battery industry profile

Amara Raja believes in influencing and improving the quality of life by building institutions that provide better access to better opportunities, goods and services to people all the time. With innovative engineering, research and design, Amara Raja has grown with partnerships and information sharing with world leaders.

Amara Raja is commited towards latest generation technologies by developing and manufacturing globally competitive, customer focused products of world class quality and responsibly introducing these products into relevant markets.

Mission, mantra, way of thinking, philosophy, what we live for… call it what you want, you'll find it below. Introduce yourself to the way we think.

"To transform our spheres of influence and to improve the quality of life by building institutions that provide better access to better opportunities, goods and services to more people…all the time."

Introduce latest generation technologies

Adapt these technologies to suit the operating environment

Develop and manufacture globally competitive, customer-focused products of world-class quality

Responsibly introduce these products into relevant markets

Provide world-class customer support

Achievements of Amarraja Company

Since the proof of the pudding is in the eating, take a quick look at some of the laurels we've garnered in the short time that we've been around with.

Best Telecom equipment Manufacturer Award 2009 by BSNL

Quality Excellence Award for the year 2009 by INDUS Towers

Amaron® is the preferred supplier to Daimler Chrysler, Ford and General Motors

Automotive Product of the year 2000 by Overdrive

Excellence in Environmental Management in 2002 by AP Pollution Control Board

Creative Advertiser of the year '02 by ABBY

Ford "World Excellence Award"

Ford Q1 Award

ISO-9001 in 1997…RWTUV

QS 9000 in 1999…RWTUV

ISO/TS 16949 in 2004…RWTUV

Quality benchmarks

Best Business Practices as per JCI

ISO 14001 in 2002…RWTUV

Part of the world's largest battery manufacturing alliance - Johnson Controls Inc., USA

Largest manufacturer of standby VRLA batteries in South Asia

Pioneered the widely used VRLA batteries for industrial application in India

Largest & dominant market leader of standby batteries in Railways, Telecom, Power Generating stations in India

One of the largest (designed for producing 3.64million batteries p.a.) and most modern automotive battery plants in Asia

Highly automated (oxide preparation to finishing; all processes and operations are automated)

Part of Amara Raja's highly integrated battery complex (most components are built in-house)

Industrial Economist Business Excellence Award - 1991 by the Industrial Economist, Chennai.

Best Entrepreneur of the year 1998 - by Hyderabad Management Association.

Excellence award by institution of Economic Studies(ES), New Delhi.

Udyog Rattan -1999 by Institution of Economic Studies (ES), New Delhi.

Q1 Vendor Status by Ford India Limited - 2003.

World Excellence Silver Award by Ford USA

The spirit of Excellence by Academy of fine arts, Tirupati

Management team

RAMACHANDRA N GALLA

ChairmanAmara Raja Batteries Ltd.

Dr. Ramachandra N. Galla is the Patriarch of an illustrious business family of Andhra Pradesh, Gallas, who have established a name for themselves by successfully setting up Amara Raja Batteries. Born in 1938, Dr. Ramachandra Galla is an Electrical Engineer from S.V. University, Tirupati and has to his credit Masters degrees in Applied Electronics, Roorkee, India and Systems Sciences, Michigan State University, USA.

Dr. Galla started his career as an Electrical Engineer in US Steel Corporation, USA moved on to Sargent & Lundy, USA as a Consulting Engineer for the Designing of Nuclear & Coal Fired Power Plant. He initiated various projects in these corporations & mastered the ropes of this competitive business in a very short time. However, he soon discovered that his natural inclination was serving his country and as a logical sequel he gravitated towards Chittoor his native place in India. Dr. Galla laid the foundation of Amara Raja batteries in 1985 in Chittoor. With his intense zeal and highly focused approach, he propelled Amara Raja Batteries in the top league of battery companies in India.

In his capacity as the Chairman, Dr. Ramachandra Galla has promoted and established the following companies from the conceptual stage which are now well established and profit making:

Amara Raja Batteries Ltd

Amara Raja Power System Ltd

Mangal Precisions Products Ltd

Amara Raja Electronics Ltd

Galla Foods Ltd

Amara Raja Infra (P) Ltd

Amaron Batteries (P) Ltd

Amara Raja Industrial Services (P) Ltd

Dr Galla's finest hour as a businessman came in 1998 when he was presented BEST ENTERPRENEUR OF THE YEAR 1998 ” – by Hyderabad Management Association, Hyderabad. He has been bestowed with honorary doctorate degrees from Jawaharlal Nehru Technical University in 2008 at Hyderabad & Sri Venkateswara University in 2007 at Tirupati. He has also been conferred with “THE SPIRIT OF EXCELLENCE” award by Academy of Fine Arts, Tirupati, and various other prestigious awards.

