Hella Automotive India (HAI), the Indian arm of German major Hella, having secured for itself a niche in the four-wheeler electronics segment manufacturing auto sensors, actuators and horns, is now planning to foray into the two-wheeler segment.
Naveen Gautam, managing director, HAI, said two-wheeler segment is a big market in India that cannot be ignored anymore. Moreover, bikes today are linked to lifestyle change and the users now aspire for car-like comforts. The company is planning to capitalise on the changing trend, he said.
Giving a little more clarity on what the features could be Gautam said, “Electronic throttle is one thing we could see employed in motorcycles. Even keys, which at present are a bit mechanical, will see remote start coming up in them.” Despite potential in the aftermarket the company will focus more towards OEM based solutions.
Naveen Gautam, managing director, Hella Automotive India
Hella’s portfolio at present includes accelerator pedal sensor, climate sensor, rain and light sensors, head lamp levelling actuator, body actuator, switches and horns. HAI counts on companies like Tata Motors, Maruti Suzuki, Mahindra Reva, Ashok Leyland, Hyundai, Honda and many more as clients. Soon it will make Body Control Modules (BCM) and remote control keys, which are likely to be launched in a couple of months for an Indian OEM. BCM is not to reduce manufacturing cost but to improve energy management and make the car more efficient. The intelligence of the system will help reduce the complexity of wiring, thus reducing weight of the car and improving heat dissipation. Manufacturing BCM may not be the biggest project in India but surely is the most complex one, defining a new era for Hella and its India plant.
As far as exports are concerned, HAI will firmly keep its focus on horns. “India is the only place where Hella Automotive eyes two-wheeler segment horns are manufactured for Hella and so they are the most exported products from the country and will continue to be so,” Gautam said. The company is planning to introduce electronic horns and multi-tone horns. At present, over 30 percent of HAI’s revenue comes from exports. Overall, HAI constitutes less than five percent of Hella’s global revenue with plans to reach 10 percent by 2020.
Hella spends about 12 percent of global sales, roughly Euro 5 billion, on R & D. “In India, we spend little more than 12 percent because we are in the development phase; we lead the responsibility for some products while offering support for others,” said Gautam. Apart from a manufacturing plant in Dhankot and corporate office in Gurgaon, Hella has an R&D centre in Pune for electronics and one in Chennai for lighting. ACI
Story : J Srikant
