by ACMA, currently, only a small percentage of vehicles are serviced by OEMs’

authorised service centres, while the rest are serviced by unorganised segments, followed by

organised and semi-organised segments.

The multi-brand third-party service centres can even double up as authorised service centres,

if they meet the quality and service requirements of the OEMs, and offer regular services—

right from free service to paid service to accidental repairs. This will enable the end customers

access quality services at competitive costs as the OEMs’ authorised service centres and the

multi-brand third-party service centres will complement each other. It will address the issues

relating to the spread of service centres, given the country’s diversity.

Wishing you much pleasure reading. Do send us your feedback.

Show Time!

T. Murrali [email protected]

EDITORIAL

9

DECEMBER 2011 AFTERMARKET

NEWS

IN CONVERSATION

FOCUS CUTTING EDGE

COVER STORY

CONTENTS

12 SKF evaluating stop-start system for two-wheelers

14 TVS & Sons plans slew of announcements at Expo ‘12

16 Metro invests `50 crore in capacity expansion

19 Endurance plans aggressive growth in aftermarket

36 President, FADA, Nikunj Sanghi says that the OEMs should either hold on to current prices or roll back price hikes, to address the current uncertainity...

38 Skoda inaugurates advanced service training centre in Czech Republic

32 Hybrid solution awaits position in aftermarket ecosystem

12

26

36

38 32

26 The Pursuit of ‘Anand’ Anand Group is looking to establish a distribution compnay for selling spare parts manufactured by its group entities as well as other manufacturers


Vol. 1 No. 7 January 2012 70 Pages `50

of Anandof Anand

ThePursuit

ThePursuit

CUTTING EDGEKPIT’s Hybrid Solution

INTERVIEWNikunj Sanghi,President, FADA

EXTRA MILEAutovikas

Auto MonitorBrought to you by

Cover DesignMahesh Talkar

19

DECEMBER 2011 AFTERMARKET


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• Monthly Issue Price: `50

12 AFTERMARKET JAUNUARY 2012

NEWS

SKF is looking to off er ‘StopGo’

sensor-bearing solution, an automat-

ic st op-st art syst em for motorcycles

and scooters in the aftermarket. Th is

solution lowers CO2 emissions, and

improves fuel economy by an est imated

six-10 percent, depending on driving

conditions.

“We are looking to have a major

penetration for this solution in the

aftermarket. But it is not a st rict ly

plug and play syst em and requires

some degree of calibration eff ort dur-

ing the fi tment process and hence we

are looking for a suitable dist ribution

model to off er this in the aftermarket,”

said Direct or, Global, Two-Wheeler

business, SKF India, Harsha Kadam.

He added that such a syst em is likely

to have a major market for exist ing

two-wheeler population though he

did not elaborate the volume target for

this syst em in OEM or the aftermar-

ket segments.

SKF’s ‘StopGo’ design concept

allows it to be cust omised as a ready-

to-fi t unit which can be assembled

quite easily for both OEMs and as a

retrofi t for a wide range of makes of

two-wheelers already on the road. Th e

syst em can be applied to a wide vari-

ety of motorcycles, independent of

engine size.

Kadam added that the syst em is a

technically advanced and sust ainable

product from SKF for the two-wheeler

segment. It is aimed at conservation of

fuel and reduct ion of carbon emissions

from two-wheelers. Th e two-wheeler

manufact urers, end user and in turn,

the environment is going to derive huge

benefi t from this solution. When the

vehicle has st opped, i.e at traffi c lights,

‘StopGo’ senses this and, after a pre-

determined, but programmable short

time shuts off the engine. It rest arts the

engine when the throttle is turned.

SKF StopGo is a three-in-one inte-

grated sensor-bearing solution that

performs a bearing funct ion, speed

sensing and st op-st art funct ion. Th e

unit fi ts into the hub of the front wheel,

like a st andard bearing, and is con-

nect ed by a plug-and-play connect or

to a mating connect or attached to the

engine st op-st art elect ronics.

As well as sensing the speed for the

st op-st art funct ion, the speed sensing in

the SKF StopGo provides normal speed

data for digital tachometers, which are

becoming more preferred than analogue

syst ems in new two-wheeler models.

In addition, this new single-unit solu-

tion off ers advantages of weight saving

of up to 60 percent compared to the

many current separate mechanical com-

ponents needed for the front wheel

bearing and speed sensing.

Abhishek Parekh

SKF evaluating stop-start system for two-wheeler aftermarket

The StopGo Syst em

14

NEWS

AFTERMARKET JANUARY 2012

IT’S going to be a slew of announce-

ments by TV Sundram Iyengar &

Sons (TVS & Sons), the holding com-

pany of the TVS Group and is also in

dealership, parts dist ribution business.

With the intent to double its dist ri-

bution business by 2015, the company

is currently at its drawing board to

formulate plans to achieve this objec-

tive. Speaking to Auto Monitor, the

Joint Managing Direct or of TVS

& Sons, R Dinesh said to accom-

plish this target the company will be

present all over India, which is now

predominantly present in south. “A big

portion of the new ventures will come

from areas other than south India.

We will be showcasing this intent at

the Auto Expo. In addition, we will

announce joint ventures with three to

four companies,” he said. As part of its

intent, the company will be expand-

ing this business beyond geographical

boundaries of India. Already it has its

presence in few countries including

Bangladesh and Sri Lanka with about

15 percent of the revenue coming from

these two countries. Th e company will

expand the dist ribution business to

more markets, he said.

Projects In PipelineSpeaking on the aftersales serv-

ice business that operates under the

division—TVS Automobile Solutions,

he said the company will have simi-

lar approach—expanding its base in

places other than south India, where

it has st rong presence. Since avail-

ability of requisite manpower and

skill development is challenging, the

company hopes to st rive hard to make

the service business as a lucrative one

so that it can attract invest ments from

diff erent quarters. Th e company is

planning to est ablish a couple of part-

nerships with organisations to impart

skills on general as well as specifi c to

TVS. It will be looking at Madhya

Pradesh and west ern India for skill

development. Th e exhibits will show-

case the company’s plans at the Auto

Expo, he said.

LogisticsWith regard to TVS Logist ics he

said, “In this line of business we will

showcase TVS as an ideal partner

for any Indian company going global

and vice versa.” Th e company is

likely to get another fresh round of

funding and an announcement will

be made towards at the expo, he said.

Utilising this opportunity it will

project the need to get indust ry st atus

for logist ics and service segments,

he concluded.

T Murrali

TVS & Sons plans announcements at Expo ’12

A big portion of the new

ventures will come from

areas other than south

India. We will be

showcasing this intent at

the Auto Expo. In addi-

tion, we will announce

joint ventures with three

to four companies

—R Dinesh,

Joint Managing Director,

TVS & Sons

R Dinesh, Jt Managing Director, TVS & Sons


PARTH Motors made a humble

beginning in the small city of Dahod

approximately 200 km away from

Ahmedabad in Gujarat and so did its

owner, Rakeshbhai. He did not have a

balance sheet to prove his worth neither

did he have a degree from a reputed uni-

versity. All Rakeshbhai had with him was

his pract ical knowledge of the market and

the skill to build cust omer relations when

he fi rst thought of having his own dealer-

ship for a three-wheeler.

Th e journey of this dealership for

Atul Auto, the three-wheeler manufac-

turer based in Rajkot (Gujarat), Parth

Motors, offi cially st arted in 2009 but

the foundation was laid as early as 2003.

Rakesh-bhai was a driver for three-wheel-

ers and dreamt of st arting a dealership.

As a driver he used to drive three-wheel-

ers manufact ured by Atul Auto and was

impressed by the quality product s that

hardly required any maintenance. So the

obvious choice of company for “his own

dealership” was Atul Auto.

“Th at was the year when autorickshaws

of Atul were being promoted aggressively.

I took up a job as a driver of one of their

autos. “It hardly needed any maintenance.

Th e autorickshaws were so st urdy that it

went on for miles on badly maintained

roads without any visits to the garage,” he

told Aftermarket.

Equipped with little knowledge of

business, Rakesh wanted to hone his skills

in the area before taking a plunge into his

own venture. He took up a job of a sales

executive with an exist ing dealership of

the same company. And it goes without

saying that he excelled at his job.

But his dream did not end here. His

aspiration was to set-up a dealership of

his own. In 2009, it turned into a reality.

Today, Parth Motors sells upto 40 vehi-

cles in a month and services upto 15 of

them every day. Spread across an area of

2,500 sq ft, it is one of the leading dealer-

ships in the region. “Our eff orts have been

recognised by the company in the form

of awards like ‘Best dealer Performance

Award’,” he said.

However, his journey towards his

dream was not smooth. It was not easy

to get a dealership for Rakesh, who is a

school drop-out and had no ways to fund

his business proposal. “I did not have a

balancesheet that could help in getting

a loan and no one wanted to risk their

money. But at the end honest y and hard

work paid well and with God’s grace I

could st art my business,” he recalled.

While walking an extra mile for the

manufact urer the key to succeed is “cus-

tomer relations”. “It is not just about

buying selling or buying, it is about build-

ing relations with each and every cust omer

in the market. A simple way to do this is

to wish your cust omers on the days that

are important to them. When one wishes

them on their birthdays or other occa-

sions like weddings, even two years after

they have made a purchase, it helps in

building a very st rong bond. When they

think of buying a second autorickshaw

they will always think of the same dealer.

Also, one can benefi t from the word-of-

mouth marketing, which is the primary

source of marketing in case of a product

like a three-wheeler,” he reveals.Providing

good service is another important fac-

tor. Elaborating, he said, “Whether it is

a Sunday or fest ival, our service centre is

always open. Whenever a cust omer is free

or encounters a problem they can walk

in, our mechanics will be there to provide

service.” In case, a cust omer is not able to

reach the service centre, a mechanic is sent

to the spot to help them.

A world class service can only be

provided if there is a team of motivated

employees to back-up an entrepreneur’s

vision. Th us it is crucial to build rela-

tions with his employees as with his

cust omers. “One needs to know about

the developments happening on the

personal front of their employees. It is

important to be a part of their fest ivals,

joys and sorrows,” he suggest ed. It is

the knack of being able to connect with

people, be it cust omers or employees,

which has made Parth Motors walk an

extra mile for Atul Auto. Rakesh-bhai

dreams of doing better.

Shambhavi Anand Living AspirationsLiving Aspirations

NEWS

16 AFTERMARKET JANUARY 2012

NEWS

THE pressure is mounting on tyre

manufact urers due to fact ors like the

relentless increase in rubber prices and

interest rates, but Metro Tyres is confi -

dent and in a st ate of ‘business as usual’.

Th e core mantra for the company to

overcome st ress has been increased

volumes, high exports, effi cient manu-

fact uring and eff ect ive manpower.

Th e company is planning to invest

around `50 crore at its Manesar plant,

to have a monthly additional capac-

ity of three lakh tyres. Th is facility is

expect ed to be operational within 18 to

24 months. Th e tyre maker had earlier

invest ed around `40 crore in Ludhiana

to build an extra capacity of two lakh

tyres a month for motorcycles.

“If you are not in the volume game,

then you are not in the business.”

Managing Direct or, Metro Tyres,

Rummy Chhabra announced. “High

rubber prices is an area of concern but

somehow the indust ry is managing

with the high growth and increased

product ivity and operational effi cien-

T Murrali

Metro Tyresbanks on volume

for growth


NEWS

cies. We are trying to pass on some cost

to the market but not to the extent of

the rubber price rise,” he added.

Chhabra feels that the increase in

rubber price is due to the prices at the

international level and the way ahead

has to be a mix of increasing effi ciency

and passing on some cost to

the cust omers.

Metro Tyres, mainly catering to

two-wheelers and HCVs, has a techni-

cal agreement with Continental Tyres,

which helps in innovation and main-

taining technological demand from the

cust omers. Th e company has recently

launched tubeless tyres for motorcycles.