He is passionate about a corporate’s responsibility to society as well as championing eco-friendly business practices. Dr. Galla has established various charitable trusts like Krishna Devaraya Educational & cultural association (KECA), Rajanna Trust, Mangamma & Gangul Naidu Memorial Trust. He is dedicated to rural development and improving the economic conditions of the farmers in Chittoor District, Andhra Pradesh, India. KECA which was established in 1975 provides scholarship to the poor and needy students to pursue their higher education. While Rajanna Trust that was established in 1999 to construct check dams and deepening the tanks to improve the

ground water levels. MANGAL TRUST was established in 2003 to provide drinking water facilities, constructing check dams & providing infrastructure facilities to Petamitta and surrounding villages.

A committed family man with wife, two children & grand children, he loves spending time with his family and participating in society development project.

JAYADEV GALLA

Managing Director

Amara Raja Batteries Ltd.

Jayadev Galla (Jay) is the Managing Director of Amara Raja Batteries Limited (ARBL), a leading manufacturer of Advanced Lead Acid batteries for Industrial and Automotive applications. ARBL is a joint venture between Amara Raja group and US based Johnson Controls Inc. (JCI). JCI is a USD 35 billion conglomerate and the global leader in building efficiency, automotive interior experience and automotive power solutions. The company owns the brand name “Amaron” which is the second largest selling automotive battery brand in India today. ARBL is a widely held public limited company listed on the National Stock Exchange of India Limited and the Bombay Stock Exchange Limited. The gross revenue for the year ending 31 March 2009 is more than USD 300 mn.

Achievements Spearheading ARBL’s automotive batteries (Amaron) venture Striking a partnership with JCI, U.S.A. for the automotive battery business Winning the prestigious Ford World Excellence Award in 2004 achieved by

meeting global delivery standards. ARBL is the 3rd supplier from India to be given this award.

Posts and Responsibilities Confederation of Indian Industry

o Young Indians National Branding Chairo Young Indian’s National Immediate Past Chairmano Young Indians Immediate Past Chairman - District Chapter Initiatives

Amara Raja Group of Companies o Managing Director, Galla Foods Limited.o Director, Amara Raja Power Systems Ltd.o Director, Amara Raja Electronics Ltd.o Director, Mangal Precision Products Ltd.o Director, Amara Infra (P) Ltd.o Director, Amaron Batteries (P) Ltd.o Director, Amara Raja Industrial Services (P) Ltd.

Permanent Trustee of the Rajanna Trust o The Trust was established in 1999 and is dedicated to rural

development and to improve the economic conditions of the farmers in Chittoor District, Andhra Pradesh. Among other things, Rajanna Trust has executed micro irrigation projects valued to a tune of 1 million US dollars which has benefited over 2000 agricultural families

Advisory Membero Wockhardt Foundation

Jay holds a bachelors’ degree in Political Science and Economics from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, USA. As an avid sports lover, he has played chess and tennis at a competitive level. He also enjoys golf, motor sports, diving, travel and pop culture in general. Married with two children; in his leisure time he loves spending time with his family and participating in community development initiatives.

A company is known by the society it keeps.

We believe in taking responsibility for whatever we do; within and without the company. It's what responsible leaders are expected to do. Our vision is to create communities that are economically and socially vibrant enough to stimulate growth and self-reliance; within and without the company.

In keeping with this commitment, we've committed ourselves to social activities in the following four areas:

EducationInfrastructureVillage development

Environment

EducationTo ensure our people have a better quality of life we provide primary schooling facilities for the children of our employees. We also provide our employees with facilities in the form of free memberships to education enhancement trusts and

organizations like the library for employees on site, the Rajanna Trust for intellectual enhancement, the Krishna Deva Raya Trust and Cultural Association, Vinayashramam, Thapovanam and the Rashtriya Seva Samithi.

InfrastructureSome of the infrastructure requirements of daily living that we take responsibility for include a bank for employees and the public, residential complexes for employees, medical and other facilities like a post office, subsidized transportation and recreational clubs for everyone who works with us.

Village development

India lives in her villages. It's why we focus a great deal on developing the same by helping in the building of roads, street lighting, rainwater storage plants and check dams. Under the banner of 'Grameena Vikasam' we're proud to have invested time and resources on all the ongoing and long-term initiatives.

EnvironmentRespect for environment is a core business value that is reflected in all the comprehensive, proactive environment programmes like the development of green belts, energy conservation and water harvesting, to name a few.

10 - Years Financials(Rupees in Million)

