auto monitor - 17 december 2012

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

MOVING NORTHINTERVIEW

Pg 08Pg 12NEW MATERIALSFOCUS

Ma h i n d r a & Mahindra’s Farm Equipment Sector (FES) is evaluating

developing higher horse power tractors to match up to expec-tations and standards in North America and Latin America. The American market comprises a major chunk of exports for the company.

While tractors of 30 to 45 HP, and maybe even 50 HP and below 20 HP tractors, are accept-able to Indian consumers and neighbouring countries, buyers in North America have already adopted 150 to 250 HP trac-tors as the demand for higher mechanisation and large land holdings rises. “We need an apt product portfolio for North America to garner sufficient vol-umes that will justify setting up a manufacturing or assembling

facility there in the medium to long term,” said Bishwambhar Mishra, Chief Executive - Tractor & Farm Mechanization, Farm Equipment Sector of M&M.

So far, Mahindra does not have any product for that seg-ment. What it has is tractors in the 85 HP segment in North America essentially for hobby or leisure. Mishra said that in order to be taken as a serious player in the global agricultural equip-ment segment local assembling or a manufacturing presence may be imperative.

The company is a market leader in India in the agricul-tural equipment segment with combined share of ‘Mahindra’ and ‘Swaraj’ branded tractors in excess of 50 percent. It is looking at being a market leader by offer-ing complete mechanisation solutions based on crop patterns and harvesting seasons.

The company’s combined capacity is likely to touch 350,000

units per annum taking into consideration its Hyderabad facility to be commissioned soon. It manufactures around 250,000 units and also exports to neigh-bouring countries like Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Bangladesh.

The domestic tractor segment

grew by around 11.5 percent to around 600,000 units in 2011-12. According to CARE Ratings, the demand for tractors continues to be held back by firm interest rates, extended bout of high inflation affecting investment sentiment of farmers and hike in prices.

Four years after being toget her, US-based auto components major BorgWarner has snapped

ties with its Indian partner Vikas Group. The outcome: The US company has set up an independ-ent 100 percent owned subsidiary BorgWarner Emission Systems Limited (BESL).

For the purpose, BESL has taken up an 8,000 sq ft plant on lease in Manesar and ready to go into production. A formal inau-guration is expected in January.

Defending the decision to move on, Sudheer Chawla, COO, BESL, said, “Both of us were not looking at moving on. But a time comes into the life of ventures when interests are different, and one adopts a different line of thinking. So we part ways cor-dially. We handed back their site to them and have now taken up space at Manesar.”

According to Praveen Agarwal,

Chairman of Vikas Group, it was BorgWarner’s decision to estab-lish a 100 percent stake. “We have signed a no-competition agreement with them, so for the moment we will not enter into this product category.”

The trends towards an increasing demand for diesel vehicles were also favourable for BESL. This implies a spurt in demand for emission systems where BESL has a major stake. Moreover, the government of India has expanded Bharat Stage –IV emission norms to 17 cities, further expected to go up to over 50 cities by 2015.

BESL manufactures emis-sion systems like EGR coolers which are exhaust gas recir-culation coolers fitted into the exhaust side of the engine to control NOx. In India it conducts business with almost all large manufacturers. “Maruti Suzuki and Mahindra use our products across all their vehicles. We also have dealings with Tata, Ashok Leyland, Renault, and so on,” said Chawla.

The emission system maker earned revenue of around `45 crore last year and expects to double it this year. “We presume that for the next five years we can maintain a CAGR of 30 per-cent and if plans work well then achieve a turnover of `400-500 crore in 3-4 years,” said a hope-ful Chawla.

Initially, BESL will manu-facture EGR cooler and EGR tubes and later on add valves. The combination of EGR valves, tubes and cooler makes a fully integrated solution, which goes out as a suitable package to the customer. “We are the only com-pany capable of manufacturing all three products and are ready for Euro-VI business, where we already supply to in other coun-tries,” Chawla asserted.

BESL earns 95 percent of the business at this moment from India while confining exports for GM in Thailand and Brazil.

Another strategy that the com-pany could follow is to enhance localisation. This is already on the anvil. It is looking at increas-

ing localization to 85 percent in the next two years, an increase of 34 percent. This would mean an additional investment of `10-15 crore, which it is willing to accede to.

BESL also plans to set up a local design and validation cen-tre by end 2014. Currently the validation and testing is conduct-ed at its European plant. “This is

an additional benefit to custom-ers who can witness the testing and validation,” Chawla said.

Vikas Group’s JV originally wasn’t with BorgWarner. Vikas had signed a JV with a Spanish company ENSA, which was taken over by BorgWarner in 2010. BorgWarner entered the emis-sion systems business only in 2010 after acquiring ENSA.

M&M Hies For Higher HP Tractors

Borgwarner Splits With Vikas

Abhishek Parekh Mumbai

Nabeel Khan Jagdev Kalsi New Delhi

Scan this code onyour smart phoneto visit www.amonline.in

www.amonline.in17 December 2012Vol. 12 No. 43 24 Pages ` 50

Pradeep Randhawa, MD, Mann & Hummel Filter Pvt Ltd

Sudheer Chawla, COO, BESL

Bishwambhar Mishra, Chief Executive - Tractor & Farm Mechanization, Farm Equipment Sector of M&M

Next month Auto Monitor will turn 12. Such long innings are not given to anyone and everyone, especially considering that the magazine is read by a select group of readers. But it has sur-

vived. And survived well. This is mainly because of the cast of people present behind it who have consistently brought out issue after issue – for ten long years a fortnightly, and now last one year a weekly. Of course, there have been plenty who have helped, dropped off the bandwagon, and new ones come in. But the effort remained.

I understand from the people here (I have barely been here 10 days) that about a year ago when the management announced that the magazine is to go weekly, the team was horrified. The thought of bringing out a weekly auto mag-azine filled them with dread. What would they publish? How would they meet deadlines? Where would they source the news from? Who would provide them with information in such short time? And finally, Why go weekly?

Instead, what I have seen is something different. Every week, one member of the team is always telling me of how auto companies constantly seek out their company (it could take various forms) and invite them to join them one place or another to enlighten them further about the

industry. Then there are the stories that keep flying in from all quarters and large figures in the industry always will-ing to clarify on reports heard and hitherto unpublished.

Every bit of news in the auto industry does not miss the keen eye. It is captured, digested, and published.

So this January, the boys are also busy with a load of stuff to have the auto industry reading... for a month. And remember, twelve is a significant Biblical number. We are keeping our fingers crossed.

