The automotive components industry is one of the big contributors to the Make In India story. Parts suppliers, Tier 1s particularly, are driving new dynamics with their innovations, technologies and also acquisitions.

The Gurgaon-based Minda Corporation, the flagship company of the Spark Minda, Ashok Minda Group, is one such player. We reveal how this well-diversified, multi-product supplier is gunning  for a Rs 8,300 crore turnover by FY2020 and the manner in which it aims to go about this aggressive target.

Another components major – the Aurangabad-based Varroc Group – is also aiming high. Its polymer business division is targeting speedy growth backed by new product and segment diversification strategies. A tech tie-up with Germany’s Mekra Lang and an upcoming plant in Chakan are some of the new growth initiatives.

With diesel fuel coming under a cloud since December 2016, there is a marked consumer shift towards petrol-engined passenger vehicles. A recent ICRA study of the turbocharger market reveals that the increasing share of turbocharged petrol engines as well as superior realisation to turbo manufacturers will drive the turbo market in India, estimated at 14 percent CAGR for the FY2016 to FY2020 period.

Car theft is fast becoming a menace for vehicle owners across the country. Trak N Tell, a Gurgaon-based IT services startup, aims to enhance vehicle safety with its customised vehicle telematics solutions in India. Find out how the system works to the benefit of the car owner.

Luxembourg-based International Automotive Components, the third largest auto interior components supplier in the world, is driving a new worker initiative at its Changshu plant in China. The move has been so successful, that the company now plans to export the upskilling programme to its other plants worldwide, including India.

As this issue went to press, Busworld 2016 had opened in Bangalore. The three-day CV expo saw Volvo Buses launch its new 9400 intercity coach range and the MG Group took the covers off its Columbus tarmac coach and also the premium Mammoth luxury coach.

The data-laden Sales Analysis pages reveal all the statistics, company-wise as well as vehicle sector-wise, as to the industry’s performance in October 2016.

All this, plus exciting industry news of the fortnight, and a lot more in the latest issue of Autocar Professional.

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