Parameters / Year2010-11

2009-10

2008-09

2007-08

2006-07

2005-06

2004-05

2003-04

2002-03

2001-02

OPERATING RESULTS

Gross sales 20,765 16,904 15,794 13,500 7,451 4,458 2,685 1,999 1,987 1,882

Net sales 17,611 14,645 13,132 10,833 5,958 3,637 2,199 1,636 1,607 1,518

Profit before depreciation, interest and tax (PBDIT) **

2,588 2,965 2,056 1,795 905 521 262 118 227 292

Profit before interest & tax (PBIT) **

2,171 2,536 1,711 1,551 735 374 125 (4) 110 208

Profit before tax (PBT) 2,210 2,546 1,227 1,459 712 373 136 12 117 247

Profit after tax (PAT) 1,481 1,670 805 944 470 238 87 14 74 182

Dividends 393 248 68 40 40 28 23 17 17 40

Dividend Tax 65 42 12 7 7 4 3 2 2 -

Retained profits 1,023 1,380 725 897 423 206 61 (5) 55 142

SOURCES AND APPLICATION OF FUNDS

SOURCES OF FUNDS

Share capital 171 171 171 114 114 114 114 114 114 114

Reserves and surplus 6,288 5,266 3,885 3,217 2,323 1,899 1,693 1,632 1,637 1,583

Net worth 6,459 5,436 4,056 3,331 2,437 2,013 1,807 1,746 1,751 1,697

Debt 950 912 2,859 3,163 1,407 405 233 149 97 134

Deferred tax liability 205 216 182 169 136 120 131 145 176 160

Funds employed 7,614 6,565 7,097 6,663 3,980 2,538 2,171 2,040 2,024 1,991

APPLICATION OF FUNDS

Gross fixed assets 5,388 4,911 4,271 3,106 2,577 1,907 1,672 1,584 1,514 1,411

Accumulated depreciation 2,237 1,854 1,458 1,217 1,009 863 724 592 469 359

Net fixed assets 3,151 3,057 2,813 1,889 1,568 1,044 948 992 1,045 1,052

Capital work-in-progress 375 227 396 657 62 48 13 10 42 43

Investments 161 161 471 162 162 320 236 209 132 130

Gross current assets 7,419 6,311 5,260 5,749 3,500 2,280 1,613 1,190 1,227 1,204

Current liabilities and provisions

3,492 3,191 1,843 1,794 1,312 1,154 639 361 524 547

Net current assets 3,927 3,120 3,417 3,955 2,188 1,126 974 829 703 657

Deferred revenue expenditure - - - - - - - - 102 109

Net assets 7,614 6,565 7,097 6,663 3,980 2,538 2,171 2,040 2,024 1,991

RATIOS

PBT to sales (%) 12.55 17.38 9.34 13.47 11.95 10.26 6.18 0.73 7.28 16.27

PAT to sales (%) 8.41 11.40 6.13 8.71 7.89 6.54 3.96 0.86 4.60 11.99

Return on capital employed (ROCE) - (%) ++

34.62 44.51 30.62 33.91 25.44 18.55 6.81 (0.23) 6.25 12.97

Return on net worth (%) @@ 24.90 35.18 21.80 32.73 21.12 12.46 4.90 0.82 4.57 11.40

Debt : Equity (times 0.15 0.17 0.70 0.95 0.58 0.20 0.13 0.09 0.06 0.08

Fixed assets turnover (times) &&

5.59 4.79 4.67 5.73 3.80 3.48 2.32 1.65 1.54 1.44

Earnings per share (Rs.) 17.34 19.56 9.42 16.57 41.31 20.94 7.63 1.22 6.50 16.00

Dividend (%) 230 145 40 35 35 25 20 15 15 35

Dividend per share (Rs.) 4.60 2.90 0.80 0.70 3.50 2.50 2.00 1.50 1.50 3.50

Book value per share (Rs.) 75.63 63.65 47.49 58.50 213.98 176.76 158.66 153.32 144.82 139.41

Share Price (as of 31st March) - (Rs.)

189.75 164.20 36.65 195.65 340.40 234.25 91.65 57.15 47.90 81.00

** PBDIT and PBIT are net of non operating income and expenditure++ ROCE is PBIT divided by average capital employed. Capital employed excludes CWIP, Cash and Non-Trade Investments@@ Return on networth is computed based on average networth&& Year end net fixed assets are considered for computing fixed assets turnover

Products of the company

Amara Raja's Amaron Sleek is a high performance battery designed to meet the demands of a wide range of industrial applications. The Amaron Sleek range is modular in structure and is capable of accommodating a wide spectrum of capacities depending on the application. Major application areas include Telecommunications,

Power Utilities, Railways, Defence and other heavy Industries

The advantages of Amaron Sleek at a glance: Design float life of 12+ years, classsified as long life as per Eurobat Classification Design to perform in harsh tropical conditions Easily accomodated in standard 23" rack which are being used for existing power plant Sacalability of battery capacity can be done easily by appending each mono block High Volumetric Energy Density for maximum power in minimal foot print area Compliance to IEC 60896 - 21/22:2004 standards.

Amaron Quanta is not just another UPS battery, it is a UPS battery with a back-up for a back-up. What does this mean? Well, our UPS battery is further backed by the world-renowned technology that others cannot provide you with. Put simply, Amaron Quanta is the product of fail-safe, fool-proof battery technology, produced and tested in our premier manufacturing facility and provides several firsts for a battery of its kind.

The advantages of Amaron Quanta at a glance: Unique heavy-duty, corrosion-resistant alloy for positive grids, to increase cyclic life in a tropical environment Lower internal resistance for superior high-discharge performance Instacharge, a patented paste recipe for excellent charge acceptance Aesthetically designed with a rugged Flappon terminal protector that prevents shorts Compact, lightweight, factory-charged, explosion-resistant and environment friendly Clean and sleek looks

Apart from the technology itself, helping us meet our stringent quality norms is our QS 9000 accredited manufacturing plant. All of which makes Amaron Quanta the unrivalled choice for the smart UPS equipment buyer - you.

