ACMA takes young business leaders delegation to Mexico

With the objective of grooming auto component leaders of tomorrow, the Automotive Component Manufacturers Association of India (ACMA) recently organised a delegation for its Young Business Leaders Forum (YBLF) to Mexico.

The ACMA -YBLF is the youth wing of ACMA that comprises second- and third-generation scions of the auto component industry manufacturers. YBLF was instituted a decade ago to facilitate transition, succession planning and entrepreneurship development in the auto component sector in the country. At present, ACMA YBLF membership stands at 150.

Sanjay Labroo, past president, ACMA and mentor-YBLF led the 13-member delegation of young CEOs to Mexico from April 24-28 to get an insight into the policy framework and investment opportunities in the Mexican automotive industry as also exposure to the existing levels of technology, quality, productivity and R&D in the industry there. During the visit, the delegation met some of the leading vehicle manufacturers and component manufacturers including Chrysler, Ford, Volkswagen and Bosch.

Mexico’s GDP is expected to grow at 44 percent annually in the ensuing few years, making it a lucrative destination for investments and opening new opportunities for Indian players in South America. It is forecast that 3.7 million cars will be sold in Mexico by 2015. The Mexican component industry is valued at around US$ 75 billion (Rs 452,325 crore) and employs more than half-a-million people; it is the fifth largest exporter of auto parts worldwide.

During the visit, the delegation also attended two significant events for the component sector – CIIAM and ExpoINA – which saw attendance from over 7,000 regional and international participants from the industry and government agencies.

Photo: Honda Celaya plant in Mexico.