Maruti Suzuki India’s Kenichi Ayukawa is Autocar Professional's Man of the Year 2017

The mega issue the automotive industry waits for is out – 196 pages of high-quality content, in-depth stories, exclusive interviews, incisive analysis, top-class photo-features, columns from captains of industry and lots more.

Autocar Professional’s biggest edition of the year – the 13th Anniversary Special Issue and a true-blue collector’s edition – is out and packs wholesome content that makes for riveting reading right through the new year. This issue contains a truly comprehensive collection of industry news stories, thought-provoking features, plenty of analysis and exclusive guest columns from captains of industry. In other words, high-quality editorial content that stays true to the magazine's tagline – ‘Essential reading for the Automotive Industry' in other words.  

The cover story is on Autocar Professional’s ‘Man of the Year 2017’ – Kenichi Ayukawa, the managing director and CEO of Maruti Suzuki India. Achieving market leadership and staying there amidst rising competition and a disruptive market environment is a difficult task in any industry. For leading the company’s growth sustainably, even as he prepares to drive the company towards an era of electric mobility, 62-year-old Ayukawa wins top honours.

Ayukawa's growth mantra is the customer in India. As he tells Autocar Professional, “Our learnings come from our customers. Right from the first product we rolled out way back 35 years ago to entering the new territory of electric vehicles, we first like to hear from customers what they are expecting. We prefer to make extensive costumer research the basis of all discussions. Anyone who is serious about business and growth in India must listen to customers and plan.”

As regards future growth, Ayukawa is bullish: “We are making good progress to our goal of 2 million annual sales in 2020. We are committed to double-digit growth this fiscal. There are always challenges in business, but I am confident we are on course.”

We’d like to reveal more but the thrill is in reading the whole story.

SOME HIGHLIGHTS OF THE BUMPER ANNIVERSARY ISSUE

Greaves Cotton’s future growth game-plan revealed: We spill the beans on how the 158-year-old company plan to remain relevant as well as grow sustainably in a fast-changing world. Importantly, it has now got a new leadership team in place with capabilities to handle all types of growth – while it leads the diesel engine segment, it is now working on developing petrol-CNG, electric and hybrid solutions.

ARAI Pune has strengthened its passive safety lab and India’s first crash test facility under the NATRiP has gone on stream. We bring you the full details.

The passenger vehicle segment in India is driving towards 3.3m sales this fiscal but how does the future look for the luxury car market? Our detailed analysis reveals all. We follow it up with an interview with Roland Folger, MD and CEO, Mercedes-Benz India, and also the head of the latest luxury car entrant in the India market, Lexus India’s president Akitoshi Takemura.

How the automobile dealer fraternity in India needs to work smarter in a world that’s gone digital, turning electric and filled with vacillating customers. John K Paul, one of India’s largest automobile retailers, reveals what it will take to survive – and thrive – in an age of disruption.

Lots of features on the auto component sector. Find out why Chassis Brakes International is confidently targeting a Rs 1,000 crore turnover from India by 2020; learn how Adient and Autoliv are jointly developing automotive seats of the future; we shed new light on Varroc Lighting Systems’ pathbreaking surface LED technology; talk to Dharmesh Arora, CEO and MD of Schaeffler India, about the company’s strategic restructuring and new focus areas; and why Oetiker India is looking to reinforce its position in the world’s largest two-wheeler market.

For all OEMs in the car business, knowing who their buyer is, is an intrinsic part of staying ahead. Car buying today is no longer a man’s prerogative, as it used to be India of the past. Women today are a growing car buying segment and also car-buying influencers. We reveal the insights of a survey which details what women look for in a car.

Two-Wheeler Special: TVS Motor Co has raced into the premium motorcycle segment with its new Apache RR 310. Our detailed feature details all that went into developing the speed machine embellished by interviews with Arun Siddharth, VP – Marketing, Premium Vehicles, International Business, and Vinay Harne, president, New Product Introduction.

If you’re keen to know how the midsize bike market – the one that’s seeing boom times – is set to fare in the near future, all you have to do is get your eyes onto this four-page feature, which is equipped with the most detailed model-wise chart industry has seen.

The acceleration of electrification in the automobile world will see the first charge and acceptability in the two-wheeled world. Find out who are billed to be the movers and shakers in this segment.

Commercial Vehicle Special: Winning the Deming Prize – the Oscar for TQM – is a huge achievement. Winning is twice is another thing altogether. And that’s what Ashok Leyland has done. We visit the award-winning Hosur Plant II to learn the art of total quality management.

In the world of M&HCVs, buses compared to trucks get lesser mention. But that’s where things are about to change. To find out more, you will have to turn to page 148.

India’s new thrust on cleaner transportation solutions, enforcement of rated payload and upcoming stringent emission norms are making the CV market a dynamic place. And that’s why MAN Trucks India believes it has what it takes to become a key player in this part of the world.

In the CV interview of the issue, we speak to Vinod Sahay, the CEO of Mahindra Trucks & Buses, who reveals plans to address every CV segment from 3.5- to 4.9-tonne GVW with passenger and cargo application variants.

Exclusive guest columns: Visteon Corporation is driving a new global dynamic in the world of auto electronics. President and CEO Sachin Lawande writes lucidly on ‘Evolving the digital cockpit on the path to autonomous driving’.

In an opinion piece, Carlos Ghosn, chairman and CEO, Renault-Nissan Alliance, speaks about hitting the ‘refresh’ button and about transforming business through empathy.

Ravi Pandit, chairman and Group CEO, KPIT Technologies, details how the many challenges of ushering in a green automobile era can be overcome.

Erich Nesselhauf, MD and CEO, Daimler India Commercial Vehicles, writes on how the company is ready for introducing EVs when the Indian market is.

Vishnu Mathur, director general, SIAM, charts out Indian OEMs’ future roadmap to sustainable growth.

Vinnie Mehta, director general, ACMA, on making India e-mobility ready and why the government should consider gradual adoptions of EVs rather than an abrupt shift to only pure EVs.

All this plus a cracker of a News section, India vehicle sales analysis with full stats and facts, plenty of features.

Where to buy?
Autocar Professional  magazine is available through select newsagents and for digital download from Magzster. You can also buy one-off copies of Autocar Professional magazine – contact Ganesh at ganesh@haymarket.co.in or write to us at autocarpro@haymarketsac.com. Alternatively, never miss an issue –subscribe to Autocar Professional magazine today.