Amara Raja's Amaron Volt is a high performance battery designed to meet the demands of a wide range of industrial applications. The Amaron Volt range is modular in structure and is capable of accommodating a wide spectrum of capacities depending on the application. Major application areas include Telecommunications, Power Utilities, Railways, Defence and other heavy Industries.

The advantages of Amaron Volt at a glance: Design float life of 20+ years Time tested & high end VRLA Technology for Telecom Networks Best in class Deep Discharge - Quick Recharge Characteristics Unbeatable performance in offering highest cycles for most competitive TCO Most suitable for PSOCoperatons to suit demanding applications Certified for IEC 60896 - PART 21 & 22 and IEC 61427 Complies to IEEE 1188 & 1189 & Telcordia SR4228

Amara Raja's Powerstack, is a high performance battery designed to meet the demands of a wide range of industrial applications. The Powerstack range is modular in structure and is capable of accommodating a wide spectrum of capacities depending on the application. Major application areas include Telecommunications,

Power Utilities, Railways, Defence and other heavy Industries.

The advantages of Powerstack at a glance: Design float life of 20 years Proven performance in harsh tropical conditions Deep discharge capabilities Unbeatable track record in applications across heavy industries QS 9000 - accredited across all functional areas and businesses ranging from manufacturing to services World class ISO 14001 accredited facility

Powerstack comes to you with all the backing, advantages and technological advancement of Amara Raja to provide all the power requirements that heavy industries crave.

Telecom:Our Batteries power:almost half of BSNL / MTNL exchanges70% of the Private Basic Service providers' exchangesMore than 70% of the Cellular service providers' exchanges

Our prestigious telecom customers include:All ITI plants for In-house and switch requirements BSNL / MTNLAll NT Switch OEMs viz., Lucent, Alcatel, Siemens, Nokia, Ericsson etc.,All C-DOT switch OEMs viz. BEL, BHEL, CGL, UTL, etc.All private Basic and Cellular service providersAll Network Integrators

Power Control:We provide Back-Up critical installations in Power generating Units and provide back-up power for transmission and distribution sub-stations like:

Raichur Thermal Power stationNorth Chennai Thermal Power station

ARBL is an approved vendor for NTPC / NHPC and Power Grid Corporation.

Oil & Gas:ARBL provides integrated solutions for renewable energy back-up power for ONGC's offshore platforms.

The island of Lakshadweep is powered through Amara Raja Power Systems.

We also provide back-up power for low power transmitters for Doordarshan.

Motive PowerARBL is the country's first manufacturer of maintenance-free traction batteries used in Forklifts and Pallet trucks.

Our customers include APC, Siemens, Alstom, Crompton Greaves etc.,

DefenceARBL introduced new technologies for back-up power in Defence, Police and Paramilitary communication systems.

UPS & EPABX:ARBL is the preferred suppliers for all leading UPS back-up manufacturers like APC, Numeric, DB Power, APLab, Electronics & Controls etc. Our UPS batteries are the fastest growing battery brand since it's launch in July 2002 with a nation-wide footprint of Sales and Service points and over 300, 000 batteries in use at over 10, 000 customer sites.

RailwaysARBL pioneered the use of maintenance-free batteries in the Indian Railways.

Over 50 % of Indian Railways' II and III Tier self-generation Air-conditioned coaches are powered by ARBL.

Over 40% of Railway's Signaling and Telecom power supply solutions are provided by ARBL.

Amaron PRO Hi-life batteries - Lasts long, really longAmaron PRO, brought to you by Amara Raja Batteries Limited (ARBL), the largest manufacturers of Stand-by VRLA Industrial Batteries in the Indian Ocean Rim and Johnson Controls Inc, USA; the global leader in Interior experience, building efficiency and power solutions.

What makes it so good

Amaron PRO Hi-life batteries are made in a QS 9000, ISO 14001 & TS 16949 certified plant using world class technology and stringent quality control parameters that make them last long, really long. Some of the other features that add to making the Amaron PRO so good: longest life, patented BIC vents for enhanced safety, the highest cranking power and a completely unnecessary 60-month warranty.

Amaron PRO Hi-life batteries Design Features and benefits

Longest life - Thanks to the reformulated Advanta paste recipe.

Zero Maintenance - High heat technology, premium silver alloys (SILVEN X) for a low-corrosion and no top-ups experience.

Highest Cranking Power - Largest Inter Cell Welds, 19mm Lugs.

Amaron FLO batteries - Lasts long, really longAmaron FLO, brought to you by Amara Raja Batteries Limited (ARBL), the largest manufacturers of Stand-by VRLA Industrial Batteries in the Indian Ocean Rim and Johnson Controls Inc, USA; the global leader in Interior experience, building efficiency and power solutions.


Amaron FLO batteries are made in a QS 9000, ISO 14001 & TS 16949 certified plant using world class technology and stringent quality control parameters that make them last long, really long. Some of the other features that add to making the Amaron FLO so good: longest life, patented BIC vents for enhanced safety, the highest cranking power and a completely unnecessary 48-month warranty.