Th e choice of the segment of business

has also been lucky for the company as

the CV and two-wheelers have been

doing fairly well despite the slack. Th e

company has no plans to diversify into

passenger vehicle segment.

By effi ciency, it means the plant

capacity should be utilised to the maxi-

mum while being lean

in terms of labour and

keeping the quality

level high. Th e volume

should be high and

price competitiveness

will bring the demand.

“Automation has been an

ongoing process, and our

technology partner helps

us keep improving. Our

technicians keep in the

touch with our partner

and make improvement

on day-to-day basis.”

Chhabra said

Today quality con-

trol is important and

the cust omers are very

demanding. For OEM

business, it needs to act

very fast and for this, a

st rong R&D support is

required. In the replace-

ment market, product s

should perform but OEMs seek a lot of

innovation. Apart from paying a sub-

st antial royalty to Continental, it has its

own R&D.

Export is a key fact or nowdays, as

the rupee is weakening and Metro Tyres

keeps focus on it. Its contribution from

exports in FY11 was `100 crore and

this year, it is expect ed to touch `140

crore. Last year, it witnessed 22 percent

growth at `525 crore and a profi t margin

of around three percent and this year it

is expect ing around `600 crore. In the

next three to four years it will st rike a

top line of `1,000 crore.

Th e company has two types of

arrangement for exports—one in coun-

tries like US and Europe, where its

sells the product s in association with its

technical collaborator Continental; sec-

ondly, it goes independently in some of

the countries. Th e other countries where

it sees the potential are Latin America,

Middle East and African countries.

Th e company has few agreements

with Continental and it is the largest

outsourcing partner mainly for bicycle

tyres. It makes all the high-end tyres

for the consumption of European and

US market. Th is is not the fi rst time

the indust ry is facing a volatile situ-

ation, earlier also it faced the similar

situation. Hopefully this time also,

the indust ry will come back on track,

felt Chhabra.

Th e current annually capacity of

company from its seven plants is three

crore bicycle tyres, four crore bicycle

tubes, 24 lakh automobile tyres and

2,400 tonne of automobile tubes—from

motorcycles to HCVs. All the seven

plants are being utilised up to 90 per-

cent. It has tremendous demand from

the OEMs. All the leading OEMs are

its cust omers; however, the company is

committed to few only because of the

capacity const raints.

“Th e tyre indust ry is a combination

of both, aftermarket and OEM. As

there is a lot of pressure on the OEM

business, it’s important to have the right

mix of the aftermarket; only then can

you survive. Something like 60 percent

in aftermarket and 40 percent in OEMs

is a good mix. Our ratio is 80 percent

aftermarket and 20 percent OEMs.”

Chhabra opined.

Metro Tyres mainly pro-

duces for two-wheeler

and HCV and has a tech-

nical agreement with

Continental Tyres, which

helps in innovation and

maintaining technological

demand from the custom-

ers. The company has re-

cently launched tubeless

tyres for motorcycles


NEWS

THE aftermarket division of the

Aurangabad headquartered auto com-

ponent major, Endurance Technologies

has evolved a st rategy that will help it

grow signifi cantly in the next fi ve years.

Since its inception about ten years ago,

the division has been continuously

increasing the part numbers in its port-

folio and expanding its spread.

In addition to selling product s

manufact ured by Endurance, the after-

market division of the company also

outsources a few synergist ic prod-

uct s. Th e Vice President, Aftermarket

& Exports of the company, Biswajit

Choudhury said, “We plan to outsource

certain specifi c synergist ic product s

within our chosen product portfolio

of suspension, braking, transmission

and aluminium cast ings that are meant

for Hero Honda, TVS and Suzuki,

Yamaha Motorcycles and Scooters. ”

Th e company was est ablished in

2001, with handling just 10 part num-

bers including shock absorbers and front

fork assemblies, the division gradu-

ally enlarged its product base to reach

more than 450 now. It has also increased

the manpower from two to 36 now. It

plans to add about 100 new part num-

T Murrali

Endurance plans aggressive growth for its aftermarket sales

Endurance Product s: (L) Wheel Clutch (R) Fork Oil


NEWS

bers in a span of about three to four

years. Exports, which began in 2002-

03 with consignments to Sri Lanka is

now exporting to about ten countries

including ASEAN, African and Latin

American countries. Th e current share

of exports from the revenue is 15 percent

and it hopes to increase it to 20 percent

in the next fi ve years. It currently has

about 270 dealers across the country.

Elaborating on the roadmap for the

division, Choudhury said, “We plan to

enter in parts where we are not present

as of now. In the organisation part we

plan to divide operations in to manage-

able areas for better focus.”

As part of this plan, the company

will segregate the business based on

two-wheelers and four-wheelers prod-

uct s. Initiated in metros in a small

way, this concept will be extended

to all other centers soon. Th is initia-

tive will help enhance focus besides,

building up on its st rengths in indi-

vidual segments. In addition, it will also

enhance its focus on four wheelers.

“Entry in to four-wheeler segment

will help it enhance top line growth due

to shear value of components,” he said.

Th e company is also working on tweak-

ing secondary sales as it would help

propel the demand. “We will work with

mechanics in order to create demand at

the grassroots level,” he said. As part

of the st rategy the company has been

conduct ing workshops for mechanics on

several on several issues including prod-

uct cleaning and others. It has also been

organising van campaigns and door-to-

door campaign to educate mechanics

on new product s and handling exist -

ing product s. Recently it adopted two

workshops in Aurangabad and refur-

bished it besides, providing uniforms to

the people. While it helped the compa-

ny in enhancing its branding exercise, it

also gave the workshop a new look and

the confi dence further.

According to Choudhury, the compa-

ny is keen to extend this concept to other

cities perhaps Tier II and Tier III cities

since the dependence of vehicle end users

on third-party service st ations in these

places are comparatively higher than

larger cities. Th e company will further

st rengthen its ‘Endurance Crore Club’,

which is not only a loyalty programme but

also helps motivate the dealers to enhance

their business. All the dealers who cross

`one crore sales are enrolled in the club

and they are also assessed for adopting

and following key responsible areas st ipu-

lated by Endurance, to get felicitated.

Nine dealers became the members of the

club in 2009-10 and in the following year

it increased to 21, he said.

Talking about exports, Choudhury

said the focus for the company will

be Africa, Latin America and South

American countries. To st art with

the export consignments have already

shipped to countries Mexico and El

Salvador. In few years the company

plans to have its representative in each

country it exports. Currently, it exports

around 120 part numbers and plans

to increase to over 300 in two to three

years, primarily focusing on spare parts

for two and three wheelers, he added.

Th e division which st arted off in 2001

has reached a landmark fi gures of `100

crore sales in 2010-11—within 10 years.

Endurance Technologies is a `3,200

crore group involved in the business of

aluminium die cast ing, braking, suspen-

sion and transmission. It has 16 plants in

India and three in Europe.

Endurance Product s: (L) Hub Clutch (R) Housing Clutch

22

Inheritance of a trade to a successful venture

EXTRA MILE


Praveen Agarwal, Chairman, Vikas Group

EXTRA MILE

23 JANUARY 2012 AFTERMARKET

HAVING entered auto retailing busi-

ness as a GM dealer (Opel-GM’s

European car brand) in New Delhi in

2003, Autovikas has evolved into a key

dealer for the US car maker. Learning

from GM and growing with them has

given them a lot of insight into the

business.

Autovikas is a part of Vikas Group,

which is one of the leading automotive

component manufact uring compa-

nies in the country. Chairman, Vikas

Group, Praveen Agarwal said that the

US car maker has helped him defi ne

and nurture a successful automotive

dealership business.

Currently, it has four outlets and

fi ve workshops in Delhi covering

south, east , west and north and has

grown from selling an average of 35

cars per month in the early 2000s to

more than 450 cars a month currently.

As an automobile dealer, the st ory

of Autovikas goes back to when the

car manufact uring had just st arted in

India with Hindust an Motors. Parveen

Agarwal’s father—AK Agarwal setup

one of the fi rst dealerships of HM

‘Vikas Motors’ and continued in the

business until 1984 operating from

Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh and

New Delhi.

In those days, the investment

required was relatively large though

it may appear to be modest by today’s

standards. With the advent of

Maruti Suzuki, the Agarwals saw

change coming and realised that

this manufacturer is going to pro-

vide better business opportunities

for the future. Despite of the long

association with the Birla Group,

they considered it apt to change

from being the oldest HM dealer to

becoming a Maruti Suzuki dealer in

Delhi in 1984.

Sales Is The BeginningAccording to P Agarwal, the core

reason to hold top position in dealership

was due to the underst anding of the cus-

tomers. Th eir business philosophy has

been to try and underst and the cust om-

ers better than the others in the business

and fulfi lling the need of the cust omers

to the best of their capability.

“Every business that you est ablish,

you should know that only st arting it

is not the end. Selling a car is a begin-

ning of a relationship. We always

thought if we have sold someone a

product today we have added him to

our cust omer list forever. Word of

mouth has been the biggest selling

point that we had,” Agarwal added.

He made his independent entry into

this business after a change over in the

Nabeel A Khan


EXTRA MILE

family in 2002 with his father hav-

ing passed away. Agarwal’s father was

also a FADA president in 1970s and a

well known personality in the indust ry.

Eventually, Maruti dealerships passed

over to his uncle. Th ough Agarwal

had entrenched himself well in the

automotive indust rial act ivity, he was

not direct ly involved in the dealer-

ship business. He had inherited the old

dealership premises, thus he thought

it would be apt to carry forward the

dealership business more as a tribute to

him due to his deep passion for dealer-

ship indust ry.

Although Agarwal had st arted his

career in automobile indust ry as a train-

ee in his father’s dealership, he had very

limited knowledge about the trade as

he did not spend much time there. In

2003, the opportunity of being the 4th

GM dealer in Delhi came along and

he took it up. Th ough GM was not a

very popular car maker in those days, it

had aggressive plans. Agarwal thought,

being a global company it would give

him a great opportunity to learn good

pract ices following which, Autovikas

Sales and Services was formed with its

fi rst outlet at Shivaji Marg, New Delhi,

which is a 3S service facility. “Learning

from GM and growing with them gave

me great insight into the business and

I could teach myself what it meant

to be a successful automobile dealer,”

Agarwal confi ded. Th is year the com-

pany expect s a turnover of `250 crore in

FY12, while last year it st ood at

`180 crore.

As competition has increased so

has the knowledge and demand of the

cust omers, and in this situation, the

company wants to rely on two aspect s:

fi rst educate your cust omer about your

product so that he takes care of it and

demands the service that is required

while the second one is to be prepared

to provide that to them.

The PillarsAutovikas asserts that it takes

human resources seriously and has a

separate training centre for sales peo-

ple. Th e dealer considers that even

though fact ories, showrooms may be

good but at the end, the person who

communicates to the cust omers at

each dealership is the most important

person between making and breaking

a sale. Th us the choice of personnel is

very important. It screens employees

very carefully and has ongoing train-

ing programmes.

“Primarily as far as the cust omer

attract ion is concerned, I feel that this

responsibility is 60:40 ratio aff air, 60

percent is by the brand and the product

and 40 percent is the dealerships. In our

40 percent, we segmentise the society

into diff erent cust omer ranges. We have

a feel of which product in which kind of

segment would be more wanted. Both

by direct and indirect ways of market-

ing and reaching to these cust omers,

we try to see how best we can have our

cust omer base.” Agarwal explained. If

the aim is to sell 100 cars, Agarwal and

his team thinks about how many good

cust omers are needed to build and nur-

tured. Th en it executes the plan keeping

in mind various const raints. He also

felt that a test drive plays a good role

in convincing the cust omer. So far the

experience has been that the more test

drives it provides to the cust omers,

the better is the conversion towards

the car.

The Autovikas Showroom

Inside The Showroom

COVER STORY

ONE of the leading component makers

in India, Anand Group is at the fi nal

st age of signing a joint venture with a

foreign partner to form a dist ribution

company for marketing of all auto-

mobile spare parts produced across its

subsidiaries as well as outside the group.