Comments can be sent to [email protected]

Run In With Luck

OVERSEAS CONTACT

Ringier Trade Media Ltd CHINA1001 Tower 3, Donghai Plaza, 1486 Nanjing Road, West, Shanghai 200040, China

Tel: +86-21 6289 – 5533 Ext. 368, Fax: +86-21 6247 – 4855 (Craig Shibinsky) Email: [email protected]

Ringier Trade Media Ltd HONG KONG9/F, Cheong Sun Tower, 118 Wing Lok Street, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong

Tel: +852 2369 – 8788 Ext. 21, Fax: +852 2869 – 5919 (Maggie) Email: [email protected]

Ringier Trade Media Ltd TAIWANRoom 3, Fl. 12, No. 303, Chung Ming S. Rd., Taichung, Taiwan

Tel: +886-4 2329 – 7318 Ext. 16, Fax: +886-4 2310 – 7167 (Sydney La) Email: [email protected]

USA Tel: (513) 527-8800 Fax: (513) 527-8801

Email: [email protected]

USA Alfredo Domador, 6505 Blue Lagoon Drive, Suite 430 Miami, FL. 33126, USA

Tel: (305)448-6875 Fax: (305)448-9942

NEWS STAND AND SUBSCRIPTIONS

DISTRIBUTION HEADSunil Nair

SR. MANAGER-SUBSCRIPTIONSSheetal Kotawdekar

CO-ORDINATORSRahul Mankar, Anant Shirke, Sarita Quartos’, Chaitali Parker, Kamlesh Madkar, Vaibhav Ghavwale

SERVICES

CIRCULATION SERVICES Write to [email protected]

SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES For subscription queries, write [email protected] or call +91 22 30034631-34 ortoll free 1800 200 1021

PERMISSIONS For subscription to copy or reuse material from AUTO MONITOR, Write to [email protected]

Weekly Issue Price: `50

Annual Subscription: `799

Views and opinions expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of Network18 Media & Investments Ltd (Network18)*, its publisher and/or editors. We at Network18 do our best to verify the information published but do not take any responsibility for the absolute accuracy of the information. Network18 does not accept the responsibility for any investment or other decision taken by readers on the basis of information provided herein. Network18 does not take responsibility for returning unsolicited material sent without due postal stamps for return postage. No part of this magazine can be reproduced without the prior written permission of the publisher. Network18 reserves the right to use the information published herein in any manner whatsoever.

*Ownership of this magazine stands transferred from Infomedia18 Ltd (Infomedia18) to Network18 Media & Investments Ltd (Network18) in pursuance of the scheme of arrangement between Network18 and Infomedia18 and their respective shareholders and creditors, as approved by the Hon’ble High Court of Delhi and the necessary approval of Ministry of Information and Broadcasting is being obtained.

Printed by Mohan Gajria and published & edited by Lakshmi Narasimhan on behalf of Network18

Printed at Infomedia 18 Ltd, Plot no.3, Sector 7, off Sion-Panvel Road, Nerul, Navi Mumbai 400 706, and published at Network18, ‘A’ Wing, Ruby House, J. K. Sawant Marg, Dadar (W), Mumbai - 400 028. AUTO MONITOR is registered with the Registrar of Newspapers of India under No. 67827/98. Views and opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of Network18. Network18 reserves the right to use the information published herein in any manner whatsoever. While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy of the information published in this edition, neither Network18 nor any of its employees accept any responsibility for any errors or omission. Further, Network18 does not take any responsibility for loss or damage incurred or suffered by any subscriber of this magazine as a result of his/her accepting any invitation/offer published in this edition. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the written permission of the publisher. All rights reserved.

QUOTESDan Akerson, General Motors CEO on PSA/Peugeot-Citroen in Automotive News Europe

Rajiv Bajaj, Managing Director, Bajaj Auto in Business Standard

You want to advantage yourself, but at the same time you don’t want to disadvantage yourself by making a strategic error.

‘Our relationship with Renault-Nissan is an open book.’

Auto Monitor

EDITORIAL

FOUNDER & EDITOR, NETWORK 18

Raghav Bahl

PRESIDENT & EDITORIAL DIRECTOR, TV 18

Senthil Chengalvarayan

EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Jayashree Kini-Mendes

EDITORIAL TEAM

Abhishek Parekh, Features Editor

SENIOR CORRESPONDENTS Nabeel A Khan

Anand Mohan

CORRESPONDENT

Jagdev Kalsi

ASSISTANT ART DIRECTOR

Varuna Naik

SENIOR DESIGNER

Mahesh Talkar

CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER

Mexy Xavier

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Neha Mithbawkar, Senior Photographer

Joshua Navalkar

BUSINESS CONTROLLERS

Akshata Rane, Lovey Fernandes, Surekha Karmarkar, Deepak Bhatia, Ashish Kukreti, Shwetha ME,

Jayashree N, Shefali Mahant

PRINTING

EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT

Ananth R. Iyer

ASSISTANT GEN MANAGER-PPC

Shekhar Khot

PRODUCTION TEAMSurekha Karmarkar

Sanjay Shelar, Ravikumar Potdar, Ravi Salian

GROUP CEO, NETWORK 18B. Sai Kumar

CEO-NETWORK 18 PUBLISHINGSandeep Khosla

EVP-HUMAN RESOURCESSanjeev Kumar Singh

ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENTSudhanva Jategaonkar

ADVERTISING SALESShashin Bhagat (Ahmedabad)[email protected]

Mahadev B (Bengaluru)[email protected]

Hari Hara Subramaniam (Chennai)[email protected]

Balakrishnan.s (Coimbatore)[email protected]

Surendra Kumar Agrawal (Delhi)[email protected]

Dominic Dsouza (Hyderabad)[email protected]

Ameya Gokhale (Indore)[email protected]

Sandeep Arora (Jaipur)[email protected]

Abhik Ghosal (Kolkata)[email protected]

Inder Dhingra (Ludhiana)[email protected]

Surajit Bhattacharjee (Ludhiana)[email protected]

Olwin Dsouza (Mumbai) [email protected]

Rohit Dass (Pune)[email protected]

Vipul Modha (Rajkot)[email protected]

Chirag Pathak (Vadodara)[email protected]

MARKETING TEAMGanesh Mahale, Akshaya Jadhav

Die For Better Forging 12Scientists at Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology IPT have developed a new forging die that lasts twice as long and offers better process resistence during forging.

Moving North 08Pradeep Randhawa, MD, Mann & Hummel Filter Pvt Ltd, is shooting at several targets. The company has set up a hub at Bawal, and there are some surprises for the future.