Amaron FLO batteries Design Features and benefits

Long life - Thanks to the reformulated Advanta paste recipe.

Zero Maintenance - High heat technology, premium silver alloys (SILVEN X) for a low-corrosion and no top-up experience.

Fully Sealed & Tested - Factory charged, wet shipped and ready to fit.

Highest Cranking Power - Largest Inter Cell Welds, 19mm Lugs.

Amaron GO batteries - Lasts long, really longAmaron GO, brought to you by Amara Raja Batteries Limited (ARBL), the largest

manufacturers of Stand-by VRLA Industrial Batteries in the Indian Ocean Rim and Johnson Controls Inc, USA; the global leader in Interior experience, building efficiency and power solutions.


Amaron GO batteries are made in a QS 9000, ISO 14001 & TS 16949 certified plant using world class technology and stringent quality control parameters that make them last long, really long. Some of the other features that add to making the Amaron GO so good: longest life, patented BIC vents for enhanced safety, the highest cranking power and a completely unnecessary 36 months warranty.

Amaron GO batteries Design Features and benefits


Maintenance Free - High heat technology, premium silver alloys (SILVEN X) for a low-corrosion and no top-ups experience.

Factory Fresh - Wet Shipped and ready to fit.

Amaron Black batteries - Lasts long, really longAmaron Black, brought to you by Amara Raja Batteries Limited (ARBL), the largest manufacturers of Stand-by VRLA Industrial Batteries in the Indian Ocean Rim and Johnson Controls Inc, USA; the global leader in Interior experience, building efficiency and power solutions.


Amaron Black batteries are made in a QS 9000, ISO 14001 & TS 16949 certified plant using world class technology and stringent quality control parameters that make them last long, really long. Some of the other features that add to making the Amaron Black so good: longest life, patented BIC vents for enhanced safety, the highest cranking power and a completely unnecessary 18 months warranty.

Amaron Black batteries Design Features and benefits



Factory Charged - Wet Shipped and ready to fit.

Amaron Fresh batteries - Lasts long, really longAmaron Fresh, brought to you by Amara Raja Batteries Limited (ARBL), the largest manufacturers of Stand-by VRLA Industrial Batteries in the Indian Ocean Rim and Johnson Controls Inc, USA; the global leader in Interior experience, building efficiency and power solutions.


Amaron Fresh batteries are made in a QS 9000, ISO 14001 & TS 16949 certified plant using world class technology and stringent quality control parameters that make them last long, really long. Some of the other features that add to making the Amaron Fresh so good: longest life, patented BIC vents for enhanced safety, the highest cranking power and a completely unnecessary 12 months warranty.

Amaron Fresh batteries Design Features and benefits



Factory Charged - Wet Shipped and ready to fit.

AmaronR Hi-way truck batteries - Lasts long, really longAmaronR Hi-way truck batteries, brought to you by Amara Raja Batteries Limited (ARBL), the largest manufacturers of Stand-by VRLA Industrial Batteries in the Indian Ocean Rim and Johnson Controls Inc, USA; the global leader in Interior experience, building efficiency and power solutions.


AmaronR Hi-way batteries are made in a QS 9000, ISO 14001 & TS 16949 certified plant using world class technology and stringent quality control parameters that make them last long, really long. Some of the other features that add to making the AmaronR Hi-way truck batteries so good: longest life, patented BIC vents for enhanced safety, the highest cranking power and an unprecedented 24-month warranty.

AmaronR Hi-way truck batteries Design Features and benefits

Long life - A robust plate design and a ribbed container make this the ideal long life battery for applications on rough terrain and under extreme conditions.

High Cranking Power - 19mm lugs and the largest intercell welds of their kind reduce electrical resistance and provide increased cranking performance.

Leak proof - A labyrinth type duplex cover that makes the battery safer and leak resistant.

Types of Hi-way truck batteries

80 Ah - HCV 620 D313100 Ah - HCV 700 H29R130 Ah - HCV 800 DO4R150 Ah - HCV X00 DO4R

Amaron Harvest batteries - Lasts long, really longAmaron Harvest, brought to you by Amara Raja Bateries Limited (ARBL), the largest manufacturers of Stand-by VRLA Industrial Batteries in the Indian Ocean Rim and Johnson Controls Inc, USA; the global leader in Interior experience, building efficiency and power solutions.


Amaron Harvest batteries are made in a QS 9000, ISO 14001 & TS 16949 certified plant using world class technology and stringent quality control parameters that make them last long, really long. Some of the other features that add to making the Amaron

Harvest so good: ribbed container profile to withstand extremes of temperature, shocks and any kind of rough terrain. Amaron Harvest also comes with an unnecessary 24-month pro-rated warranty.

Types of Harvest tractor batteries

75 Ah - TRA 500 D31R/L90 Ah - TRA 600 H29R/L

Amaron Shield Inverter Batteries - Power InfiniteThe new Amaron Shield, with an unheard of 24 months warranty. A product of Amara Raja Batteries Ltd. (ABRL), Amaron Shield is a result of a partnership between the Amara Raja Group and Johnson Controls Inc, USA, the global leader in Interior experience, building efficiency and power solutions.