Th e eff ort of st rengthening this seg-

ment of business comes after the group

had partially lost focus in the aftermar-

ket because of the huge demand from

the car manufact urers at the beginning

of the decade. Recently, the company

has re-aligned focus on the opportunity

in this segment.

In the last two to three years, it had

notched subst antial revenue from the

aftermarket and hopes to double its

earnings in the coming three years. Th e

component maker took the decision

after experiencing inconsist encies in the

OEM business in terms of profi t mar-

gins since the 2008-09 meltdown, even

as the aftermarket has remained a st able

option during the mentioned period.

Realigning Focus“Th e aftermarket is going to be a

very important segment, which we

must address even better than what

we are doing right now because this

is one of the options which helps the

group in the times of gloom,” CEO,

Anand Group, Deepak Chopra told

Aftermarket. Presently all the com-

panies of the group are selling their

product s through individual market-

ing and a network of dist ributors. “We

do plan to have a central Anand com-

pany for which we are going to have a

joint venture with one of our foreign

partners; we can sell multiple product s

under one central company which will

include Anand product s and also our JV

partners’ product s in the aftermarket,”

Chopra said. Th e proposed company,

dedicated to aftersales will also buy

product s from other manufact urers and

sell them under its own brand so that

the total market share in the replace-

ment market increases.

“In the last two to three years, the

aftermarket has grown by over 20 per-

cent and during the recession, this

segment of business has helped the

group,” Vice President, Corporate

Aftermarket, Anand Group, Sachin

Puri said.

At a time, when the manufact urers

are wrest ling at every point to maxim-

ise savings, aftermarket off ers Anand a

Nabeel A Khan

of Anandof Anand

ThePursuit

ThePursuit

COVER STORY



COVER STORY

higher profi tability due to freedom to

decide the price of any product , unlike

in case of supplying to the OEMs. In

the replacement markets, if there is a

demand for a product , the increasing

cost of manufact uring can be passed

on to the cust omers. Presently, the

aftermarket is contributing around 10

percent of the total revenue of the group

but the margins in this sect or are attrac-

tive. Currently, the segment fetches

revenue of `400 crore at the group level.

Th e component maker has already

est ablished itself in the country in the

aftermarket for a number of product s.

One of the company’s subsidiaries—

Gabriel, which manufact urers shock

absorbers, has captured around 40 per-

cent of the total organised aftermarket

in the country. However, as the prod-

uct is relatively expensive, there are

a number of players selling re-condi-

tioned shock absorbers. Similarly, in the

fi lter segment, Mahle Filter Syst ems

commands 25 percent of the overall

organised aftermarket share. It sees

enough potential to increase its market

share further.

New Products In PipelineApart from the exist ing product s

(shock absorbers, pist on rings, gas-

kets, fi lters and axle components) of

the group in the replacement market,

Anand will include a new

range of product s. Th e

emerging components that

will be added from its own

st able are brake parts—

growing at a very high

pace—and air-condition-

ing components. With all

this, the group anticipates

that the aftermarket would

be worth around $six bil-

lion in the next fi ve years.

And the Anand Group

has been relentlessly pur-

suing its goal to achieve

this. It was amongst fi rst

organisations to have introduced a mul-

ti-product marketing company in the

1970s, called Asia Automotives.

Th e component manufact urer is once

again gearing up to pursue the target

in the aftermarket. It will be invest ing

heavily in developing infrast ruct ure, IT

and supply chain to make the organisa-

tion much more modernised and exert a

benchmarking for the best pract ices in

the world.

It will be putting emphasis on two-

wheelers and passenger vehicles and

small commercial vehicles. And as far

as the specifi c product s are concerned,

cooling product s like radiators, con-

densers and some other product s for

CVs like intake manifold will be among

the priority product s.

For the two-wheeler segment,

the aftermarket is expect ed to grow

between 12 to 14 percent. While CVs

could be around eight percent, trac-

tors will be around six percent and the

fast est growing will be the small com-

mercial vehicles (three-wheelers and

other last mile connect ing vehicles),

which are likely to grow at around 20

percent. Th e usage of such vehicles for

the last mile connect ivity is increas-

ing and always overloaded so from the

aftermarket prospect ive its an attrac-

tive segment.

Th e group has around 800 st ock-

ist s and dist ributors across the country,

which is common for selling product s

manufact ured at various companies

of the group. While there are some

separate dist ributors of individual

companies of the group. Th e group cur-

rently forms the st rategy for marketing

at its corporate offi ce, which is executed

by the individual company independ-

ently. Each company of Anand has

separate marketing and sales team for

the aftermarket.

The Game PlanAnand, on the verge of making a big

leap in the aftermarket, thinks that the

GST (Goods & Service Tax) is going to

be a game changer, if it is able to align

things well. Earlier, the market was

concentrated in a few cities, but now the

business has spread across to the smaller

towns. Th e major challenges which it

sees are—fi rst ly—to reach the markets

which are spread out to even smaller

locations, secondly, the supply chain

management.

Looking at the increasing capital

cost s in India due to the rising inter-

est rates, the profi t margins are not

going to be as good as they used to be.

Also, an ineffi cient supply chain can

lead to over-st ocking, which will fur-

Spicer India Axles

Gabriel Shock Absorbers


COVER STORY

ther impact the profi t margins, thus

the importance of a secure supply chain

becomes high. If the network is st rong

and the delivery time is less then the

company can certainly take a lead posi-

tion. Th e entire supply chain, which

used to be an area of concern, will go

through a sea change.

Strengthening Weaker Links“We have been invest ing in the

warehouses in the past couple of years

and now in 2012, we will invest in the

upgradation of these warehouses. We

will introduce the modern warehouse

techniques. Earlier, these warehouses

had come up to legally avoid the higher

taxes. Th e group never thought of these

as supply-chain management tools to

get an edge over our competition,” Puri

confi ded. Now these warehouses are

going to be powering the supply chain

of the manufact urer. Th e target for the

group is to deliver the supply within 24

hours anywhere in the country.

According to an AMCA st udy, a

truck would move around 300 km a

day, so in the fi rst phase, it will achieve

around 48 hours target to make the

delivery as it will have a warehouse

at a dist ance of 600 km. Once the

infrast ruct ure is set up and GST is

implemented, there is going to be more

concentration of these hubs, which in

turn will create specialised transports

moving fast er and it will be possi-

ble to make the delivery within 24

hours. While for a shorter dist ance, the

object ive would be to make multiple

deliveries in a day.

With modernisation, the st or-

age capacity of the warehouses will be

doubled as they will have multi-lev-

el racking. Th is way, even if it runs a

warehouse in 10,000 sq ft and once the

multi-racking is complete, the capacity

could be doubled. After the expansion

in terms of space, it will st art increas-

ing the volume through horizontal

expansion. It will have also software to

support the warehouse management. A

wi-fi scanner will be used so that from

wherever someone picks a product , the

data will direct ly be refl ect ed in the

database.

Customer Is KingTh e company swears by the man-

tra ‘Th e cust omer is king’, as an overall

eff ort at the consolidated group lev-

el—a seamless automated supply chain

is on the off ering, wherein the entire

aftermarket supply chain including the

plant, mother warehouse, CFA (ware-

house) and the end cust omer are all

seamlessly linked without any human

intervention. Th e project code named

“WWW-(What the cust omer Wants,

When the cust omer Wants) will ensure

availability of product to the cust omer

during uncertain market conditions

and with fl uct uating demand

without shortages.

“We believe that competitive advan-

tage is not about beating rivals; it’s

about creating unique value for cust om-

ers. We will further invest more than

50 million in upgrading the logist ics in

2012. Seamless automated supply chain

and world class logist ics infrast ruc-

ture will bring our aftermarket supply

chain pract ices on par with world class

st andards off ering unique value for our

cust omers,” Puri asserted.

Utilising the manpower is going

to be very crucial fact or for the group

and it will put emphasis on trimming

off unproduct ive areas with the help

of information technology. “Like our

executives go to a st ockist , who has

many queries and wants the st atus of

his st ocks, pending orders, credit limits

among other information. Th is way, if

we can map those things and can pro-

vide that information on email, through

web-portal or by SMS alerts, it would

save lots of time. So they will have more

time to fi ght competition and manage

fast er delivery,” he explained. While

for the marketing it will go direct ly to

the garage people, because they are the

people who recommend product s to the

vehicle owner.

The ‘Anand’ Metre Th e component manufact urer has

identifi ed a number of drivers for after-

market st rategy, which will help double

the sales in three years. In Gabriel, the

fl agship company of Anand Group,

a CAGR of over 20 percent is being

achieved in replacement segment. A

couple of years ago, the segment was

written off as st agnant. Th e two seg-

ments: scooters and cars where the

company had a st rong aftermarket pres-

ence was not growing due to general

migration from scooters to motorcycles

and sale rest rict ion by OEMs for the

car segment in particular. However,

Anand Group’s aftermarket division has

sought to execute its st rategy and put

in place fast development of more than

150 SKUs, which covered over 90 per-

cent of the entire aftermarket range in

less than two years. Th e non-OE range

design and off ering of the widest range

in this segment gave Gabriel a leading

position in shock absorbers segment.

Coming to the heavy commercial

vehicle fi lter market, which has been tra-

ditionally dominated by duplicates, the

unorganised sect or has st arted becoming

organised, especially after introduct ion

of Cummins Engines by Tata Motors.

Hist orically, a neglect ed area by Mahle,


COVER STORY

another Anand Group company, this

area of the aftermarket saw big gains

from competitors like Fleetguard after

introduct ion of Cummins engines.

Undeterred by the late entry, Anand

Aftermarket decided to take competi-

tion head-on and is currently executing a

st rategy, wherein “the role of competition

in this segment is being rewritten,” said

Puri. Since it is a st rategy in execution

at this moment, Puri could not divulge

more information, but the results have

been tremendous. According to him, the

st rategy execution is showing 50 percent

growth in this area in last two months

and the team is excited about the future.

New Launches Planned Across GroupVict or Gaskets (VGIL), an Anand

Group company introduced gaskets

that are suitable for technical capa-

bilities of the Indian garage and deliver

better performance for reconditioned

engines. A patent for this technology

code named ‘RCS’ has been applied.

Th e st rategy is indeed helping the VGIL

Aftermarket team delivering “Better

than the Best ”. In the past too, VGIL

has successfully introduced product s

like MLG—graphite gaskets, which

was probably for the fi rst time in India.

While niche product range is on the

pipeline, by upgrading the OEM design.

Another subsidiary of the group

Perfect Circle (PCIL) is successfully

off ering niche product s. In the past ,

chrome scraper rings were introduced as

a niche product , which became one of

the best sellers.

According to the company, in 2010,

PCIL was the fi rst to introduce PVD

(Physical Vapour Deposition) rings.

And along the same lines and over

time, a number of application designs

have been upgraded with the latest

technology. Perfect Circle PVD rings

are the largest selling latest technol-

ogy product with more than 90 percent

share of this high technology segment.

While Spicer India is planning to intro-

duce a new brand not only to fi ght

unorganised/lower end of the aftermar-

ket sect or but also to expand portfolio

to heavy duty axles in 2012. And it has

aggressive plans to capture market share

with this new brand.

Vict or Gaskets

32

Hybrid solution awaits position in

Aftermarket ecosystem

CUTTING EDGE

WOULD a vehicle owner be recep-

tive to the idea of converting his/her

car into a hybrid drive? Even as many

professionals in the automotive sec-

tor ponder over this quest ion, KPIT

Cummins is reasonably certain that a

sizeable demand could exist for retro-

fi tting a hybrid convertor into vehicles.

Such a solution could be combination

of solution or a 'plug-and-play' model

depending on various fact ors.

“We are working on a hybrid con-

version option 'Revolo' that we feel

can be suitable for in the Indian condi-

tion. Moreover, Indian market requires

an inexpensive and easy to use solu-

tion rather than exist ing ones off ered

by OEMs, which are beyond the reach

of a large segment of cust omers and

not suitable in the Indian conditions.

