Autocar Professional’s November 15 issue – out now

If there is one automobile manufacturer in India which is showing a new and aggressive face, then it is Tata Motors. The company, which in August 2017, embarked on a mega reorganisation strategy, aimed at turning around its passenger vehicle business, re-energise its market-leader status in the commercial vehicle sector, and also realign its people strategy to be leaner and stronger, is seeing a smart uptick in its fortunes.

The cover story reveals how Tata Motors’ optimised component sourcing strategy is paying dividends. Importantly, with the company increasingly going in for modules and sub-assemblies and less of independent parts, it is reducing the complexity in the production process and also enabling suppliers to work on the engineering aspect at an early stage. “The whole objective is to engage with the suppliers at an early stage in the development process, which was not the case in the past,” Guenter Butschek, CEO and MD, Tata Motors, told Autocar Professional.

Another home-grown player driving in the same direction is Mahindra & Mahindra. The company, which aims to become a full range commercial vehicle player in India by the year 2020, recently launched the new Blazo X heavy-duty truck, whose USP is five percent enhanced fuel efficiency, among other product highlights. M&M is looking to be a serious “challenger” brand in the M&HCV industry and is now eyeing the No. 3 position and a 10 percent market share.

Speedy growth is also what Maxxis Tyres, the newest entrant in the Indian market, attempting. To fuel its ambition, the Taiwanese company, which has a state-of-the-art manufacturing plant in Sanand, has already set up a 1,000-plus dealer network across India even as it eyes gains in India’s two-wheeler market. Find out why Bing-Lin Wu, Marketing & Retail Sales Head, Maxxis India, is bullish on the India market.

He should be considering the rapid pace at which new two-wheelers are being launched in India. EICMA, the world’s most popular motorcycle show, saw Royal Enfield make a splash with the new V-twin, 834cc KX cruiser concept on November 6 – news of which Autocar Professional broke on November 2

Hero MotoCorp was also in Milan, taking the covers off its XPulse 200T and four design concepts.

The sight of rusting vehicles is commonplace in India. Government data has it that over 24 million vehicles need to be recycled in India, which means there is a dire need for a vehicle scrappage policy. Apex industry body SIAM, in partnership with the Japan Automotive Recyclers Alliance, recently hosted the 11^th Asian Automotive Environmental Forum (AAEF) in New Delhi. A first-hand report details just what global experts had to say about end-of-life vehicles, vehicle scrappage and how a scientific approach to keep old, unfit metal off the road will ensure both cleaner air and a happy industry.

Lightweighting is a global megatrend and Indian OEMs and suppliers are actively engaged in cutting the kilos and shaving the grams. But developing the next generation of lightweight vehicles will require OEMs to undergo a series of compromises. What’s the best way to substantially reduce vehicle weight while improving attributes such as car body stiffness, at a price the market is willing to pay? Steve Haywood, Tata Technologies' Executive Vice-President of Engineering, Research and Development, says the answer lies in 5R Rightweighting – Right Performance, Right Price, Right Material, Right Amount and Right Place.

Ensuring lightweighting is high up on the agenda of electric vehicle manufacturers, who are pushing their component supply chain to think light. The Mumbai-based Prabha Engineering, which makes wiper and washer motor systems, has taken the cue and is achieving success at making lighter components and also noiseless at that. Find out how.

If electric mobility is to pick up pace in India, an EV charging ecosystem has to necessarily be in place. Exicom Tele-Systems of Gurgaon is developing affordable charging solutions including AC and DC charging solutions that support all global standards.

Plenty of news too
The past fortnight was a very newsy one, what with Tata Motors rolling out the upcoming Harrier SUV, Visteon opening its fourth India Technical Centre in Panjim, Goa, Continental acquiring Cooper Standard's anti-vibration systems business, Valeo partnering top Indian institutes to tap, ZF's CV shock absorber assmebly line going on stream at the Chakan, Pune plant, and lots more. 

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.