Sales Spurt Has Atul Auto Revving 09Atul Auto has posted over 32 percent increase in sales past two months compared to the same period last year.

Cheaper Asean Imports Will Soften Price Blow 10The new year is expected to give automobile industry some respite, as import tariffs for critical components imported from the Asean block

Apollo Gears Up To Look Larger 15Apollo Tyres is investing $1 billion in the next five years to expand its global footprint, which will include setting up two new plants in South East Asia and Eastern Europe

CONTENTS

Citroën Takes Liking For Puretech Engines 16Citroen’s family of three-cylinder engines has equivalent or superior power compared with previous generation powerplants, combined with lower fuel consumption.

JLR, Saudi Govt Look At Prospects 17JLR and National Industrial Clusters Development Program signed a letter of intent to consider Saudi Arabia as a possible future location for a JLR facility.

CORPORATE

GLOBAL WATCH

NEW MATERIALS

12

15

09

22THE OTHER SIDE

Navin Paul, EVP - OE Sales - Bosch India Paul has been responsible for OE Sales in India since 2009 and holds cross divisional responsibility.

Auto Monitor

I N T E R V I E W817 DECEMBER 2012

You have spent more than `1 billion on the Bawal plant and still have space left. Will there be a brownfield expansion?

In phase-I we will use almost 60 percent of the property, with the remaining still idle. Considering the land we have covered, our capacity can go over two million components per annum. We can look at doubling in the next phase. Right now, there is still some room to grow and also room for other buildings as well.

Does that mean this plant was not targeted for capacity expansion?

There was no need to increase capacity. It’s just that we wanted to come closer to our customer. Maruti Suzuki is one of our big-ger automotive customers and it didn’t make sense to keep ship-ping components out of the Tumkur plant. It was a commit-

ment made to Maruti Suzuki a few years ago and we have now kept that promise. Going ahead, we will split our business into two plants, servicing customers based in the North from this unit, and servicing those in the South from the other unit.

How much of your produc-tion goes to Maruti Suzuki?

We supply to about 30 percent of Maruti’s passenger car share. Some engines are used in multi-ple cars as well.

Will you continue to roll out components out of your Bangalore plant for Maruti Suzuki?

Yes, but this will be limited. We will supply very few models, especially those at the fag-end or in the late stages of their life-cycle, will be catered to from the Tumkur plant. This is because it does not make sense to switch

production location and the validation process. Otherwise, Bawal will remain the preferred location.

How has your recent entry in the two-wheeler segment been?

The two-wheeler market is

attractive as far as volumes are concerned. And this plant is locat-ed in the hub of the two-wheeler market. We are well placed to take care of the two-wheeler expansion in the southern part of India since Honda is moving there. We have made an entry with the Suzuki Hayate and are

also working with others. The idea is to demonstrate capability.

Do you have any plans to enter the scooter segment?

We are in discussions with the two-wheeler scooter segment but right now aren’t catering to any scooter as such.

What other projects are you coming up with?

We are working for a future platform for Mahindra &Mahindra LCVs. We are also work-ing on multiple commercial vehicle applications right now across multiple customers. Maruti Suzuki’s new Alto wasn’t part of our range ear-lier; now that is an addition and requires half a million parts a year.

You have your own R&D Centre in Bangalore. What is its contribution?

We started with an R&D and Test Centre in Bangalore in 2009. In 2012, the strength of our R&D is 120. What we are offering is light-weight solutions. Making the product lighter, increas-ing the service intervals reduces the cost of ownership.

We were also the first to convert alumini-um manifolds into plastic. In the new Alto, the original aluminium manifold was converted to plastic. Oil modules that were previously made in aluminium are now converted into plastic. It is another example of light-weighting.

What are your plans for the future?The company targets 3.4 billion global reve-

nue in 2018 with 25 percent share from Asia and about three percent of overall sales from India. The company has planned 100 million reve-nue by 2018 from India which is about 25mn currently.

Moving NorthPradeep Randhawa, Managing Director, Mann & Hummel Filter Pvt Ltd, is shooting at several targets. The company has recently set up a hub at Bawal to cater to its clientele, and there are some surprises for the future. He shares his plans with Jagdev Kalsi.

(L-R) Manfred Wolf, President & GM, Automotive+Industrial Business; Pradeep

Randhawa, MD, Mann & Hummel Filter Pvt Ltd; Alfred Weber, President & CEO

For the first time, Automechanika, the world’s largest trade fair for the auto-motive components and aftermarket sector, is coming to India in associa-

tion with ACMA early next year. Sayed Javed, Marketing manager, Messe Frankfurt India, said, “The exhibition space of the premier edi-tion of Automechanika New Delhi has been sold out.” The fair will be held from Feb 7-10 at Pragati Maidan. There will be approximately only 250 exhibitors for the event. Five countries will have their pavilions in the show - China, Italy, Germany, Taiwan and U.K. Being a first, Messe Frankfurt is starting small. Shanghai too started with 234 exhibitors way back in 2004 and this year’s Shanghai show boasts of over 4100 exhibitors.

The event is held in 12 cities around the world spread across the year. Prior to this, some Indian component manufacturers would travel to Automechanika’s international venues. But with the New Delhi show, this will be the first chance for Indian component manufacturers to exhibit their products alongside international component manufacturers.

First Automechanika New Delhi sold out

Auto Monitor

N E W S 917 DECEMBER 2012

Rajkot-based three-wheeler manufacturer, Atul Auto has posted over 32 percent increase

in sales past two months com-pared to the same period last year. The festive season in October boosted sales to 3,332

units, 32 percent more than the 2,520 units sold in October 2011. November figures stood at 2,997 units as compared to 2,286 units of the last year.

One reason for the rise in sales, says Vijay Kedia, Director, Atul Auto, is the increase in utili-

zation of the current facility that is now transitioning to a double shift basis. “We insist that every department increase output. As of now, the paint shop is yet to achieve optimum capacity which we presume should catch up by March, 2013.”

With the double shift sched-ule, the company expects to achieve capacity to 48,000 units per annum. Considering that it saw a growth rate of 20.75 per-cent during April-November, Atul Auto is confident of main-taining this and maybe better it when they launch their first three-wheeler in the 0.35 tonne category.

Kedia says, “Next year will be remarkable with the 0.35 tonne three-wheeler in the market.” The 0.35 tonne passenger car-rier was targeted for launch in January but this has been delayed by a month. It is in the process of running last minute checks and acquiring clearanc-

es due to which the launch has been delayed.

