The southern states of India are collectively one of the leading and busiest automotive hubs in the country. Clearly defined industrial policies, talented workforce and a growing OEM and supplier  ecosystem, coupled with strategic geographical and infrastructure advantages like well-laid- out roads, railways and ports, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh are driving gains. And Karnataka is thriving as the EV hub of the country. Autocar Professional’s latest issue celebrates this strong bond in its annual ‘South India Industry Special’.

This 72-page issue is filled with views, news, insight and comprehensive analysis of the automotive action from southern India. Download your copy absolutely free today!

States battle to be the automotive best
Chennai may well be the Detroit of India but Tamil Nadu’s neighbour, Andhra Pradesh is fast transforming itself into a major ‘destination for automobile manufacturers. Popular and successful brands like Hero MotoCorp, Isuzu, Kia Motors, Apollo Tyres and Bharat Forge have set up manufacturing units in the state. What’s helping this transition?

- In an exclusive interview, Mekapati Goutham Reddy, Minister of Industries, Commerce, IT & Skill Development, Andhra Pradesh says the state is improving both the ease and the cost of doing business. An EV eco-system is also part of the plan of action.

- In another exclusive interview, Neeraj Kanwar, Vice-Chairman and MD, Apollo Tyres lauds the geographical and infrastructure advantage in Andhra Pradesh, stresses on increasing R&D investment.

Not to be left behind, Tamil Nadu too is looking to grab a good chunk of the investment pie.

- Dr Neeraj Mittal, MD and CEO, Guidance TN, the nodal agency for investment promotion and facilitation, says even in times of pandemic, 41 MoUs were signed with an investment potential of Rs 30,664 crore and employment opportunity for 67,212 people. He highlighted Tamil Nadu’s aspiration to be the manufacturing hub for EVs.

- Chennai based Durr India is partnering India Auto Inc’s sustainability mission through eco-friendly paint shops and final assembly lines. It has sold over 250 paint robots and 50 sealing robots in India since 2002.  Managing Director Michael Berger says the megatrends of electromobility and digitalisation are increasingly shaping the business.

- Ashok Leyland too is looking at the digital route to strengthen its future goals. The telematic solution is its new range of BS VI vehicles help capture over 120 parameters that go on to enhance the overall end-user experience and even help customer buying decisions.

Karnataka too is making waves in terms of automotive news

- Toyota Industries Engine India, a manufacturer of only diesel engines is seeing good business traction. Localisation coupled with development of in-house processes to tackle quality and cost competitiveness has helped maintain an edge.

- Toyota is however known for its investment in training too. The Toyota Technical Training Institute, which falls under the Japan India Manufacturing skill transfer promotion programme is honing the skills of students from rural Karnataka who belong to economically weaker sections. On their graduation day today, Autocar Professional wishes them the very best.

- Sun Mobility is betting big on a network of partnerships. In the wake of its latest alliance with Indian Oil Corporation, Co-founder Chetan Maini looks at as an integral part of the new industry dynamics and hints at ‘more of them.’

Component Corner
Not just the OEMs but the component manufacturers across southern India are making waves

- Valeo filed a record 1034 patents in 2019 and its India R&D centre contributed for 50 of those. We get you more details of the hectic engineering underway.

- Tier-2 supplier Best Cast could not take advantage of its EV expertise first time round but the company is looking forward to a second innings.

- Bangalore-based Bharat Fritz Werner, which designs and manufactures CNC precision machine tools bet big on localisation for accessing faster, effective, cheaper and technologically superior experience.

- Elgi Equipments of Coimbatore has signed an MoU with Tamil Nadu government to invest Rs 250 crore for future expansion and plans to roll out its smaller AB series range of air compressors, which starts as low as 5 kW.

- Continental Automotive is looking at localising its vaue chain in a bid to offer affordable safety features for two-wheelers in India.

- Vitesco Technologies, spun-off Continental Automotives is focussing on DHT cost-effective and compact hybrid transmission solution to get an edge.

South India turns into electric avenue
South India is evolving into a dedicated EV hub too-

- Bangalore based Mahindra Electric is in talks with many companies and open to local and global collaboration .

- Telangana-based E-Trio is developing a new electric three-wheeler and will target its existing B2B clients in the L5 cargo category

- Two-wheeler rental start-up from Bangalore, Vogo Automotives is looking at taking forward its shared mobility dynamic in a unique way in the current reality of social distancing.

But that is not all. This 72-page issue is packed with crisp automotive action and all the news over the past fortnight. Grab your copy or download it digitally absolutely free.

How you can read this issue – Click here to download
Once you’ve downloaded our South India Industry Special, use the Adobe Acrobat PDF viewer and switch to page-by-page view mode for the best reading experience!

Autocar Professional magazine is also available through all good newsagents and for download from Magzster. You can also buy one-off copies of Autocar Professional magazine – contact Ganesh at ganesh@haymarketsac.com. Alternatively, never miss an issue – subscribe to Autocar Professional magazine today.