We are targeting around 35 percent

reduct ion in fuel consumption,” said

Manager-Strategic Relations, Hybrid

Solutions, KPIT Cummins, Chinmay

Abhishek Parekh


Ravi Pandit, MD, KPIT Syst ems receiving the Technology Innovations Award 2011


CUTTING EDGE

Pandit. He added that hybrid cars or

potential hybrid solutions currently

off ered do not adequately take into

account the realities in India includ-

ing unreliable power supply and bad

roads. Moreover the acceptability of a

hybrid solution could greatly increase if

such a syst em is designed for an exist ing

vehicle and not the other way—vehicle

designed around the hybrid solutions—

as most OEM hybrid programmes are

developed and executed.

KPIT Cummins has formed an

equal joint venture with Bharat Forge

for manufact uring and marketing the

technology to OEMs and in the after-

market. It is also working with an

OEM in China for hybrid solution but

commercial launch of the solution in

any market is st ill some time away. It

has conduct ed trials or test runs on four

diff erent passenger car models adding

up to more than 40,000 km till date.

Th e price could range from `65,000 to

`1.5 lakh. One major area where addi-

tional work is required to be done is

choosing a battery. Th e JV could off er

kits with diff erent battery combina-

tion (including lithium ion or lead

acid) or have an exclusive tie-up with

one supplier. Moreover the test run on

the solution shows adequate harness-

ing of wast e energy during braking and

downhill descent or other scenarios,

according to company offi cials.

“We are aiming to have better per-

formance from the exist ing petrol or

diesel engines in a vehicle. We are not

looking at a scenario where the hybrid

syst em should take over the drive

train at any point during the driving

cycle,” said Managing Direct or, KPIT

Syst ems, Ravi Pandit.

Fellow hybrid solution providers

to the automotive sect or like Eaton

greatly diff er on their approach to

the market. Most are of the opinion

that a hybrid solution cannot be com-

mercially feasible for supplier or end

cust omers without adequate user sub-

sidy. Moreover, it has not proven to be

a competitive personal transportation

solution anywhere in the world.

“Globally, hybrid programmes are

being undertaken by OEMs with

major incentives and/or subsidies avail-

able from government. It is diffi cult

for an OEM to off er a good commer-

cial off ering to cust omers without the

government support,” said Executive

Direct or, Eaton India, Ramchandra

Rao. Additionally, the price range

considered for the hybrid solution is

much higher compared to Compressed

Natural Gas (CNG) kits currently

available in the aftermarket.

“Conversion to CNG or even fac-

tory fi tted kit may be suitable solution

in some parts of the country for some

segment of the market. Hybrid solution

could be preferred in certain scenario.

Both could coexist and not necessarily at

the cost of each other,” said Pandit. He

added that the JV (KPIT Bharat Forge)

is looking to off er a cost eff ect ive solution

with architect ural diff erences compared

to exist ing OEM or retrofi tment solu-

tions for hybridisation available globally.

However, any concession available from

national hybrid/elect ric mission or any

other specifi c programmes from central

or st ate governments would be a positive

st ep and could lead to lower the cost of

the product itself.

The Revolo Architect ure Ravi Pandit, MD, KPIT Syst ems

The Indian market requires an inexpensive & easy-to-use solution rather than existing ones offered by OEMs, which are beyond the reach of a large seg-

ment of customers and not suitable in the

Indian conditions


IN CONVERSATION

3633333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333336666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666

“Worst feared for

automobile retail”

Th e relentless rise of infl ation, fuel prices and interest rates are the major reasons that would make the next two years diffi cult for automobile retail. Fearing the worst, President, FADA, Nikunj Sanghi told Nabeel A Khan that the OEMs should either hold on to current prices or roll back price hikes. He insisted that the government

should off er incentives to those scraping their old cars and introduce infrastructural projects to

increase vehicle demand.

Could you provide an update

on the act ivities of FADA?

Currently, around 65 percent of

the total dealers are members of

the association. Being the only

apex body of the automobile

dealers in the country, we aim

to attain 100 percent member-

ship in the near future. Th ere

are a number of dealerships

in the hinterland and Tier

II and III cities where the

awareness level of what

FADA can do is limited.

FADA is about shar-

ing knowledge and best

pract ices and it is also

about what st rategies

are to be implemented

to sust ain the growth

and success.



IN CONVERSATION

Do you think that the services

are matching the expect ations of the

cust omers?

Th e dealers are not failing to deliver

on the quality of service. Th e biggest

bottleneck that dealers are facing is avail-

ability of skilled manpower. With the

kind of technology coming in the indus-

try, unless you don’t have the skilled

manpower it is diffi cult not only for deal-

ers but also for manufact ures to deliver

the services required. Realising the gap

in the demand and supply of the skilled

manpower, the government const ituted

the skill development council and one of

the fi rst trades taken up there was auto-

technician training. And going by that,

SIAM, ACMA and FADA have joined

hands and formed a skill development

council and we are in the process of roll-

ing out auto technician courses across the

county soon and that is being supported

by the central government.

What is FADA doing to bring

common transport law in country?

FADA did take a very important

st ep in this direct ion by conduct ing a

transport commissioners’ workshop in

Delhi a couple of years back. We plan

to continue that pract ice of getting all

the transport commissioners of all st ates

on a single common platform. What we

do is take the best pract ice of one st ate

and share it with the transport commis-

sioners of other st ates. Moreover, the

government has also created inter-st ate

transport council where it is trying to

make all the transport laws common

including the road tax st ruct ure.

What is the roadmap for auto-

mobile retailing?

Th e fest ival period has not lived upto

expect ations. Usually, a fest ival period

sees a 20-30 percent increase in sales as

against the rest of the months, but this

cycle has not happened this time. Post -

fest ival, most dealers are experiencing

lower footfalls and enquiries. As a result,

this is a challenging period and it could

get worse. Th ere are a number of rea-

sons for this: Infl ation has impact ed the

commodity prices, that has resulted in

increased prices of vehicles in the last

six months. Th e second blow is that the

increased interest rates imposed to con-

trol the infl ation have led to higher EMIs.

Finally, the relentless hike of fuel prices.

Th ese three fact ors have severely

impact ed the demand of automobiles.

Now with infl ation not being under

control and the government tighten-

ing the noose further, the automobile

demand is going to be aff ect ed.

Do you foresee a threat for deal-

ership business?

Immediately, I don’t see dealerships

shutting down, but it is going to be dif-

fi cult for them to be profi table. What

happens when demand goes down, is

that there is an increased pressure on

sales due to which, the cost of sales also

goes up as you need to hire more people

and off er bigger discounts. Th us profi t-

ability is going to dip.

Where are the automotive sect or

and dealership business heading?

If you look at the SIAM’s project ion

for vehicle demand, there is a downward

revision of the growth project ion from

12 to 16 percent to two to three per-

cent. And they are saying that they could

revise it further; obviously the manufac-

turers are also in the same mode as the

demand recession is going to continue.

It is too early to foresee anythings as the

cost of the exist ing dealership business

is very high. Th us the decision to close is

not easy for any dealer to make. Hence

there is a tendency to try and prolong any

closure in the hope of revival. So I don’t

see an immediate reason for shutting

down of the dealerships.

What kind of indicators would

you like to see for revival?

A majority of the vehicles are fi nanced.

Th us interest rates have a major impact

on the purchase decision of the vehicles.

Hence the immediate thing required is

roll back of interest rates so that the EMI

becomes easier to be paid.

Th e manufact urers will have to look

at the prices; probably they should

hold on to the current prices or roll

back the prices. Th ere has been a price

increase by the OEMs in the last two

years and I am not saying that it was

not just ifi ed because there was an

increase in the commodity prices too.

We don’t see any revival in the near

future; the next 18 to 24 months are

going to be diffi cult.

What should be done to boost

sentiments at all levels?

Th e government needs to take similar

st eps that they took when the recession

hit the indust ry back in 2008-09. Th ey

should take measures like giving incen-

tives to scrap old or ineffi cient cars and

buy new vehicles, giving impetus to gov-

ernment undertakings like st ate road

transport corporations to introduce new

fl eets and boost new infrast ruct ure that

can act ually put money into the market

and increase the demand for vehicles.

Do you think the performance

of the CV and two-wheeler segments

will continue in the same fashion?

I think that even these two segments,

which have to date sust ained recessionary

pressures, are being hit. And I under-

st and that there is a demand recession

coming from CV segment. From the

point of being a sellers’ market, the CV

segment has become a buyers’ market.

Discounting has st arted in CV segment

also and you will see the inventory levels

have st arted to rise in these dealerships. I

don’t think any segment of the automo-

bile indust ry has been left untouched by

the slowdown.



FOCUS

SKODA recently kicked off its new

service training centre in the Czech

town of Kosmonosy. Th e building,

located near Skoda’s headquarters,

is one of the most advanced training

centres for the Czech Republic based

car maker. It now combines the tech-

nical and business training for the

brand's importers and dealers from all

over the world.

Th e new centre was built in four-

teen months. Th e company has invest ed

some Euro six million in the facility.

Th e EU Struct ural Fund subsidised

the project with an additional Euro

2.5 million. During the commission-

ing ceremony, Skoda’s Chairman of

the Board, Prof Dr Winfried Vahland,

emphasised the great signifi cance of

a qualifi ed dealership network for the

Growth Strategy 2018.

Th e fi ve fl oors accommodate vari-

ous learning facilities, all equipped

with the latest training and pres-

entation technology. In addition to

the numerous training rooms, there

is also a video conference room, an

archive, and a library. A body shop is

available for training bodywork con-

st ruct ors. A presentation hall, seating

100 people, provides a great envi-

ronment to comprehensively explain

vehicles. Th e top fl oor is essentially

one large conference hall. Th e par-

tially open basement serves as a

parking area for training vehicles,

as a st orage area, and the technical

back-offi ce of the building.

“Following our sales record in

2011, we would like to continue to

accelerate our expansion in the com-

ing years. Competent and qualifi ed

partners are a key fact or in sust ained

growth. Th erefore, a growth campaign

also requires a service campaign. Our

new service training centre marks

an important turning point for a

permanently st rong and competent

dealership network and another clear

sign of the Skoda’s emergence,” said

Dr Vahland. Dealerships and work-

shops with the Skoda logo currently

employ around 15 thousand employ-

ees worldwide.

In just over a year of const ruct ion,

a modern, a multi-purpose, fi ve-st o-

ry building had been completed in

Kosmonosy. “Th is centre is the cen-

tral base for the service campaign for

the coming years,” emphasises Jurgen

Stackmann, the board member for

Sales and Marketing. Th e training

program is focused in the areas of tech-

nology and processes, management

and organization, as well as IT and car

body const ruct ion. Up to 200 people

per day can be trained in theoretical

knowledge and pract ical skills.

Skoda inaugurated advanced service training centre in Czech Republic

Skoda’s Service Training Centre


STUDY

Auto Components Sector: Mixed performance;

uncertain future

MACRO-ECONOMIC concerns in the domest ic mar-

ket and base eff ect impede revenue growth in Q2 FY12. Th e

Indian auto components indust ry witnessed a moderation

in revenue growth in Q2, FY12 (based on our sample of 36

select list ed entities), with growth being fl at on QoQ basis;

although revenue growth continued to be in double digits on

YoY basis. Within our sample universe, however, there was

a wide variance in the performance of individual companies

with revenue growth being relatively higher for companies

dependent on the domest ic two-wheeler (2W) and Light

Commercial Vehicle (LCV) segments; and growth being

lower/ negative for companies dependent on the Medium

& Heavy Commercial Vehicle (M&HCV) and Passenger

vehicle (PV) segments. Th is broadly mirrors the trend in

sales volumes seen in the respect ive automobile segments in

Q2, FY12 .