The 0.35 tonne three-wheeler passenger carrier segment is the largest number-churner in the three-wheelers market where Atul Auto lacked a presence. The Gujarat based company will directly challenge Bajaj in this segment, the market leader. To be competitive, the compa-ny is increasing its footprint. Currently Atul Auto has 137 dealers across 17 states in India, which it plans to raise to 160 by end of this fiscal.

The 0.35 tonne three-wheeler

passenger carrier segment is the largest number-

churner in the three-wheelers market where

Atul Auto lacked a presence.

Carzonrent Ltd. and IndiGo has tied up for providing a seamless travel-ling service to its passengers. IndiGo will provide its customers an option to

book their ground transportation along with the flight bookings in association with Carzonrent. This facility would be made available through a reservation engine powered by Carzonrent on www.goindigo.in.

Customers will now have the option of book-ing Carzonrent’s Radio Taxi Service - Easycabs, Intercity Car rental service as well as long duration local usage service. The collaboration has been done keeping in mind that air travellers include a large base of business and leisure travellers look-ing for convenience and transparency.

Book Your Cab When You Book Your Flight

Sales Spurt Has Atul Auto Revving

Mahindra & Mahindra and Mercedes Benz have announced price hikes with effect from January 2013. The two auto makers followed the

recent price revision moves made by Maruti Suzuki, General Motors and Toyota. M&M is expected to increase prices by 1-2.5 percent from January, while Mercedes Benz has not divulged the quantum of price increase.

Over the last one year, a lot of automotive companies have announced price hike in order to liquidate piled up stock.

December being the last month, before a model year change many automakers have increased discounts and incentives to clear the current year stock. A leading dealer said that discounts are at their peak and with fes-tive season turning out to be a damp squib, the discounts for December have almost doubled to 10-15 percent.”

Mahindra & Mahindra says it has zero schemes of hot selling models like XUV 500, Quanto and Ssangyong Rexton, wherein it is sitting on an order book of close to 25,000 book-ings all combined. But it is compelled to offer moderate scheme on others due to competition.

On the premium car front, BMW India has announced a steep price hike up to 10 percent in some of the products from January 1, and Audi India has followed suit by announcing a price hike up to 5 percent.

In the luxury car space the discounting is at its historic highs wherein models are avail-able at a discount which is as steep `1 lakh to `10 lakh.

Some Price Hikes From January

The Atul Auto Factory in Rajkot.

Vijay Kedia, Director. Atul Auto.

Auto Monitor

I N T E R V I E W1017 DECEMBER 2012

There is much talk about de-regulating diesel and levy-ing tax on diesel vehicles. What do you think?

If prices of diesel are de-regu-lated, then sales of petrol cars will go up. However, we are prepared for this. We are keen that we sell more of petrol-based Etios and Liva. From our side, we continue to import diesel engines of these two vehicles. Some time ago, we put up a plant with a capacity to manufacture one lakh engines for petrol cars. And now we won’t be able to utilise it because of the price gap between diesel and pet-rol has boosted demand for diesel vehicles. We will be very happy if we can sell more of petrol vehi-cles. Taxing diesel vehicles is not a solution. Diesel is now an envi-ronmentally-friendly engine that meets Euro IV emission norms.

The issue here is of subsidising

diesel. If the government thinks that this can help them by taxing diesel vehicles I don’t think that is possible. The people at the helm understand the issue well and I am sure the debate will contin-ue. I don’t think the government will levy so much additional tax. This year the Etios and Liva diesel variants will alone contribute 80 percent, with the remaining com-ing from the petrol variants. In Altis, we sell about 65 percent die-sel cars, and 35 percent gasoline.

How do you think the mar-ket situation stands?

As compared to last year, there has been a growth this year, although I admit there has been a decline last three months, for most manufacturers. Manufacturers such as Renault (Duster), Maruti (Ertiga) and Mahindra with its new range of

vehicles have seen growth. While we are not on the back-

foot, we do see a gap in demand and supply with regards to Innova and Fortuner. If market senti-ments do not improve, growth will further decline. It may not go into the red, but it definitely won’t be something we are comfortable with. We do need the government to push for reforms and the RBI to come up with further reduction in CRR or SLR, which will help the market. It is heartening to note that the number of inquiries has not reduced. Maybe the con-version ratio has declines, and though buyers are keen to buy, they are refraining from doing so.

How much exports will help you improve profit margins?

I don’t think I can provide you with that information because of the fluctuations in the various currency. It also depends on the country you are exporting to. We export 20,000 cars, and that is a smaller base compared to other manufacturers. We are looking at exploring the exports market further.

In the last few months, the compact SUVs are seeing demand. How do you plan to deal with this?

As an upcoming segment, it is easy to know that there is space for small MPVs and SUVs. At Toyota, we are conservative about introducing new products. We study the market and also wait for it to evolve. But, yes, this segment does have huge potential.

We have launched Etios and Liva in the last two years, and the next two years our focus is to develop these two. Our hands are full till FY13-14. You will see only new models within the existing ones. We are one of the manufac-turers who have seen growth year on year. But it is not easy to maintain it, while developing deal-er network and building capacity continuously. Though we have a game plan and our commit-ment to the Indian market stands, I don’t think we will announce any new models specially a compact SUV for next 2-3 years. Because the model we introduce must meet Indian condi-tions, and it takes time time to develop that kind of vehicle. Fortuner was configured to Indian standards and so took time to develop.

Don’t you think you will leave behind if you don’t enter this segment?

In the automobile industry, you don’t miss the bus like this in one or two years or three years. In India, as of now, the vehicle popula-tion is 12-14 vehicles per thousand so we have a long way to go. We are building capacity for the years to come.

Innova is doing pretty well. Any plans to

ramp up this MPV?The Innova is growing well. This year we have

seen a growth of more than 40 percent. On our part, we have increased capacity and certain areas continue to see a waiting period. We would like the cars to be available whenever the cus-tomers want. Next year, we hope to sell 80,000 plus Innovas.

Do you think the new range of SUVs and MPVs will affect the Innova?

Surely, their coming will restrict demand. It also might happen that those who cannot afford an Innova will buy these new products.

The look and feel of Etios and Liva in terms of interiors has been questioned. Will you con-sider a design change in the upcoming models?

When we developed the Etios, we studied the market. Two things came out – first the price, and secondly the low operational cost and fuel efficiency. Quality is a basic that goes without saying. The feedback we received from custom-ers was that they were happy with the space, the price, and the quality, but we needed to rework on the feel of the interiors.