Amaron Shield batteries are made in ARBL's QS 9000, ISO 14001 & TS 16949 certified plant, using world class technology and quality control parameters, making them a long life, high performance and maintenance-free battery. Some of the other features that add to making the Amaron Shield so good: leak proof, highpower and hi back up time and ready-to-install.

Amaron SHIELD Design Features and benefits

Long life - The robust plate design and a ribbed container provide extra strength and improved resistance to corrosion.

Ultra Low Maintenance(ULM™) - The special hybrid alloy system minimizes water loss, making the battery ultra low maintenance and ensuring longer life.

Ready to install - Factory charged, wet shipped and equipped with T3 terminals.

Charge acceptance - The unique paste formulation provides for quick charging between power failures.

Amaron Pro Bike Rider – Made to be ignoredWelcome to the elite club of Amaron Pro Bike Rider. Witness here the most

researched, designed & developed Power Fitments for today’s motorcycles that drive your passion. Yes, we bring to you Pro Bike Rider range of Zero Maintenance batteries. Our specialist team have built these Power Fitments based on a unique and unmatched breakthrough VRLA(Valve Regulated Lead Acid) technology most superior in its class for biking needs of a customer like you.


The Pro Bike Rider range of Power Fitment includes, the Alpha series which comes with a customer delighting 60months warranty a first in its class made possible by Breakthrough VRLA technology. These are developed in our state-of-art manufacturing facility, uniquely packed and wet shipped. You just need to pick, fit & cruise ahead.

With unrivalled design features and all-round superior construction, your Amaron Pro Bike Rider range of zero maintenance two wheeler batteries offers the longest life and delivers highest power in its class. We always work on innovation, strive for quality and provide world class technology to our customers. Our way of life at Amaron.

Zero Maintenance

Never before 60 months warranty

Optima batteries - the ultimate power sourceThe Optima range of batteries comes in three kinds: yellow top, blue top and red top. Each kind has a specific application it is ideal for. The key feature of the Optima range is its endurance and ability to withstand the rigours of the most extreme of applications.


It's all down to the Spiralcell Technology. The deep cycle characteristic of this technology coupled with its extreme resistance to vibration provides high-performance vehicles with the repetitive power needed in a spill-proof package. Furthermore, this patented technology makes Optima the extreme performance battery of choice for power vehicles needing longer charges and more life than in traditional batteries.

Types of Optima batteries

Optima YellowTop: Deep cycle batteries for extreme applicationsOptima BlueTop: For twice the life of traditional marine and RV batteriesOptima RedTop: The battery that withstands the most vibrationsAmara Raja supplies automotive batteries to almost all OE names in the country including Ashok Leyland, Fiat, General Motors, Hindustan Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Mahindra & Mahindra, Maruti and Tata Motors. The company is an exclusive supplier to Daimler Chrysler, Ford and Maruti-Swift platform.

Amara Raja received Ford India 's highest recognition for supplier quality – the prestigious Ford Q1 Award and has also won the Ford World Excellence Award, one of the 24 companies, making it eligible to supply batteries to Ford – worldwide.

With the quest for growth and expansion of business beyond Indian shores, Amara Raja is poised to become a global player in the coming years.

Amara Raja's Industrial and Automotive batteries are exported to Singapore , Malaysia , Hongkong , Thailand , Indonesia , Vietnam , Taiwan , Philippines , China , Japan , Greece , SriLanka , Mauritius , Australia , Kuwait , Dubai , Iran , Yemen , Omen , Bahrain , Qatar , UAE , Kenya , Tanzania and South Africa.

In Singapore , Amaron supplies to the entire fleet of ‘Comfort Delgro' cabs and had done an extensive branding of the taxis to enhance visibility thus capturing a sizeable market share.

Amaron has proved to be the only battery that has twice the life when compared to any other battery even in the dry and humid desert conditions of Northern Australia .

By virtue of it's superior quality, Amaron has asserted itself under private labels in Japan , where stringent Quality and Technology are firmly adhered.

Industry Overview:

The total Indian storage battery market is approximately estimated at US$ 500 Million with the automotive battery segment contributing 60 to 65 percent of the overall market value. In terms of volumes, the overall consumption of automotive batteries could be around 6.3 million units with the OE segment comprising around 1.2 to 1.3 million units per annum, according to an interview with the Executive Vice President of ARBL that was published on the website chennaibest.com.

This being the case, the aftermarket is definitely attractive with its sheer size and is lucrative due to better price and credit realization. The late 1990s also saw a surge in the sales of the passenger car segment for around 2 years due to certain factors like the software boom, lowering of interest rates, etc.- which increased the overall sales of batteries. The automotive sector did not see any significant growth during the early part of the new millennium and is slowly showing signs of growth during this financial year. This factor also adds to the demand in the aftermarket as more number of cars were sold around 2 to 3 years back which is generally the life of a lead acid battery. The replacement automotive battery market is expected to grow at a healthy rate in the coming years.