Further, despite macro-economic challenges currently

being faced by the automotive indust ry— PV and M&HCV

segments in particular—due to infl ation, hardening inter-

est rates and rising fuel prices, many of the auto component

manufact urers continued to reported st rong double digit rev-

enue growth in Q2 FY12 supported by (i) component exports

to Europe for CV applications and (ii) rising share of reve-

nues from the non-automotive segment. Also, several entities

in our sample have been displaying signifi cantly higher rev-

enue growth than average over the last several quarters by


STUDY

virtue of their success in improving market share, expand-

ing product portfolio and changing product mix in favour of

higher realisation components. Th e above initiatives sailed

such companies through in Q2 FY12, like they did in earlier

quarters, allowing them to report healthy topline growth,

overall demand side pressures notwithst anding.

In the past , component suppliers whose business has

been concentrated on a few cust omers, geographies or

automotive segments have been able to maintain a rather

healthy fi nancial profi le, while the performance of their

more diversifi ed peers has experienced st ress.

Th is peculiarity is not unusual in the Indian context as a

relatively small set of OEMs enjoy a signifi cantly high mar-

ket share in each of the automotive segments; plus, most

Indian ancillaries lack adequate scale to enjoy the full ben-

efi ts of geographical or product diversity as compared to their

global counterparts. Th us, while the revenue growth of auto

component manufact urers dependent entirely on the 2W

segment remained healthy in H1 FY12 due to continued

resilience shown by this segment, the performance of com-

panies dependent on the PV segment was in st ark contrast as

volumes suff ered due to both demand side as well as supply

side concerns. Notwithst anding the above, adequacy of diver-

sifi cation—in terms of cust omer base, segment mix, product

portfolio and geographical footprint—remains a desirable

metric as it enhances a company’s ability to overcome cash

fl ow variability across business cycles and makes it better

equipped to endure cyclical shocks. In our sample too, entities

which score high on the diversifi cation parameter, have been

able to demonst rate st eady revenue growth in H1 FY12 and

in prior periods.

While our short term outlook on the auto component

indust ry’s revenue growth as a whole is sombre, the per-

formance of individual companies may continue to vary

depending on their revenue mix (OEMs/ Replacement

Market), segment leaning (PV/CV/2W) and geographical

diversifi cation (domest ic/ exports). Overall, auto component

manufact urers who have (a) st ronger presence in the replace-

ment market, (b) lower dependence on interest rate sensitive

automobile segments, and (c) geographically dispersed cus-

tomer base, are likely to be better equipped to off set the

expect ed moderation in business with domest ic OEMs in

FY12. However, as these short term pressures recede, the

auto and auto components indust ry is expect ed to revert to a

healthy growth traject ory supported by the several st ruct ural

positives associated with the Indian economy including low

automobile penetration, growing replacement demand, ris-

ing disposable incomes and demographic advantage.

Although commodity price cycle turned favourable, mar-


STUDY

gin erosion continued in Q2 FY12

due to lower product ion and forex

losses. Th e prices of key raw materi-

als including st eel, aluminium, copper,

plast ic and rubber used in automobiles

had risen sharply in the beginning of

CY2009. However, considering that

average raw material prices in 2009-

10 were lower than those prevailing in

2008-09, the profi t margins of the auto

and auto components indust ry had wit-

nessed a healthy expansion in 2009-10,

supported also by st rong surge in sales

volumes resulting in operating leverage

benefi ts.

Although the buoyancy in automo-

tive demand persist ed in 2010-11, the

profi t margins of the indust ry could

not hold up to the 2009-10 levels in the

wake of continued fi rming up of raw

material prices. Consequently, profi t

margins of both auto OEMs as well

as auto component manufact urers had

generally declined during each quarter

of 2010-11 on both YoY as well as

QoQ basis.

Since the beginning of this fi scal,

however, the prices of key commodi-

ties have softened to a certain extent,

providing partial relief to the indust ry

participants. Yet, profi tability pres-

sures from other sources surfaced in Q2

FY12: (i) higher overheads on lower than

budgeted sales (ii) forex losses (on both

imports as well as rest atement of foreign

currency loans) due to sharp apprecia-

tion of USD against INR and (iii) rising

competition in select product categories

impairing pricing power. While com-

panies whose profi t margins contract ed

in Q2 FY12 due to the fi rst two reasons

could st ill expect their P&L to return

to its usual colour as the business cycle

and currency cycle correct ; companies

whose margins declined due to the third

reason, may experience greater diffi culty

in maintaining their hist orical margins.

Also, several auto component manufac-

turers had incurred sizeable invest ments

over the last several quarters to meet the

rising product ion schedules of OEMs

and towards est ablishing product ion

infrast ruct ure to supply parts for new

models launched by OEMs.

With slowdown in sales, particu-

larly in the PV segment, and relatively

lower volume growth of new models

(Honda’s Brio and Toyota’s Liva and

Etios are currently facing produc-

tion issues due to the recent fl oods

in Th ailand; product ion ramp-up of

Maruti Suzuki’s new Swift had got

caught-up in labour issues till Oct ober

2011), the utilisation of vendors’ capac-

ities has been sub-optimal. Further,

since a part of the above capex was

debt-funded, the rising interest rates

and declining profi ts have created

pressure on the interest coverage ratio

of several companies.

In the likely scenario of further

moderation in revenue growth in 2011-

12, companies having the following

charact erist ics may feel greater st ress on

their fi nancials:

• Companies engaged in capital

intensive business and having an

asset-heavy business model with

limited proportion of outsourced

manufact uring

• Companies having high fi nancial

leverage and large debt repayment

obligations which may face refi -

nancing diffi culties in the current

environment. Th e higher interest

burden on such companies may also

pull down net profi ts

• Companies holding large short term

unhedged foreign currency loans; or

FCCBs due for redemption soon

• Companies having high import

dependence, with payables not cov-

ered through forward contract s

Th e rising scepticism amongst auto ancil-

laries about the ongoing down cycle, is

also forcing them to reconsider their capex

plans over the near term.

In any case, in the current scenario,

companies that have cash balances and do

eventually decide to invest for organic or

inorganic growth, may fi nd the same more

valuable, not because of liquidity concerns

in the banking syst em, but due to their

eff ect ively lower cost of funds.

(Courtesy: ICRA)


ANALYSIS

INNOVATION has become a neces-

sity and is one of the most important

success fact ors to maintain an edge in a

st rong competitive environment, espe-

cially in the automotive indust ry. Th e

changing preferences of cust omers for

advanced technology and features in cars

drive vehicle manufact urers to innovate.

With increasing awareness, cust omers

are now looking for more fuel-effi cient

cars that encompass a series of features

including safety, security, comfort, and

infotainment, with enhanced value for

money. However, the cost of ownership

of the car remains the most important

purchase fact or for an Indian cust omer,

which in turn becomes a limiting fact or

for the vehicle manufact urers’ innovations.

Changing Preferences Towards Alternate Fuels

Recently, there has been a paradigm

shift in cust omer preferences towards

diesel cars. Prices of diesel cars have

remained quite high due to the heavy

government subsidies and infl ation.

Even so, cust omers are not hesitating to

opt for the more expensive diesel variant

against petrol.

Cust omers are willing to wait for

around eight to 10 months when it comes

to buying a diesel car since the ratio of

petrol vs. diesel product ion is rather

st eep. Diesel being fuel-effi cient has led

to higher take rates, as the monthly run-

ning cost is much lower when compared

to a petrol variant. Diesel engines, today,

are built with superior technology and

their maintenance cost s are at par with

petrol variants. Th e compact segment

cars, which have the highest sales volume

compared to other segments, are always

expect ed to be launched in both the fuel

variants by the cust omers. Th ere is a

heavy shift in demand for diesel variants,

which has gone up by 75-80 percent

with the launch of models such as

Maruti Suzuki Swift, General Motors’

Chevrolet Beat, and Ford Figo, consider-

ing the above mentioned benefi ts.

However, there may be a setback in

the demand if the government’s propos-

al to increase the excise duty on diesel

cars in the Union Budget 2012-13 gets

implemented. Th e ownership benefi ts

enjoyed by the cust omers on diesel cars

are going to be dissolved if this proposal

comes into eff ect . Th is would derail the

growth of vehicle manufact urers who

have invest ed heavily in their in-house

diesel technology plant in India.

In this milieu, Compressed Natural

Gas (CNG) variants are gaining promi-

nence as the running cost s of petrol

vs CNG variants are in the ratio of

3:1. Eyeing the forthcoming demand

for CNG cars, vehicle manufact ur-

ers are launching the exist ing models

with CNG options. Maruti Suzuki has

launched fi ve of its best -selling mod-

els—Alto, Est ilo, WagonR, SX4, and

Eeco with CNG variants. Th e other

alternate fuels that are expect ed to see

higher preference in the Indian market

are elect ric vehicles and plug-in hybrid

cars with the government’s increasing

interest to boost their penetration.

Changing preferences towards health, wellness, and wellbeing features

Over the years, the automotive

indust ry has been experiencing signifi -

cant changes in cust omers’ purchase

preferences. A car that used to be looked

at merely as a means of transportation

has now evolved to become the means

for a comfortable and convenient driving

experience. Cust omers are attribut-

ing their best buy not just to the engine

technology, body design, and the car

brand, but with more emphasis on the

added features being off ered by the vehi-

cle manufact urers.

Source: Frost & Sullivan

Evolution inpreferences

Trends in Domestic Demand for Fuel Variants in Passenger Vehicles

of Indian car owners


ANALYSIS

Frost & Sullivan’s Survey on Voice of

Cust omer Analysis of Passenger Vehicle

Owners found that comfortable driving,

reduced st ress while driving in uncomfort-

able external conditions, adjust able seating

syst ems, and in-car climate control are

preferred by today’s cust omers, which are

called Health, Wellness, and Well-being

(HWW) features. Th e two major fact ors

associated with st ressful driving are tog-

gling between too many features in the

car, and psychological and physical st ress,

which includes driving through congest ed

traffi c conditions and over-speeding.

Cust omers give more importance

to the car’s internal environment fea-

tures rather than its physical features,

as they look for a peaceful and comfort-

able driving experience. Having made

the air-conditioner and heater a st and-

ard fi tment in all cars moving forward

from the compact segment, and with

increasing importance being accorded

to eco-friendly features, cust omers look

for advanced features such as outside

temperature display, automatic climate

control, and good sound proofi ng to

ensure a peaceful drive.

Cust omers place a high level of

emphasis on safety features such as anti-

lock braking syst em (ABS), brake assist

syst em, airbags, child safety locks, seat

belt warning, and tyre pressure monitor-

ing syst em. Currently ABS and driver

airbags are being provided as a st andard

fi tment in high-end variants of compact

and mid-size segment cars.

Driver assist ance features such as

real-time car diagnost ics, automatic

crash notifi cation, emergency assist -

ance, and satellite navigation syst em

have gained awareness and promi-

nence. Cust omers are willing to pay the

required premium to get these safety fea-

tures as part of their new car purchase.

Safe options of st aying connect ed on

the go off ers several benefi ts. Cust omers/

Self-Driven vehicle owners prefer to

attend phone calls while driving with

reduced dist ract ion via Bluetooth hands-

free devices. Cust omers also look for

satellite navigation devices with updated

maps to locate the desired dest ina-

tion and as well to get real-time traffi c

updates to plan their route accordingly.

Th e Indian cust omer predominantly

tends to list en to music through satellite

radio, MP3 connect ion, or access digital

music while driving the car in congest ed

traffi c conditions. In-car entertainment

features become mandatory to keep the

passengers entertained on the go, thereby

leading to less st ress and a relaxed feeling

while driving. With increasing awareness

among the cust omers for such infotain-

ment features, there is an increasing

demand for safety-related connect ivity.

In future, cust omers will demand that

their vehicles are connect ed to computers,

mobile phones, and workst ations to carry

out tasks from anywhere and anytime.

In 2011, cust omers have st arted

showing willingness to pay an extra

premium for infotainment features.