Building Future CapacityDiesel is now an environmentally-friendly engine and meeting Euro IV emission norms. The Indian government has been harping on subsidising diesel and taxing diesel vehicles. But Sandeep Singh, Deputy Managing Director (Sales & Marketing), Toyota India, tells Nabeel Khan is sure that that is not a solution.

Auto Monitor

N E W M A T E R I A L S1217 DECEMBER 2012

Scientists at Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology IPT have developed a new forging

die that lasts twice as long and offers better process resistence during forging

Hard or tough – very often, the manufacturers of forging dies must make a compromise. A new technology now makes it possible to combine both characteristics and expand the useful life of forg-ing dies.

Forging dies must withstand a lot. They must be hard so that their surface does not get too worn out and is able to last through great changes in temperature and handle the impactful blows of the forge. However, the hard-er a material is, the more brittle it becomes - and forging dies are less able to handle the stress from the impact. For this reason, the manufacturers had to find a com-promise between hardness and strength. One of the possibili-ties is to surround a semi-hard, strong material with a hard layer. The problem is that the layer rests on the softer material and can be indented by blows, like the shell of an egg.

Researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology IPT in Aachen, Germany have now developed an alternative.

“The forging dies we have been working on have a useful life that is up to twice as long,“ explains Kristian Arntz, head of department at the IPT. “We are using a working material that is less hard and able to handle the impact stress well. We melt the uppermost layer of the material with a laser and introduce a pow-der into the melt material that is used to chemically alter the char-acteristics of the material. We have therefore achieved a large degree of hardness in the upper millimetre.

“ The advantage is that since the characteristics of the outer layer do not change abruptly (as is the case in a deposited layer), but increases in hardness gradu-ally (this is also called a hardness gradient) we can circumvent the ‘egg shell effect.’ In addition, the particles act like sand paper and prevent the material from wear-ing off the die. Since the wear only occurs in certain spots of the die, the scientists are very target-

edly altering only these surface areas. They are therefore further minimizing the effect the layer has on the impact resistance. Simulations help to calculate the areas that are particularly stressed – and knowledge gained by experience is also applied.

To be able to work on the forging dies, the scientists and their colleagues at Alzmetall have developed a machine with which they are able to work on the free-form die inserts and forging dies. The scientists have also developed a software with

ModuleWorks that ensures that the laser travels across the sur-face at a constant speed and that the gaps between the laser paths remain even – otherwise tears would develop in the surface.

“This isn‘t a problem if the surfaces are straight; however,

Die For Better Forging

we had to develop special algorithms for free-formed tools that keep the path distance and the speed constant – even with complex geome-tries,“ said Arntz. The machine and the software are ready; the scientists have already manufac-tured initial tools and dies for the industry.

The scientists are planning, in a further step, to reduce expensive raw materials such as chromium, molybdenum and vanadium. To date, these materials are present in all forging dies. “We want to utilize the basic fundamen-tals of our technology so that we only have to alloy the reworked surface layer with these materials.”

A laser melts the uppermost layer of a free-form forging die.

BMW Group and Boeing are pioneering the use of carbon fibre in their prod-ucts. With the release of the BMW i3 in late 2013, followed later by the BMW i8,

the BMW Group will bring two vehicles with a carbon passenger cell onto the market for the first time. Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner is made up of 50 percent carbon fibre material. Recycling composite material at point of use and at the end of the product life therefore is essential to both companies.

As part of the collaboration agreement, Boeing and the BMW Group will share carbon fibre manufacturing process simulations and ideas for manufacturing automation.

As part of its SGL Automotive Carbon Fibers LLC joint venture, the BMW Group has built a new carbon fibre plant in Washington with the SGL Group. The plant is an important compo-nent in both companies’ strategy to automate production of ultra-light carbon fibre reinforced plastics for use in future vehicle concepts. The carbon fibres produced in Moses Lake will be used exclusively for the BMW Group’s BMW i3 and BMW i8.

The facility in Wackersdorf makes the car-bon fibres into fabrics, which are processed at the Landshut plant to make lightweight CFRP body components for the BMW i3, which will be assembled at the BMW Plant Leipzig.

“Boeing for us is a suitable partner for a col-laboration in the field of carbon fibre”, said Herbert Diess, Member of the Board of BMW AG for Development. “Boeing has many years of extensive experience using carbon fibre in the field of aviation, while the BMW Group has earned a competitive advantage through its use of special manufacturing methods for series production of carbon fibre parts.”

“We want to look at ways to reuse those mate-rials,” said Boeing Commercial Airplanes VP of Product Development, Larry Schneider.

BMW, Boeing for carbon fibre recycling

Auto Monitor

N E W S 1517 DECEMBER 2012

Apollo Tyres is invest-ing $1 billion (Rs 5,545 crore) in the next five years to expand its

global footprint, which will include setting up two new plants in South East Asia and Eastern Europe.

The company is also con-verting its Kalamassery plant in Kerala into a dedicated unit for production of off-highway tyres (OHTs) with about 85 percent of the output aimed to cater to export markets, including the US, Europe, Australia and Latin America. Moreover, the compa-ny will also hike the production capacity of its factory in the Netherlands to 7.5 million units a year from the current 6 million units per annum.

Over the next five years, it plans to set up two new green-field plants, one either in Thailand or Indonesia and another in Eastern Europe in a phased manner. The funding of the investments would be part-ly through $150 million that the

company planned to raise via placement to QIBs and internal accruals.

The tyre major will focus on setting up the plant in South East (SE) Asia and only after completion of the first phase of the project, the East European plant will follow.

The first phase of the SE Asia will entail an investment of about $250-300 million. The initial capacity of the plant will be 16,000 units of passen-ger car radials (PCRs) per day and 1,500 units of truck and bus radials a day (TBRs). The second phase will entail an investment of around $200 million and the proposed plant would have a full capacity of 24,000 units of PCRs per day and 3,000 units of TBRs a day.

The company is yet to final-ise whether the SE Asia plant will come up in Thailand or Indonesia as it is still under negotiations with both the gov-ernments. The plant in SE Asia will mainly cater to the entire

ASEAN countries and China, while 20 percent of the produc-tion will be exported to Europe and Latin America. The pro-posed new plant in Eastern Europe will be for production of PCRs with an envisaged capac-ity of 7 million units per annum entailing a total investment of around $350 million.

The new year is expect-ed to give automobile industry some respite, as import tariffs for

critical components imported from the Asean block, India’s largest trading partner, are slated to halve from January, thus cushioning the impact of incessantly rising costs of auto components. Automakers were reeling under a hike in prices on five occasions in 2012.

