Autocar Professional – July 15 magazine edition

Just In Time and its connect with the automotive industry is all too well known. The manufacturing mantra is about targeting total elimination of all waste across all aspects of production in pursuit of the most efficient methods, optimising processes and procedures in line with the overall goal of continuous improvement of productivity.

This is turn leads to quality and cost gains, both to the manufacturer and the end consumer – and in turn to the industry at large. That’s just what the Goods & Services Tax (GST) – the biggest-ever tax reform India has introduced – is attempting. Our cover story reveals how a GST-enabled industry has the potential to notch higher and speedier growth.

Growth is also a process of vehicle sales, which is not the easiest task in the world, particularly in a diverse market like India. We interview two marketing heads – representing four and two wheels only – to find out what clicks with the Indian buyer. Tata Motors’ Vivek Srivatsa reveals how new-age marketing and digital media strategies are giving new sales momentum to new models like the Tiago, Tigor and the Hexa. And, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India’s YS Guleria shows how to win over buyers and influence purchase decisions, particularly in rural India.

 
There’s a fair bit on the two-wheeler industry in this mid-month issue: we spill the beans on the growth plans underway at India Kawasaki Motors as well as Triumph Motorcycles India. 

Other highlights of the issue include a first-hand report on Bosch Mobility Experience 2017 held in Boxberg, Germany where Dr Rolf Bulander, chairman – Mobility Solutions Business, Robert Bosch GmbH, tells Autocar Professional that “all the CO2 requirements in the world cannot only be reached by electric mobility.” The four-page report also details the company’s latest advances in green mobility, battery research, automated driving and connected cars.

While Bosch may have its own point of view, premium carmaker Volvo has shocked the global auto industry with its plan to electrify every new model it launches from the year 2019.

A new model is what Fiat Chrysler Automobiles India is banking on for its future growth in India: the Jeep Compass. Read our first drive impression of the capable SUV as well as a Q&A with Kevin Flynn, president and managing director of FCA India.  

In the Sales Analysis pages, we dissect the numbers across the passenger vehicle, two-wheeler and commercial vehicle segments for June 2017. Find out who managed to ride the pre-GST jitters best.

That’s not all. The news pages are packed with the latest industry updates, both from India and abroad.

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