Although the cost involved to develop

and manufact ure these technologies is

relatively high for an OEM, in the long

run, the take rates for these features are

expect ed to be high. With an increas-

ing number of global brands entering the

Indian market, the awareness about such

advanced features is growing, which

leads to cust omers opting for the features

if provided as a st andard fi tment by vehi-

cle manufact urers.

(Courtesy: Automotive &

Transportation Pract ice, Frost & Sullivan,

South Asia, Middle East and North Africa)

Driver Assistance Features Benefi cial for Health, Wellness, and Wellbeing of Customers



Features Benefi cial for Health, Wellness, and Wellbeing of Customers


TECHNOLOGY

THE hist ory of the development of

Numerical Control (NC) is close-

ly linked to the rise of the aerospace

sect or in the US and the technical

challenges faced by engineers as they

designed and made craft and power

plants fl y fast er, higher, further and

with greater safety.

Th e aircraft builders pushed their

suppliers, and for a while, the technical

challenges outst ripped manufact uring

capability. Th en, in the 1970s, due to the

availability and proliferation of low cost

microprocessors, NC evolved to become

CNC, and manufact uring technology

and airplane design accelerated into the

future, with one or the other alternately

setting the pace.

For aircraft passengers, the golden

age of aviation might have been the

1950s and 60s, but for aircraft manu-

fact urers and their suppliers, the new

golden age is now. Air travel is bur-

geoning; aircraft and engines are

becoming more effi cient and reliable,

and airlines are buying them in greater

numbers. Parts manufact urers willing

to invest in the right technology, peo-

ple and processes, can fi nd themselves

working for some of the renowned

Process effi ciencylessons from

aerospace segment

Outside and Inside view of the AeroCision facility


TECHNOLOGY

names in the sect or. Take Connect icut-

based AeroCision, for example.

AeroCisionFounded fi fty years ago,

AeroCision’s original owners relied

most ly on local business for their liveli-

hoods. It’s unlikely, that back in those

relatively dark ages of manufact uring

technology, they could have imagined

that one day they’d be making parts

for the latest passenger jet engines, let

alone for a cust omer more than 3,000

miles away.

AeroCision specialises in turned

‘ring’ parts for turbofan engines: typical-

ly, parts between 150 mm and 750 mm.

Its workshop is spotless, as one would

expect for a company with aerospace

st andards. Towards the back of the cur-

rent fl oor space is 15,000 sq ft available

for expansion, but in the foreground are

two manufact uring cells, one with CNC

vertical machining centres and the other

with CNC lathes.

Timely DeliveriesTwo of the most important things for

the company and its cust omers are on-

time delivery and zero defect s. Th ere are

st rict ly applied penalties for not deliver-

ing on time, even if it delivers too early.

So, the biggest challenges are schedul-

ing, controlling and reducing set-up and

cycle times. Speeds and feeds are critical

because there’s a lot of material removal.

“Our runs are 20 to 25 pieces, so we need

to be quick when we’re changing set-ups.

Th e larger parts necessitate well-designed

set-up and shuttle plates and our latest

Haas machines have tool setters. We’re

also moving towards SPC and certifying

our operators as inspect ors, which will

help us enormously. Th e SPC will allow

us to gather the data, and we’ll be able

to chart out trends live on the shop-fl oor

screens. On-machine probing will allow

us to measure the parts and send those

measurement to our database, so the

operators will be able to move the parts

through the shop that much more effi -

ciently,” according to a company offi cial.

AeroCision has a continuous, live

link to its UK cust omer, whose syst em

downloads a schedule to Chest er every

Monday morning, where it is import-

ed into the company’s ERP syst em.

People, machines and other resources

can be scheduled for the week.

During the development phase of one

particular, complex ring-part, the compa-

ny managed to have the process resolved

and the fi rst -off component made, well

ahead of schedule. It had all four Haas

mills running but needed more turning

capacity, so it bought the ST30s.

When OEMs rationalise their sup-

plier bases, there’s usually only a brief

and single opportunity for a company to

be included.

Looking AheadTh e aerospace indust ry is pushing

its suppliers more than ever to come

up with new technology, processes and

quality control—just like in the early

years of NC. Th ese days, however, man-

ufact uring technology may act ually be

setting the pace on some fronts, as CNC

machine tools in particular become more

aff ordable and precise. Expect to see

engine and aircraft development get-

ting fast er and more cost -effi cient and

precision part suppliers like AeroCision

getting a bigger piece of the act ion.

(Courtesy: Haas. View expressed

are personal)

(Top) Andrew Gibson, CEO, AeroCision (R)The biggest challenges are scheduling, con-trolling and reducing set-up and cycle times

Hall No. 5, Stall No. 5-3


TECHNOLOGY

GLOBAL supplier of automotive technologies

and innovation, Federal-Mogul Corporation,

has developed an innovation that makes vehicle

interior lighting syst ems slimmer, cooler, more

effi cient and st ylish. Th e company’s new ultra-

thin lighting combines LEDs and a specially

designed lamp lens to reduce the profi le of inte-

rior lamps by up to 60 percent.

How It WorksTh e company’s touch-free light provides

increased lighting funct ions and eliminates

the driver’s search for the correct mechanical

switch in increasingly crowded consoles and

inst rument panels, enabling more attention

to remain focused on the road. Th e utilisa-

tion of this innovative technology provides for

improved durability and reduced energy use

while eliminating the design const raints of

mechanical switches.

Th e touch-free dome lamp integrates a

capacitive sensor into the vehicle’s overhead

console. Th e capacitive proximity sensor func-

tions by detect ing the hand’s conduct ivity as

it enters a fi eld. Th e fi eld sensitivity range can

be set to funct ion from 0 mm to 80 mm. As

the hand enters the fi eld, the switch is trig-

gered by a change in capacitance caused by

the conduct ivity of iron in the blood. Th e

syst em continually monitors the environment

Touch-freeinnovation

lights up Federal-Mogul’s portfolio

Ultra-thin lighting with NovaLens


TECHNOLOGY

to calibrate and optimise performance

and range. Federal-Mogul’s syst em

works even when the operator is wearing

gloves, unlike competing technologies,

such as infrared proximity sensors.

Evolving TastesTh e need to make vehicles more ener-

gy effi cient coupled with the demand

from consumers for premium interiors

and personalisation is driving growth in

the use of LEDs for funct ional interior

and exterior lighting. What’s more, the

growing demand for vehicles with high-

er seating positions and lower roofl ines

means vehicle manufact urers operate

within tightening const raints to cre-

ate suffi cient headroom for occupants.

Increasing headroom is a contributing

fact or in improving the safety of occu-

pants during a rollover event.

“With interior lamp profi les typically

of 30 mm or more, the size of interior

lighting modules has been a limiting

fact or for vehicle manufact urers. Our

new lamp is just 12 mm thick, giv-

ing vehicle designers an extra 18 mm

of space and increased st yling design

opportunities.” said Federal-Mogul’s

Senior Vice President, Vehicle Safety

and Protect ion, Ramzi Hermiz.

NovaLens is a specially designed lens

that incorporates unique geometric fea-

tures, which refl ect and refract the light

from LEDs positioned at opposite sides

of the lamp to produce visually uniform

illumination from the entire lens. Th e

inner surface of NovaLens incorporates

optical features that vary in shape, depth

and position, depending on their dist ance

from the nearest LED. Th e outer sur-

face of NovaLens contains several parallel

optical fl utes.

Reduced Emissions“Th e consist ent, homogeneous

appearance of our new ultra-thin lamp

with NovaLens is unrivalled in the

indust ry,” Hermiz said. “It provides new

opportunities for interior designers and

a competitive advantage for Federal-

Mogul’s cust omers.” LED technology

can draw less than 2 W, depending on

cust omer requirements, compared to 10

W for the equivalent incandescent bulbs.

Th is reduced elect rical demand cuts CO2

emissions, which is especially important

in elect ric vehicles. LEDs also last more

than ten times as long as incandescent

bulbs and operate 95 degrees Celsius

cooler, improving thermal management,

inst allation and st yling options.

Federal-Mogul is in discussion with

vehicle manufact urers on several conti-

nents regarding its new ultra-thin lamp

with NovaLens. Th e company’s fi rst

product ion applications will reach the

market during 2012. Th e technology was

developed at Federal-Mogul’s Lighting

Technical Centre in Ann Arbor, Mich,

US, one of the company’s 18 globally net-

worked technical centres.


TECHNOLOGY

TO meet General Motors’ exact ing

quality st andards, Russian-based ZAO

Vlankas invest ed in a new syst em for

painting bumpers. Eisenmann

designed the syst em to accommodate

not only a doubling of output, but also

a changeover to a water-based paint

syst em with minimum disruption

to product ion.

ZAO Vlankas of St Petersburg,

a subsidiary of Krist a Group, is the

fi rst Russian automotive supplier to

produce plast ic auto body parts for a

west ern OEM—and very proud of the

fact . Vlankas manufact ures and paints

bumpers for General Motors. In the

wake of securing this contract , the sup-

plier invest ed in a new paint syst em that

enables the implementation of GM’s

high environmental and

quality st andards.

Future-Proof Design Th e major advantage of Eisenmann’s

proposal—which gave it the edge over

three competing bids—lay in the high-

ly fl exible paint-shop design. Vlankas

needed a facility that was not only

equipped to handle the current out-

put of 240,000 bumpers per year, but

could be extended quickly and easily to

manage double that capacity as produc-

Cutting-edgepaint-shoptechnology

Redefining adaptability in the paint process

All spray booths can be retrofitted with additional robots. As coats can be applied to parts from both sides simulta-

neously, the system throughput can easily be doubledThe paint supply system is designed

to provide for eight different paints


TECHNOLOGY

tion grew. Th e supplier’s project leaders

were equally interest ed in the option of

moving to water-based paints without

the need for time-consuming conver-

sions. With this capability, Vlankas

would be well placed to fulfi l future

requirements.

Eisenmann made the paint shop

readily extensible by incorporating a

skid conveyor syst em that could be

loaded from both sides. For this pur-

pose, both the loading and unloading

st ations are equipped with rotating

devices, which make it easy for a sin-

gle employee to load both sides of the

skids. A further benefi t of the skid

conveyor is that it requires less space

than a conventional chain conveyor.

Moreover, the design of the spray

booths provides for additional robots

to be retrofi tted for fl ame treatment

and the application of primer, base

coat and clear coat. Parts can be coated

from both sides of the skids without

changing the cycle time, eff ect ively

doubling the achievable throughput.

At present, Vlankas uses solvent-

based paints in a wet-in-wet process. To

allow the automotive supplier to switch

to water-based paints with minimum

disruption to product ion, the syst em

design can accommodate the inclusion

of drying and cooling zones after prim-

er and base coat application—both in

terms of fl oor space and in terms of the

process sequence.

Process Across Multiple LevelsTh e facility was to be inst alled in an

exist ing space with a width and height

of only about 12 metres. Eisenmann

mast ered this challenge on the one

hand through a very compact design,

and on the other hand by means of a

multi-level paint syst em. Th e levels are

linked by lifting devices.

Vlankas produces the bumpers by

inject ion moulding, then transports

them direct ly to the paint shop. After

being fed-in manually at level zero, the

parts move through the entire paint

process automatically. Stage one is pre-

treatment, comprising four zones on the

next level up. An interest ing feature is

the tilting and jogging st ation, which

ensures that fl uid from the rinsing zone

is removed from the concave geometries

of the parts prior to blow-off and the

drying process, which takes around 20

minutes. Th is prevents carry-over of

water into the paint process and helps

ensure a high-quality fi nish.

On the “treatment level” are the

zones for fl ame treatment, mask-

ing and ionising the bumpers, and the

spray booths for applying primer, base

coat and clear coat, with a fl ash-off

zone between each. Th e syst em lay-

out provides for eight diff erent paints

to be used at the base coat st age. Paint

changeovers are automatic. Th e oven

used in the 45-minute drying process,

which takes place at 90°C, is inst alled

on the next level up. After the cooling

zone the parts descend once more to

level zero, where the bumpers are trans-

ported to dispatching via a de-masking

and inspect ion st ation.