Carmakers such as Toyota, Honda, Suzuki, Ford and Nissan are likely to be the key beneficiaries when the lower tariffs kick-in. The lower tariffs will cover major components such as brakes, gears, airbags, fuel tanks, suspension system, steering systems and seat belts. The tax will be halved to 5 per-cent from January onwards, from the existing 10 percent. The tax would finally be elim-inated when total exemptions under the Indo-Asean free trade agreement (FTA) for these critical parts take effect in December 2013.

What Next?The benefits from lower cost

would help car makers improve their bottom lines, which are under considerable pressure due to currency fluctuations. But these reduced tariffs may not be enough to offset the impact of the depreciating Indian rupee that has forced them to increase prices.

Carmakers in India, domi-nated by Japanese automobile manufacturers, account for over 50 percent market share.

These companies import several auto components from Thailand and Japan. They also export many criti-cal components and cars to these markets - Maruti Suzuki exports loose components of its multi-utility vehicles Ertiga to Indonesia.

Leading The PackIndian automakers have

been increasing imports from Asean and China to derive benefits of cheaper priced com-ponents. A study conducted by FICCI stated that imported auto components form over 30 per-cent of the total Indian domestic market. Imports from Asean countries have also shown ris-ing trend with Thailand leading the pack and emerging as the largest exporter of engines. Around 32 percent of engines imported by India, especially in the diesel segment, come from Thailand with major importers being Toyota Kirloskar Motors and Ford India. Honda, which has been battling to keep its costs competitive, imports crit-ical parts from Thailand as it look at ways to pass on the lower tariff benefits to customers.

SIAM said that lower tar-iff would help the industry to control costs in the long term. “There has been direct impact from the fluctuating currency and high commod-ity prices. Lower tariffs would help in cushion some impact of such rising costs and make the Indian industry globally com-petitive,” said a senior executive of SIAM.

Apollo Gears Up To Look Larger Cheaper Asean Imports Will Soften Price Blow

The first phase of the SE Asia will

entail an investment of about $250-300 million. The initial

capacity of the plant will be 16,000 units of passenger car radials (PCRs) per day and 1,500

units of truck and bus.

The company is converting its Kalamassery plant in Kerala into a dedicated unit for production of off-highway tyres (OHTs).

Auto Monitor

G L O B A L W A T C H1617 DECEMBER 2012

The arrival of new PureTech petrol engines in the Citroën range is further proof of the

Brand’s commitment to ‘Créative Technologie’.

The new family of three-cyl-inder engines has equivalent or superior power compared with the previous generation powerplants, combined with sig-nificantly lower fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions,

down by roughly 25 percent.Available on several Brand

ranges - C3, DS3 and C-Elysée (for International markets) - the new engine family is produced at the Trémery site in France.

The design brief for the new-generation PureTech engines called for a clean break in power-train development. The objective was to make substantial cuts in emissions and fuel consumption, and also to reduce the weight of

the engines and to make them more compact. The specifica-tions also stipulated a specific power of 50 kW per litre.

Two different capacity ver-sions have been developed; a 1.0 litre and a 1.2 litre with power ranging from 68hp to 82hp (50 to 60 kW). Depending on the model and the tyres fitted, combined cycle fuel consumption for the new family is between 65.7mpg and 61.4mpg (4.3 and 4.6 l/100 km) and CO2 emissions range from 99 to 107g/km.

One PureTech engine is already available in the UK - on sale now in C3 and DS3 models - combining economy plus top-level performance. The VTi 82 engine has a capacity of 1,199cc. Maximum power of 60 kW comes at 5,750 rpm for a 6 kW increase on the 1.4 litre unit it replac-es. Other impressive advances have also been made with this version.

The VTi 68 engine, which will be available in the C3 range next year, has a capacity of 999cc. Maximum power of 50 kW at 6,000 rpm is up by 6 kW compared to the 1.1 litre engine it will replace.

Progress has been made across the board, with the top speed increasing by 5mph (8km/h). Combined-cycle fuel consump-

tion is down 17.8mpg (1.6 l/100km) to 65.7mpg (4.3 l/100km), while CO2 emissions are a full 38g/km lower at 99g/km.

The appealing combination of emissions, refinement and power provided by the Honda Civic’s new 1.6-litre i-DTEC die-sel engine has helped it secure another

large fleet contract.The Motor Neurone Disease Association

(MNDA) is based in Northampton and has ordered 40 cars from local retailer Avonvale Honda.

Initially the Civic wasn’t on the charity’s three-strong shortlist of cars. But Kelly Birks, Avonvale Honda’s Business Development Manager for Corporate Sales, said that soon changed when she took the lead and highlighted the benefits of the advanced 1.6-litre engine. A deal was struck just 48 hours after the first meeting.

Assembled in the UK, the 120PS i-DTEC diesel engine is the first new powerplant to be launched in Europe under Honda’s flagship Earth Dreams Technology environmental programme. With outstanding performance figures - CO2 emissions of 94g/km and combined cycle fuel economy of 78.5mpg - it’s been specifically designed to appeal to corporate customers and despite being on sale only a matter of weeks, this is not the first signifi-cant fleet deal already signed.

Latest figures from the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that consumer new car finance provided through deal-erships recorded double-digit growth

for the tenth consecutive month in October.

Paying Is BelievingThe number of new cars financed by private

consumers increased by 40 percent compared with October last year.

Finance sold in dealerships is now used by 70.2 percent of all consumers who buy a new car.

Honda Civic 1.6 I-Dtec Goes Fleety

Consumer Car Finance Tops 70 PC Of Sales

Citroën Takes Liking For Puretech Engines

Honda Civic 1.6 i-DTEC

Citroën takes another step forward with new PureTech engines

Auto Monitor

G L O B A L W A T C H 1717 DECEMBER 2012

Jaguar Land Rover and National Industrial Clusters Development Program (NICDP) in the Kingdom of

Saudi Arabia have signed a letter of intent to consider Saudi Arabia as a possible future location for a Jaguar Land Rover automotive facility. Detailed feasibility study is now underway.

Exploratory discussions for partnership in Saudi Arabia fol-low Jaguar Land Rover’s recent joint venture announcement with Chery Automobile Company.

The Saudi Arabian Government has expressed its intention to ini-tiate, develop and support the automotive industries and see Jaguar Land Rover as a potential partner to help strengthen their industrialisation plans.

Discussions between Jaguar Land Rover and the Saudi Government are at a preliminary stage, although opportunities have already been identified in aluminium component produc-tion - an area where Jaguar Land Rover has established a leader-ship position.

