Punjab-based aftermarket automobile fastener manufacturer Auto Flow has a unique proposition to sell its products. The company claims its wheel nut 'AFLO' series comes with a Rs 6 crore product liability insurance, which is renewed every year, translating into a lifetime warranty. The company's product portfolio includes wheel bolts, calliper pins, wheel nuts, A/C pulley bolts, lower arm bolts, special nuts and bolts, plug adaptors, centre bolts, sheet metal items and sump nuts.
In an interaction with Autocar Professional at the recent ACMA Automechanika 2019 in New Delhi, Auto Flow's boss Girish Grover revealed that the company has invested a lot to come up with a product which is not only cheaper and lighter than the ones used by OEMs but also is stronger and comes with a unique lifetime guarantee — Rs 6 crore insurance — to live up to the same standard that it was originally made.
According to Grover, if a vehicle involved in an accident is found to be because of a fault in the AFLO wheel nut, the company will reimburse a value of up to Rs 6 crore to the customer. This, the company says, is backed on the confidence of not having a single claim till date by any of its customers.
Grover further says the company is able to offer lower prices compared to OEMs because the suppliers keep a bigger margin on the low-volume products, hence the cost is passed on to the end-customer. But in the case of AFLO, since the company directly sells to the aftermarket, it is able to offer a better price.
Talking about plans to work with OEMs, Grover says he "doesn't want to become a direct supplier to OEMs" because this partnership/association opens the door for the company's patented product to be "reverse engineered".