An Energy-Effi cient PlantTo minimise heat losses during the

drying process, the facility utilises a cam-

el-back oven, in which inlet and outlet are

located underneath the main oven unit.

Th is special design takes account of the

physical behaviour of heat. As a result,

very little heat escapes when the parts are

moved in and out, minimising energy loss

in comparison to conventionally designed

dryers. In addition, the spray booths are

air-conditioned using an air recircula-

tion syst em, which contributes to energy

effi ciency. Th e heat produced by the cool-

ing condenser is utilised for the process.

Th e exhaust air, which contains solvent, is

purifi ed in a regenerative thermal oxidiser

by an autothermal process.

(Courtesy: Eisenmann.

Views expressed are personal)

In accordance with conditions on site, the new paint shop was designed to be very compact and comprised multiple levels linked by lifting devices

Condensers are used to cool the cooling zones and air-condition the spray booths. The heat this produces is utilised in the process


PRODUCTS

Vanjax Hydraulic Scissor TruckFor safe, easy transporting and lifting of materials to work position. Th e scissor table can be raised by pump-ing the foot pedal.

Available in the types VXLT-500 / 800 (cap. 500 kg., maximum height 880 mm with a closed height of 285 mm) and VXLT - 750 / 900 (cap 750 kg., maximum height 900 mm with a closed height of 420 mm). Th e scissor lift trucks can perform variety of lifting jobs in auto servicing garage workshops, die shops, two wheeler assembly lines, and printing presses to feed paper sheets in off set presses.

Vanjax Model: WUP-VXLTRKPhone: 0091- 44 - 4282 1000, 2625 5300, 2625 4875Fax: 0091- 44 - 4598 5700Email: [email protected], [email protected]

TurbochargersTEL manufact ures turbochargers of various sizes suitable for engines from 700 cc to 23,000 cc capacity. TEL is certifi ed for ISO / TS 16949: 2002 and ISO 14001.It also has network of dist ributor branches and authorised service centres across the country.r

Turbo EnergyPhone: 044 27425613 / 717 /714Email: [email protected]

RadiatorsAlkraft’s radiators have cores with special dimple tubes that enable superior heat transfer performance. Th ey are made using super-long-life alloys that give them enhanced corrosion resist ance, while the patented ‘SRX’ syst em off ers enhanced st ruct ural durability. All of these fact ors have given the product s long life expect ancy in the indust ry.

Radiators Applications:• Automotive• Indust rial• Const ruct ion and Mining• Road Machinery• Tract ors and Agricultural Equipment• Power Generation Equipment

Alkraft ThermotechnologiesPhone: 91-44-26258750/90Fax: 91-44-26258770Email: [email protected]

Neck RestAutokame neck rest s are manufact ured with very high quality fabric, which provides highly durable and long life. Th ese neck rest s are available at very cost eff ect ive prices. Th ere are various types of neck rest are available like neck rest 101, neck rest 103, neck rest 102 to name a few.

Choudhry EnterprisesTelephone : + (91)-(11)-23910142/ 65159723 Mobile: + (91)-9717032558/ 9313208022Email: [email protected], [email protected]

Power Probe 3Power Probe 3 has built-in volt-meter, voltage drop detect or with relay and component test er. Th e device can be use to power up components like fan motor, wiper motor or horn right in hand. It also has peak-to-peak voltage detect or (up to 70VAC, 50VDC). It can identify negative, positive, and open circuits without re-polarising hook-up clips. Th e locate shorts without wast ing fuse and has two white LEDs that fl ood the work area with bright light. It also has audible monitoring with 20ft lead wire allows bumper to bumper test ing without jumper leads.

ITCModel No: ITCPROBE34Phone: 96204 63364Email: [email protected]: www.international-tools.com


PRODUCTS

Hexagonal Head (Screw/Bolts)Hexagonal head (screws/bolts) are available in vari-ous thread size, key size and length. It is made of st ain-less st eel, which ensures the durability and corrosion resist ance. Further, some of the specifi cations of hexago-nal head (screws/bolts) are:• DIN: 931/933(8.8/10.9) • Range: Dia - M3 to 24 : Dia - 1/8”to 1” • Length : Up to 200 mm • SCM 435/ High tensile• Also available in st ainless st eel.

Rajendra Kumar And CompanyPhone: 011 - 23274410, 65433131, 32904859, 23285420Fax: 011-23285421Email: rkc@rkct rades.com, [email protected]: http://www.rkct rades.com/

Flap Wheels

Manufact ures from specially processed resin bonded cloth to maintain uniform fl ap wear, which gives chatter free and non-loading and rubbing operation resulting in uniform cutting with consist ent fi nish.

Applications: Finishing and grinding of metals, removal of scales and scratches, polishing and surface preparations of sheet metals, automotive components like rims, silencers, sadi guards, leg guards, handle bar, etc. prior to elect roplating and / or powder coating, removal of fi ne burrs, press fl ashes, punching burrs, solder layers, fi nishing of pipes to remove drawing defect s and welding fl ash removal.

Swajit AbrasivesTel: + 91- 240- 2553787 / 2553916E-mail: [email protected]: www.abracutindia.com

Base Loadrunner (Two-Wheeler Conventional) Base Loadrunner batteries come with a st rong grid design ensuring long life, vast availability and fantas-tic after-sales service. Th e batteries have been design to suit all new gen-eration vehicles and are adapted for Indian road conditions.

Features • Engineered and adapted to suit

Indian road conditions.• Th ese batteries are equipped with special separators with

glass matt (Glass• Fibres), which prevents shedding.• Th e sulphate arrest technology extends the life of the bat-

tery and assures greater value for money.• Th ese batteries are fact ory dry charged. Base Batteries Phone: 080-40621900Fax: 080-41104555E-mail: [email protected]: www.basebatteries.com

Air Hose ReelHose reel are the most pract ice, fast , reliable and economic way to use fl exible hose for material such as air, oil, grease, water etc. Th ey can rewind fl exible of ¼”, 1/8”, ½” and are used in all workshop garages, indust ry, gas st ation etc. Th ey are very easy to inst all.Th e hose rewind is assured by a special st eel spring test ed for many thousands of operations. Th e latching of the hose to the required length and hose rewind are automatically operated. Th ere are diff erent types of hose reel1. Air Hose Reel2. Oil Hose Reel3. Grease Hose Reel4. Water Hose Reel

SP Air ToolsPhone: + 91 22 - 26852541, 26852243 Fax: + 91 22 - 26852540E-mail: [email protected]: www.hosereel.co.in


PRODUCTS

Hydraulic Lifting TableVanjax hydraulic lifting tables (platforms) with scissor lifting Mechanism are ideal for lift-ing loads to the required height Levels on the machines, ramps, st orage racks. Load should be evenly balance on the table. Strong st eel base and upper frames are free from torsion; scissors arms are self-guide on rollers with ball or taper roller bearings.

Manual pumps or power packs with either AC or DC supply can act uate hydraulic cylinders. Hydraulics is designed for continuous operation. Lifting moreover, lowering can be done at a const ant speed. Th e overload protect ion valve is in-built in the hydraulic circuit. Other safety features can be incorporated as per cust omer’s requirements. Th ese lifting tables have all st eel fabricated st ruct ures with wheels of suita-ble size. Th ey are available in st andard capacities ranging from 500 kgs to 5000 kgs and special purpose non-st andard tailor made to individual cust omer’s requirements up to 25 tones.

VanjaxREF: WUP-VXLT-BJJPhones: 0091- 44 - 4282 1000, 2625 5300, 2625 4875Fax: 0091- 44 - 4598 5700Email: [email protected], [email protected]

Vanjax Floor Crane Hydraulic fl oor cranes are port-able (manually towable) cranes in light and heavy-duty types. Th ey have all st eel fabricated frames, and are available in st andard capacities ranging from 1000 Kgs to 2000 kgs, or tailor made to individual cus-tomer’s requirement upto 5000 kgs. Highly suited for automobile garages and tool rooms, these portable Hydraulic fl oor cranes are capable of ver-satile uses in almost all indust rial est ablishments small, medium or large.

VanjaxModel: WUP-VXFCPhones: 0091- 44 - 4282 1000, 2625 5300, 2625 4875Fax: 0091- 44 - 4598 5700E-mail:[email protected], [email protected]

Oil CoolersAlkraft’s aluminium oil cooler was the very fi rst aluminium heat exchang-er made in India. Being the pioneer in this fi eld, Alkraf continue to make best -in-class oil coolers that are the choice of prest igious project s like the Tata Motors Prima World Truck pro-gramme. Th e oil cooler designs include tube and fi n, plate and bar, and drawn cup type const ruct ions.Product Applications:• Power Steering Oil Coolers • Hydraulic Oil Coolers• Lube Oil Coolers• Transmission Oil Coolers• Oil Coolers for indust rial, earthmoving, and road con-

st ruct ion equipment

Alkraft ThermotechnologiesPhone: 91-44-26258750/90Fax: 91-44-26258770Email: [email protected]

BeltsManufact ured by using specially treated aluminum oxide and silicon carbide grains and bonded in resin over resin and resin over glue bonds backed with pre-mium polyest er cotton and heavy weight cotton back-ings suitable to withst and severe applications. Available in wide size ranges suitable from portable sanders to drum sanders in varied indust rial opera-tions right from heavy st ock removal to fi ne fi nish.

Applications: Grinding, fi nishing and polishing of hand tool, ferrous and non-ferrous cast ing, high pressure aluminum die cast ing and gravity die cast ing items, automotive drop forged components, sanitary fi tting, medium and light st ock removal applications in general engineering and applications like deburring, grinding, surface leveling and polishing etc. In duct ile and less hardened materials, wood, plast ics, paper, etc hard glass grinding and polishing, edge beveling decora-tive glass fi nishing and polishing, plywood, particleboard and beveling, decorative glass fi nishing, plywood, particleboard and laminates sanding, woodworking and wooden furniture manufact uring. Swajit AbrasivesTel: + 91- 240- 2553787 / 2553916E-mail: [email protected]: www.abracutindia.com


PRODUCTS

Base Dynamo (Truck) Base Dynamo truck bat-teries st and for proven toughness and reliability. Th ey also come with an excellent pan India after sales service and it can be serviced anywhere across the country.

Features:• Designed and const ruct ed to achieve heavy-duty outputs

and to meet the demands of varied Indian conditions.• Low resist ance PE envelope with glass mat separators to

improve vibration durability and prevent internal shorting assuring maximum conduct ivity.

• Low maintenance const ruct ion ensures maximum battery performance and life.

• Special alloy grid for low maintenance, low corrosion and excellent performance in all terrain conditions.

• Aest hetically designed container and cover made of PP co-polymer have a special toughness, enabling the battery container to resist fl exing under extreme vibration.

• Special past e formulation for long life and high cranking performance.

Base BatteriesPhone: 080-40621900Fax: 080-41104555E-mail: [email protected]: www.basebatteries.com

Steering Cover Steering covers are manufact ured with very high qual-ity fabric, which is highly durable and long life and cost eff ect ive. Th ese st eering cover are also available in genuine leather, 900 series, 800 series and ruby.

Choudhry Enterprises Telephone : + (91)-(11)-23910142/ 65159723 Mobile: + (91)-9717032558/ 9313208022Email: [email protected], [email protected]

BTMF (Maintenance free) Maintenance free car batter-ies is manufact ured keeping India’s harsh weather and road conditions. Having the ability to withst and any sort of abuse, this battery will perform, even after the car gives up. Th is small change in the hood of the car will give BIG Performance, BIG Life, BIG Power and BIG Satisfact ion.

Features:• Designed with a special vibration proof element, keeping

the battery at top performance even on harsh Indian road conditions.

• High quality PP plast ic containers designed to sust ain highest and lowest temperatures.