The world’s largest integrat-ed aluminium complex, a joint

venture between Saudi Arabian Mining Company and Alcoa of the US, is due to begin production in 2014 at the Ras Al Khair facility - creating potential opportuni-ties for the automotive sector.

Jaguar Land Rover has pio-neered aluminium body development in the premium car segment, using lightweight met-als for its award-winning Jaguar

XJ model and the all-new Range Rover, the first luxury sports util-ity vehicle with an all-aluminium monocoque body structure.

Exploratory discussions fol-low Jaguar Land Rover’s joint venture announcement with Chery Automobile Company Ltd to manufacture vehicles at a new plant near Shanghai and the separate expansion of the Jaguar

Land Rover assembly at the com-pany’s plant at Pune, India.

Such expansion follows a sharp rise in Jaguar Land Rover sales to emerging markets, con-tributing to a 32 percent increase in global retail sales to 324,184 vehicles in the eleven months to November 30, 2012. In the cur-rent calendar year, sales in the Middle East and North Africa

have increased by more than 9 percent to 11,418 units.

Pending agreement on devel-opment options in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Jaguar Land Rover would expect to announce further plans in 2013. Issues such as level of investment, potential capacity and job creation have not yet been discussed in detail between the parties.

Australia is one of only 13 coun-tries where cars are designed and manufactured. The three large car manufacturers are Ford, Toyota

and General Motors, while the three large truck manufacturers are Volvo, Kenworth and IVECO.

Australia has sophisticated production capacity in many areas. Holden exports engines to Korea, PBR International Ltd exports brak-ing systems to the United States, Schefenacker exports mirrors to North America and Japan, Air International exports heating, ventilation and air conditioning products to North America, Unidrive exports propeller shafts to the United States and Robert Bosch exports anti-theft sys-tems worldwide.

The skills used in making Australian cars spill over into mining and aerospace. 300,000 people are employed in automotive manufac-turing, which is four percent of the Australian workforce. It is the largest manufacturing sector in the country.

What’s the future for the industry?One encouraging piece of automotive news

came recently when the industry predicted that more than the psychologically-impor-tant figure of one million vehicles would be sold in 2012. The Holden Commodore, made in Australia, was the most popular car from 1996 to 2010, but was eclipsed by the Mazda3, and may never reclaim its top position as new car-buyers continue to shun large, family cars.

Ian Chalmers, the CEO of the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries, said that consumers were increasingly gravitating towards small, economical cars suited to cities. Only 10 years ago, almost a quarter of vehicles sold within Australia were of the large car cat-egory, but in 2011, they were only one in 13. Chalmers said, however, that he did not expect the number of car manufacturers in Australia to fall.

Chalmers also said that Australia’s car indus-try was becoming more flexible and responsive. The introduction of a carbon tax will cost the industry between $30 million and $50 million, but Chalmers added that the cost would mostly be absorbed by manufacturers rather than con-sumers. David Buttner, executive vice president of Toyota, said the cost would be around $115 per vehicle, which would cost $20 million, but it could be coped with through better efficiency. What is necessary, he said, is “utilisation of every resource we have.”

Australian Automotive Industry Gears For Change

JLR, Saudi Govt Look At Prospects

Jaguar wins British Luxury Brand Overseas accolade at Walpole Awards for Excellence.

Auto Monitor

G L O B A L W A T C H1817 DECEMBER 2012

Honda, a company which once heralded its entry to the diesel market by saying that

it hated diesels, is now claiming to have an industry-leading four-cylinder turbo diesel engine.

The company’s new 1.6-litre Earth Dreams Technology unit, which makes its debut in the Civic next month, develops 118bhp but offers potential fuel economy of 78.5mpg with CO2 emissions of only 94g/km.

That combination of perfor-mance and fuel efficiency betters anything on offer from any rival, says Honda. And it could lead to Civic sales being trebled in the UK next year, led by a huge surge in fleet business.

The low CO2 figure means a company car tax rate of only 13 per cent for business drivers and exemption from road tax for all buyers. Owners who drive in and out of London will also not have to pay the £10 weekday conges-tion charge.

Until now the only diesel available in the Civic has been a 148bhp 2.2-litre unit. But Honda admits there is a “mental block”

about engines of 2.0 litres or more in Civic-sized cars.

“Diesel takes 80 percent of cor-porate sales in this sector and 64 per cent of them are engines of 120bhp or less,” the company says. “That market is now open to us.”

Three out of every four cus-tomers for the new Civic diesel are expected to be fleet drivers and Honda hopes to capture business from more than 100 fleets. It has already concluded a deal to sell 40 cars to the Motor

Neurone Disease Association.Honda plans to replace every

engine in its range with new units under the Earth Dreams Technology banner within three years and is targeting fuel efficiency leadership across

the board.There will be further versions

of the 1.6-litre diesel with lower and higher power outputs, five new petrol engines and a small-capacity petrol turbo to rival Ford’s Ecoboost unit.

Pricing for Fiat’s stunning new 500L - the spacious family car that’s big on looks, style and attitude - has just been announced by Fiat Group

Automobiles UK.Putting the fun back into functionality, the

new 500L starts at just £14,990 OTR for the 1.4-litre 500L Pop Star or Easy - a price that includes a long standard equipment list featuring 5-inch touchscreen radio, Bluetooth, six airbags, ESP stability programme, body-coloured electric door mirrors, cruise control, leather gearknob and steering wheel.

The new 500L - L stands for Large - starts with two trim levels, Pop Star and Easy, which cost the same but have different additional fea-tures. In addition to the standard list, new Pop Star features a body-coloured dashboard, alloy wheels and side door mouldings to appeal to a cool, young audience, while Easy gets rear parking sensors, a soft-touch dashboard and electric rear windows in addition to the stand-ard equipment, to attract drivers looking for greater comfort.

Huge PossibilitiesThe top-of-the-range Lounge model is load-

ed with even more features, adding to the standard list: climate control air condition-ing, 16-inch alloy wheels, side mouldings, rear parking sensors, electric rear windows, a larg-est-in-class fixed glass roof, light sensor, rain sensor, front fog lamps and a rear armrest.

Longer than a Fiat Punto and as wide as a Fiat Bravo, the soundly engineered new Fiat 500L, complete with 5-star Euro NCAP crash safety rating, goes well above and beyond the usual expectations of a mini-MPV.

The new Fiat 500L aims to appeal to a broad spectrum of customers, not defined by age, job or income, nor tied to convention. Fiat 500L custom-ers will still want to show their personality and passion - something that will be easily achiev-able thanks to the new car’s huge customisation possibilities. Among an extensive options list are: Fiat’s ground-breaking eco: Drive Live sys-tem, a powerful Beats by Dr Dre audio and even a Lavazza on-board coffee making machine.