The SLI market in the Indian subcontinent is a highly fragmented industry with a few manufacturers in the organized segment and a lot many belonging to the tier 2 / tier 3 categories which have a regional presence and thrive especially among the semi urban and rural areas. These companies mainly cater to the replacement market of tractors / farm equipment and heavy commercial vehicle segments which is a price sensitive market. The market share occupied by the companies belonging to tier 2 and tier 3 categories could be as high as 50 to 55 percent of the replacement market which is a significant share in volume terms. Also, this is a high growth market as the batteries and the vehicles generally will be abused and the rate of replacement in this category is generally high compared to passenger car segments.

Role of Technology

With the advent of newer more advanced technologies, the consumer is getting the best of both worlds; a superior product at an affordable price. ARBL sells its automotive battery under the brand name Amaron which is the country's first Zero Maintenance Free Automotive battery while the competitors had only maintenance free batteries that needed topping up of distilled water. Today, all the leading manufacturers are also offering a similar product with focus shifting towards offering a technologically superior product. Amaron was also the first to talk about what goes into making a great product. It spoke of having silver inside which is used as an alloy mix that actually increases the battery life and this was the first attempt by any battery manufacturer to educate the consumers.

Fuddy Duddy Category to Creative Advertisement of the Year

The interest level shown by any car owner to a battery revolves around only when the car fails to start. Amaron therefore realized the need to make the consumer think about automotive batteries, because thinking before a purchase will definitely lead to a comparison among the brands available in the market.

Amaron thus went ahead with its "Chicken Leg" media campaign that created a storm in the advertising industry and made people look to this relatively new player in the battery industry. Over the years, the creative bent of all its campaigns starting from the media blitz, to below-the-line campaigns have been towards educating the consumer about a battery.

The lead shown by ARBL was quickly followed by the others, with Exide Industries sponsoring a cricket series in India for the first time with the campaign "India moves on Exide" becoming a major success.

All this action in the automotive battery industry did not go unnoticed. An automotive battery manufacturer (Amaron) for the first time was in the same league as mega ad spenders like Coca Cola, Times of India, and others and won the Creative Advertiser of the Year, which was a shot in the arm for the entire automotive battery industry.

Distribution

For the success of any aftermarket product, availability of the same is as important as the product quality and competitive pricing which go a long way in increasing the visibility and creating a network across markets. Here again, the leading automotive battery manufacturers became aggressive in extending their reach to the nooks and corners of the country and also moved away from the traditional distribution network and instead appointed dealers and distributors who were the first timers to the battery business like service outlets of some of the automobile majors like Maruti, Hyundai, Telco, Ashok Leyland, Hindustan Motors etc, roadside mechanics and lube shops etc., which went a long way in increasing the reach and visibility.

There has been certain uniqueness that has been brought into the business by establishing exclusive outlets with some flashy names like "Pitstops" and "Terminals" which was never seen earlier in this industry. All this, resulted in taking the smaller / regional manufacturers head on and helped in building better brand recall and awareness among the end users.

Warranty Support

The consumer has always been familiar with the usual 12 month warranty on the automotive batteries, extended either by the automotive OE or the battery dealer down the road. Today, the scenario is not the same as battery majors have realized the potential of the aftermarket and are offering pro rata warranties of up to 3 years which has been the normal life of any lead acid automotive battery. There are a few takeaways from this interesting move by the battery manufacturers. One, the consumer is being made to realize that he / she is getting a better bargain by luring him / her to go for a replacement from the organized sector and two, the battery manufacturers want to retain the customer from the moment he / she makes the first

purchase, forcing some manufacturers to offer a life time warranty with some caveats thrown in which can spoil the market in the long run.

As an extension to the warranty being extended, after sale service has become an important differentiating factor with respect to providing excellent after sales support to the customer. This has resulted in the manufacturers launching new service programs with some interesting terminology's to capture the attention of the customer

Other important notes

The lead-acid storage battery, an important energy storage device, is the most widely used secondary storage cell by automobile and other industries. Storage cells are devices which release a flow of electron throguh an external circuit as a result of reactions occurring between the active electrode materials and ions transported by the electrolyte. The cells in which the reactions are reversible are called secondary cells.

In these cells the active materials can be returned to their original state by applying electrical current from an external source in the opposite direction to the flow of the cells discharge current. In the early nineteenth century, scientists discovered that when direct current was passed between some pairs of electrodes of the same metal immersed in an electrolyte, the electrodes became polarized, i.e. when the circuit was opened a difference of potentia' existed between the electrodes.

If they were connecter, together a current flowed. Based on these experiments, in 1959 Gasten Plant began to investigate such cell us. g two electrodes immersed in dilute sulphuric acid. He found that appreciable currents could be obtained from the cell, after it was charged to produce a coating of lead peroxide on the positive plate. This was a major breakthrough in the field of electrochemistry.