• Long last ing life.• Reliable cranking power - Dynamic Power.• Excellent elect rical performance.• New Calcium-Tin alloy: Prevents grids surface from cor-

rosion, and reduces self discharge.• Enveloped PE separators for low elect rical resist ance :

Prevents internal short circuit between positive and nega-tive plates.

• Magic Eye Indicator : Easy to check battery’s charge st ate.• Plates reinforced with Ultra Micro Fibre and special tissue

: Increases the durability of the plate by reduced aging rate of act ive material and st rong adhesion of act ive material.

Base BatteriesPhone: 080-40621900Fax: 080-41104555E-mail: [email protected]: www.basebatteries.com

Impact Socket and Quick Release Coupling SP Air Tools manufac-tures Impact socket and accessories and quick release coupling for pneu-matic and hydraulic.

SP Air ToolsPhone: + 91 22 - 26852541, 26852243 Fax: + 91 22 - 26852540E-mail: [email protected]: www.hosereel.co.in


PRODUCTS

Sockets Flat Head Cap ScrewsTh e range of socket fl at head cap screws is incorporated with deep sockets for easy wrenching. It is available in diff er-ent length, size and diameter.

Some of the speci-fi cations of socket fl at head cap screws are:• DIN: 7991 (10.9/12.9) • Range: Dia - M2 to 24 : Dia - 3/16”to 1” • Length : Up to 100 mm • Also available in st ainless st eel. Rajendra Kumar and CompanyPhone: 011 - 23274410, 65433131, 32904859, 23285420Fax: 011-23285421Email: rkc@rkct rades.com, [email protected]: http://www.rkct rades.com/

Button Head Sockets ScrewsTh e range of button head socket screws is incorporated with deep sockets for easy wrenching. It is available in diff er-ent length, size and diameter.

In addition, the button head socket screws have the fol-lowing specifi cations: • ISO: 7380 • Range: Dia - M 3 to M 12 • Also available in st ainless st eel

Rajendra Kumar and CompanyPhone: 011 - 23274410, 65433131, 32904859, 23285420Fax: 011-23285421Email: rkc@rkct rades.com, [email protected]: http://www.rkct rades.com/

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PRODUCTS

RollsManufact ured by using spe-cially treated aluminum oxide grains and bonded in resin and resin over glue bonds backed with light and heavy weight cotton backings suitable to withst and severe applications.

Applications: Rolls have majority usage in hand sanding operations required in wall surface preparation prior to painting. Earlier primer and paint removing was also useful in wool working and furniture indust ries for fi nishing. In automotive indust ries for fi nish-ing, lapping and polishing of crankshafts, camshafts and other machined and ground components grinding. It is also used for fi nishing and polishing of st ainless st eel surface in SS fabrication and indust ries like manufact urers of dairy equip-ments, chemical and pharmaceuticals processing equipments, petrochemicals and oil refi neries manufact urers etc where the surface fi nish is the prime requirement. Swajit AbrasivesTel: + 91- 240- 2553787 / 2553916E-mail: [email protected], Website: www.abracutindia.com

Tyre ChangersTh e side swinging mounting arm enables the user to inst all it near the wall occupying very less space. Th e specially designed bead break-er handles rims very gently and safely. • Suitable for Car and LCV Tyres• Side swing mounting arm• Pneumatic Twin Cylinders for

fi rm clamping• Four jaw self centering chuck• Alloy wheel plast ic protect or• Bead breaking by pneumati-

cally operated cylinders• Clockwise and Anticlockwise

rotation of turn table usinElect ric Motor

• Built-in FRL (Filter, Regulator and Lubricator)• Motorcycle adopter (Optional) ManatecPhone: +91 413 2248926, Fax: +91 413 2243222 e-mail: [email protected] | [email protected]

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ADVERTISERS’ LIST

Pg N o. Advertiser ...........................................Tel .................................E-mail ............................................Website

13 .......Anand Automotive Ltd .........................+91-11-26564542 [email protected] ... [email protected]

17 .......Aro Equipments Pvt Ltd .......................+91-124-4585400 [email protected] ......... www.aroequipments.com

9,30 ....Avery Dennison India Pvt Ltd ..............+91-124-2215581 [email protected] ..... www.enhanceyourbrand.com

55 .......Chem-Verse Consultats ........................+91-22-24095503 [email protected] ................... www.chemverse.com

57 .......Confederation Of Indian Industry .......+91-124-4013871 ........... [email protected] ..................... www.autoexpo.in

41 .......Eastman Cast & Forge Ltd ....................+91-161-2511440 [email protected]

43 .......Elofi c Industries ...................................+91-129-4281000 ...........pawans@elofi c.com ....................... www.elofi c.com

31 .......Endurance Technologies Ltd ................................................................................................................ www.endurancegroup.com

8 .........Engineering Expo .................................+91-9819552270 [email protected] .............. www.engg-expo.com

21 ....... Federal Mogul ......................................+91-124-4784530 [email protected] ..... www.federalmogul.com

45 ....... Fiem Industries Ltd ..............................+91-9991702453 ............s.narayanan@fi emindustries.com . www.fi emindustries.com

47 ....... Friendsco Engg Works (Regd) ...............+91-9810536591 [email protected] ................ www.calibrata.com

53 .......Hoec Bardahl India Ltd ........................+91-22-26044549 [email protected] . www.hoecbardahl.com

40 ....... Inventa Cleantec Pvt Ltd ......................+91-120-4727272 [email protected] ....................... www.inventa.in

BC ...... Litel Infrared Systems Pvt Ltd ..............+91-20-66300636 [email protected] ............................ www.litelir.com

BIC ..... Lubrizol Advanced Materials India Pvt Ltd. ..+91-22-66027800 [email protected] ....... www.lubrizol.com

5 .........Madhus Garage Eqpts ..........................+91-80-26660656 [email protected] .......... www.madhusindia.com

23 .......Manatec Electronics .............................+91-413-2248926 [email protected] ........................ www.manatec.net

35 .......M-Tek Engineers ...................................+91-20-66301028 [email protected] ....... www.mtekengineers.com

51 .......Padmini VNA Mechatronics Pvt. Ltd. ...+91-124-3207398 [email protected] ............... www.padminivna.com

27 .......Protech Progressive Technologies .......+91-40-23792888 [email protected] .............. www.protech-india.com

54 .......Rajan Auto Industries ..........................+91-9810031116 [email protected] ... www.raisimcon.com

49 ....... Samtel Machines ..................................+91-9990546700 [email protected] ........... www.samtelgroup.com

33 ....... Seamless Autotech Pvt Ltd ...................+91-2135-662431 [email protected] ......... www.seamlessautotech.com

25 ....... Shriram Pistons & Rings Ltd ................+91-11-23315941 [email protected]

6 ......... Sigma Freudenberg Nok Pvt Ltd ..........+91-11-42411600 [email protected] ...... www.sigmacorpoaration.com

10 ....... Sigma Vibracoustic India Pvt Ltd .........+91-11-42411600 [email protected] ...... www.sigmacorpoaration.com

FIC ...... Sushma Industries ...............................+91-80-28397463 [email protected] www.sushmaindustries.com

FGF .....Tata Motors Ltd. ...................................+91-22-66561866 [email protected] ....... www.tatamotors.com

Our consistent advertisers

DATA


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PRODUCT INDEX

3D wheel alignment systems ................................................ 23

ABS sensor cables/grommets ................................................ BIC

AC service equipment ........................................................... 5

Acc padel sensor assy ........................................................... 51

Aftermarket components ..................................................... 41

Air-conditioning equipment ................................................. 17

Auto Expo-2012 exhibition ................................................... 57

Automatic sparomatik dispenser systems ............................. 27

Automotive components ...................................................... 54

Automotive labelling machines ............................................ 9, 30

Automotive lighting machines .............................................. 45

Automotive p roducts ............................................................ 13

Bardahl additives & lubricants ............................................. 53

Belt conveyors ...................................................................... 49

Bottle cap torque testing systems......................................... FIC

Brake testing equipment ...................................................... 5

Braking s ystems .................................................................... 31

Buses .................................................................................... FGF

Bushes .................................................................................. 6, 10

Chassis assembly lines .......................................................... 49

Chassis c arriers ..................................................................... 33

Cleaning equipment ............................................................. 40

Collision repair systems ........................................................ 5

Commercial v ehicles ............................................................. FGF

Computerised integrated modular network

based oil dispensing systems ................................................ 27

Crimp testers ........................................................................ FIC

Diesel fuel injection pump test benches .............................. 47

Diesel fuel management systems ......................................... 27

Differential case assembly leak testing

machine drilling and notching spm ...................................... 49

Dust covers ........................................................................... BIC

EGR valves............................................................................. 51

Electronic control units ........................................................ 51

Engineering Expo ................................................................. 53

Filter dispenser systems ........................................................ 27

Force & torque gauges .......................................................... FIC

Force ..................................................................................... FIC

Force/pressure calibration & testing equipment .................. FIC

Front nudge guards .............................................................. 35

Fuel bowls ............................................................................ BIC

Gas analysers ........................................................................ 5

Heating s olutions .................................................................. BC

Industrial a erosols ................................................................ 55

Industrial p roducts ............................................................... 41

Instant drying & curing technology ...................................... BC

Ladders ................................................................................. 35

Lifting e quipment ................................................................. 17

Lube dispensing systems ...................................................... 27

Luggage carriers ................................................................... 35

Motor testing systems ........................................................... FIC

Mounts ................................................................................. 6, 10

Oil management systems...................................................... 27

Oil ......................................................................................... 43

Paint protection fi lms ........................................................... BIC

Pistons & pistons rings ......................................................... 25

Pistons .................................................................................. 21

Pressure sensors & indicators ............................................... FIC

Rear nude guards ................................................................. 35

Robotic MIG welding machines ............................................ 49

Seats ..................................................................................... 35

Shift lever screens ................................................................. BIC

Speciality chemicals ............................................................. 55

Spot welding equipment ...................................................... 5

Spring t esters ........................................................................ FIC

Suspension ........................................................................... 31

Synthetic l ubricants .............................................................. 55

Tensile testing machines....................................................... FIC

Torque tool testers................................................................ FIC

Torque .................................................................................. FIC

Trailers & truck bodies ......................................................... 33

Transmission ......................................................................... 6,10, 31

Tyre care equipment ............................................................ 17

Tyre changers ....................................................................... 5

Tyre infl ation e quipment ...................................................... 5

Ultra-shield car care & workshop consumables ................... 53

Used oil management systems ............................................. 27

Vacuum pumps..................................................................... 51

Wheel a ligners ...................................................................... 5

Wheel balancers ................................................................... 5

Wireless fuel management systems for commercial generator .. 27

Work shop effi ciency management systems ......................... 27

Work shop productivity improvement systems .................... 27

Product ................................................................................Pg N o. Product ................................................................................Pg No.

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

From boats to planes to passenger

cars, Estane TPUs will offer you

solutions to keep your business moving.

In the transportation industry, Estane®

Thermoplastic Polyurethanes are widely used

for their excellent properties such as flexibility

over a wide temperature range, optical clarity,

flame retardancy, adhesion to various substrates,

superior abrasion resistance and extreme durability.

Applications

ABS Sensor Cable/Grommet

Shift Lever Skin

Fuel Bowl

Paint Protection Film

Dust Cover/Driveshaft Boot

Co-extruded Interior Parts

Sealing Material

Rail Pad

Estane®

TPUs provide:

Abrasion Resistance

Elongation

Superior Tear Strength

Excellent Tensile Strength

Ease of Processing

© The Lubrizol Corporation 2011, all rights reserved.® Estane is a registered trademark of The Lubrizol Corporation.

Purchase it locally from our newly opened warehouse in

Mumbai!

Dust C

Co-e

Estan

For more information email us at

[email protected] or visit our web site.

www.lubrizol.com/engineeredpolymers

aftermarket - january 2012

Documents

terms of service

aftersales service

quick service centres

method of service

authorised service centres

fullfledged service

auto expo

ac service equipment