The Fiat 500L will be available initially with a choice of four low emissions engines (Euro 6 petrol and Euro 5+ diesel), with Start&Stop as standard on TwinAir and MultiJet engines. The full engine line-up comprises the award-winning TwinAir 0.9-litre petrol (105hp), 1.4-litre 16-valve petrol (95hp), 1.3-litre 16-valve MultiJet diesel (85hp) with manual or MTA transmission, and 1.6-litre 16-valve MultiJet diesel (105hp).

New Fiat 500L Prices Announced

How Honda Looks Anew At Diesels

Honda Civic 1.6 i-DTEC

2117 DECEMBER 2012

A D V E R T I S E R S ’ L I S T

Our consistent advertisersFIC : Front Inside Cover BIC : Back Inside Cover BC: Back cover

ACE Micromatic Group 1, BC

T: +91-80-40200555

E: [email protected]

W: www.acemicromatic.net

Alfa Flexitubes Pvt Ltd 10

T: +91-9811209178


W: www.alfa-flexitubes.com

Auto Monitor Annviersary 16

T: +91-22-30034650

W: www.amonline.in

Automach 2013 18

T: +91-124-4014060


W: www.ietfindia.in/automach.aspx

Automotive Dealership Excellance Awards 6, 14

T: +91-22-30034650


W: www.adea.in

Carl Zeiss India (Bangalore) Pvt Ltd 11

T: +91-80-43438102


W: www.zeiss.co.in

Dhoot Transmission Pvt Ltd 13


W: www.dhoottransmission.com

Ecocat India Pvt Ltd 19

T: +91-129-4266500


W: www.ecocat.com

Ferromatik Milacron India Pvt Ltd 15

T: +91-79-25890081


W: www.milacronindia.com

Fox Solutions 5

T: +91-253-6618100


W: www.foxindia.net

G W Precision Tools India Pvt Ltd 17

T: +91-80-40431252


W: www.gwindia.in

Hewlett Packard India Sales Pvt. Ltd 3

T: +91-124-4932900

W: www.hp.com

Igus India Pvt Ltd 12

T: +91-80-39127800


W: www.igus.in

Jyoti CNC Automation Pvt. Ltd. BIC

T: +91-2827-287081


W: www.jyoti.co.in

Kalpa Industries 8

T: +91-8791333300


W: www.larexcables.com

Kamal CED Solutions Llp FIC

T: +91-9313137970


W: www.kamalenvirotechgroup.com

Puja Fluid Seals Pvt Ltd 21

T: +91-20-27112016


W: www.pujaseals.com

SIAT Expo 2013 20

T:+91-20-30231432

W: www.siat.araiindia.com

Tata Motors Ltd. 7

T: +91-22-66586195


W: www.tatamotors.com

Turbo Bearing Pvt Ltd 9

T: +91-281-2389087


W: www.turbobearings.com

Advertiser’s Name & Contact Details Pg No Advertiser’s Name & Contact Details Pg No Advertiser’s Name & Contact Details Pg No Advertiser’s Name & Contact Details Pg No

Tej Control Systems Pvt LtdPlot No.329/331, Road No.25,

Wagle Industrial Estate, Thane(W) - 400 604. Tel. +91 22 2583 8191 to 98, Fax: +91 22 25838199Email: [email protected], [email protected]

Website: www.tejivs.com

Auto Monitor

C L A S S I F I E D S 21

The leading source for automotive parts, components & accessories.

Auto Monitor

T H E O T H E R S I D E2217 DECEMBER 2012

Illus

tratio

n: S

achi

n P

andi

t

Getting Personalwith Navin Paul, Executive Vice President - OE Sales - Bosch India

In Real Life

An experience I won’t forget…

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

What car do you drive? What do you dream of driving?I drive a BMW 320d. But I dream of driving the Volkswagen Phaeton

Your most recent indulgence...Buying a Raindance Shower from Hans Grohe… it cost as much as a motorcycle.

What are you currently reading?The Undercover Economist by Tim Harford.

What does Mr Paul doing when not talking auto?Currently, I am supervising the construction of my house. Besides this, I eager-ly share management ideas/experiences with future Management Graduates in campuses.

An outdoor activity you would miss office for? A trek in Kulu Manali with family or friends.

Where did you go for your last holiday?Napa Valley in New York.

Something that annoys you terribly? When authorities do not fill up pot holes before and even after the monsoon, leave alone re-carpeting the damaged roads.

What is the one thing you wish you could change? Become a teenager in today’s exciting times in India.

Best thing to have happened.Earlier my father, and now me, have held jobs that required us to have lived in ten different cities in India and abroad. This has enabled me to experience life in differ-ent climes/cultures. An additional spin-off has been the formation of so many good friends in so many cities.

Early this year we went to Arjeplog in North Sweden (close to the Arctic Circle) for winter testing with our customers. The temperature there ranged from -20 to -35 degrees Celsius. Acclimatising was a challenge. But we quickly settled down and got on with the testing which was a pretty satisfying experience.

One day we decided to do something different and hired snowmobiles and rode on the frozen lakes/forests at -45 degrees temperature. It was on-the-spot training. It was an unforgettable ride at a good 60 km/hr with the wind piercing us as we tested the limits of the machine.

Later on in the evening, when returning from a restaurant we saw the heavens light up and saw the Northern Lights - an out-of-the-world experience that left us spellbound. We were out in the open and the sub-zero temperature did not deter us from this marvelous spectacle.

Navin Paul, Executive Vice President (OE Sales India – Automotive Technology), Bosch India has been responsible for OE Sales in India for Automotive Technology since 2009. He has cross divisional responsibility of OE Sales, Marketing, Sales Controlling & Commercial Coordination and Quality & Warranty, Automotive Technology for all OE customers in India. He is also responsible for OE Sales for Tata Motors, globally.

Before joining Bosch Group in 1995, he worked for various organisations like Escorts Ltd., Faridabad, Ashok Leyland, Chennai and TI Engineering, Chennai.

24

Regn. No. MH/MR/WEST/20/2012-2014. RNI No. MAHENG/2000/11414 Licenced to post at Mumbai patrika channel sorting office G.P.O. Mumbai 400 001.Date Of Mailing: 1st & 2nd Fortnightly Issue. Date Of Publication: 28th of Every Month

auto monitor - 17 december 2012

Documents

hp tractors

north america

hp segment

o t i v e n e w s

n e f o r

latin america

us company

auto monitori n d