Tighter emission norms a big challenge for the auto industry

From April next year many Indian cities will move to tough new Euro 4 equivalent emission norms for private passenger vehicles and public commercial vehicles. Meeting these norms will require a huge step up in terms of the technology related to engine management systems, fuel injection and exhaust systems. However, the biggest challenge for automakers is to meet these norms, while keeping the development and production costs as low as possible in order to remain price-competitive in the market. This will call for some truly innovative thinking, not just from the automakers themselves but also from the entire supply chain. These requirements mean that the solutions used to achieve tighter norms in the developed automotive markets such as the US and Europe may not necessarily be suitable for India. Component manufacturers themselves will play a critical role in offerring their customers cost-effective solutions to meet this challenge. This would not only help them to upgrade their R&D skills but also make their operations more efficient and competitive in the long run. It's time for all of them to step up to the challenge.