Since then major developments have taken place in basic material of construction of lead-acid batteries. The present construction of this type of battery consists of positive electrode made up of leap peroxide, negative electrodes of lead in highly active metallic sponge. The insulating layers are made of hard rubber, PVC etc. The electrolyte is a dilute aqueous solution of sulphuric acid and container is marie of plastic, glass, rubber or polypropylene.

In 1940's six volt rubber case, featuring external cell connectors were available. Ford company offered codar separators and thirteen percent (13%) antimony grid alloys.

The battery had a temperature compensating, vibrating contact voltage regulator. By the end of the 5D's twelve volt battery was available featuring rubber separators and seven percent antimony in the grid alloy.

Towards the end of the 60's, the typical new car battery featured, through partition connectors, one piece cover, and sealed side terminals, a rubber container and grid alloy containing four percent antimony.

Some of the leading battery manufacturers also introduced polypropylene containers at that time.

During the latter half of 70's the battery industry entered the maintenance free era. Grids with 1-2% antimony and other alloya like Ca, sn and plates made by high speed continuous strip processing equipment were introduced. In place of conventional separators plates, encapsulated in plastic envelopes came as new technology.

The polypropylene container became a cocoon, completely sealing the battery against entry and containing subsystems, such as build-in state of charge indicators, and flame arresting vent system. In early 80's major changes took place in the technology of manufacturing systems, like continuous automatically controlled casting, rolling, grid expansion, pasting, curing cutting and stacking of battery plates..

This enhanced the production rates to a level undreamed of ten years earlier. In the modern plants up above the plate line, active material ingredients are programmed, weighed, and blended by computer controlled paste mixers, resulting in control of plate weight, thickness and chemistry, which was not possible few years ago.

Control of this production system is backed up by analytical equipment, such as the atomic absorption spectrograph, florescent xray spectrometers, particle distribution counter and optical emission spectrograph. Sophisticated welding machines are common in all battery plants in USA, UK, Canada and France.

At present a great deal of emphasis is on the need of smaller and lighter batteries, for new small sized car and automobiles. The drive for improved fuel economy and the space limitations of present and planned engine compartments, are still strong factors today for the development of small, light weight, high powered batteries.

The manufacturing process of Lead Acid Batteries is largely based on imported technology and it has been observed that there has been repeatitive import of technology and further more foreign colloboration, in some cases have been extended for unduly long times.

In view of this, it was thought desirable to undertake the review of present status of this industry and to identify and analyse critical inputs required for absorption of imported technology. .

The industrial enterprises having in-house R&D units are advantageously placed to absorb and improve upon the imported technology.

The Technology Absorption and Adaptation Scheme (TAAS) of DSIR seeks to encourage this role by providing these units with optimum inputs for accelerated absorption and upgradation of imported technology.

The support under TAAS for such R&D activities could be for :

- Support to technology absorption exercises.

- Selective support to strenghthening measures in the R&D base for technology absorption.

- Assistance in technology upgradation in selected sectors which are related to imported technology.

- Support for symposia, seminars, publications etc. in relation to technology absorption exercises for information dissemination.

The DSIR has introduced a scheme "National Register of Foreign Collaborations" which envisages review and analysis of imported technologies in the country and suggests measures for appropriate choice, acquisition and implementation of foreign know-how.

The major objectives of this scheme are

- Undertake financial, economic and legal analysis of set of data on foreign collaborations.

- Carry out a technology analysis of the imported technology and provide a state of art technology in use in the country and status of implementation of collaboration.

- Provide the basis for a National Science strategy wherever possible.

- In the long run lead to unpackaging of imported technology and a national strength to competitively purchase only selected components of technology.

- Coordinate with Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Finance etc. by providing technology data input. Facilitate more effective national participation with various organisations such as UNCTAD, UNIDO, ESCAP etc. and in the international exchange of information and cooperation with other developing countries.

The present report has been prepared under "National Register of Foreign Collaborations" to review the Lead Acid Battery industry in India.

This report attempts to review the present state of art in Lead Acid Battery industry and to assess the present level of absorption facilities and capabilities, both imported and indigenous technologies in this sector. An effort has been made to identify areas of reserves which could be pursued by Indian R&D units for upgrading the technology in the field of Lead Acid Batteries.

There are 6 leading battery manufacturers in the country, however 80% of the production is accounted by the four leading manufacturers viz. Chloride India, Standard Batteries, Amco Batteries, Willard India. During 1984-85, approximately 97.3 million batteries were exported.

Conclusion

All these strategies have only resulted in the consumer becoming educated enough to make intelligent comparisons among products to get a better bargain which in turn, has led to the erosion in the market share of the unorganized sector and cheaper

imports. This move towards branding a low interest product, will go a long way in setting some standards for the industry, increasing the entry barriers and making quality products available at affordable prices.

The results are there for all to see. Exide Industries has more or less doubled its dealer network and has also increased its share with the acquisition of Standard Batteries some time back and a slew of new products thus making it the number one in the replacement market. Amaron is the second largest selling brand in the country today with Prestolite of Tudor India following it really close. In the coming months, there is bound to be more action in the battery industry with an increase in the number of cars filling the Indian highways and with the upturn in the economy.

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