Testing Times
After my recent visit to Europe and China I have realised that the global automotive OEMs and suppliers recognise India as a key market. The Indian automotive landscape is changing in line with the world industry. Fuel efficiency has always been a key factor for the Indian customers. However, of late, emissions and safety have also assumed significance along with the rest of the world. India has been in the radar of the multinational companies even earlier. Now the country has become their focal point since its decision to implement Euro 6/BS VI emission norms by 2020.
The next 4 years will be the most challenging time for the automotive industry in India and one of the toughest regulation phases experienced never before. India has to upgrade to Euro 4 norms by 2017. By 2020 it has to adopt Euro 6 norms for all the vehicles, including two-wheelers. This is an enormous challenge, which calls for a new level of co-operation between suppliers and OEMs to find solutions. It is going to be a real testing time for the industry, since implementation calls for more testing and validation of the vehicles.
Most of the component makers and OEMs I interacted in Europe said that bringing Euro 6 products to India would not be an issue but adapting to ‘the Indian condition is the challenge’. Now, to be competent in this new phase, many companies have started focusing more on engineering, the only viable alternative for them to meet the timeline and to be competitive.
Both the Indian and global players have started setting up engineering centres in India, which will really test their capabilities and will bring the best solutions for the Indian market. The recent inauguration of Henkel’s state-ofthe-art acoustics lab for vehicles and component testing in Pune has opened new avenues for the company. The lab will provide comprehensive testing of Henkel’s individual and combined parts and acoustic solutions along with detailed analytical results of their findings to offer optimum NVH solutions.
The Western region of the country is looking at The West and this clearly shows the region’s strength in engineering. The Cover Story of the current issue brings to light the best of the region and the players in the entire value chain of the automotive industry from raw material makers to machine builders.
Hope you will find this issue interesting.
Wishing you happy reading
Bhargav TS
Executive Editor
s.bhargav@nextgenpublishing.net
