THE 4TH REVOLUTION In the past 7 years, the world of manufacturing has entered the next phase of its own evolution with a new set of guiding principles known as ‘Industry 4.0’ or the fourth industrial revolution. Just as the transitions from the Stone Age to the Bronze Age and to the Iron Age marked periods of radical, sweeping advances[Read More…]
THE UPSWING Next Gen Publishing, the publishers of Auto Components India, set a new benchmark last year when it introduced the ACI Awards for outstanding industry performance. Within a year, it has set a new milestone for the aspiring auto component industry players. ACI Awards 2018 received overwhelming response from the industry. The upswing was visible. I was elated when[Read More…]
DISRUPTIVE TECHNOLOGY Over the past 2 decades, the automotive industry has been actively transforming and reinventing itself by establishing new alliances, outsourcing to tier-1 suppliers, expanding globally, developing new car platform strategies, embracing lean principles, adding diversity to its product line-ups, speeding up product development cycles, and reducing emissions. To its credit, the industry has succeeded to a great extend[Read More…]
CHALLENGES AHEAD The automotive industry is a sector of fast developments and changes. Last year was no exception, as in 2017 the industry pressed the pedal to accelerate the technological advancements on diverse fronts of safety, driver assistance, regulatory reforms, electrification, and shared mobility. As technology is not the only factor that is changing, a deep dive into the unfolding[Read More…]
TECHNICAL CHALLENGES The decision to advance the supply of BS-VI fuel in NCR from April 2018 to April 2020, shows the proactive approach of the Union government. But technically it is not going to help curb pollution as the vehicle manufacturers may not be able to develop BS-VI vehicles in 4 months for NCR alone. They may not roll out[Read More…]
CLEA(NE)R ROADMAP The Indian automotive industry has much to look forward in the both domestic and export markets for greener vehicles and alternative mobility. There are also challenges ahead of these opportunities, and to capitalise on them, the industry has to develop or acquire technologies and capabilities to produce vehicles that meet the future market needs. The government has much[Read More…]
MISSION SAFETY The production and sales of vehicles in India have grown steadily over the years. Along with that, road accidents have also been on the rise. India has the dubious distinction of having the highest road fatalities in the world. On an average 142,000 lives are lost on roads each year. In order to enhance safety and to reduce[Read More…]
SMOOTH RIDE In the world tyre industry there have been many technological changes from the bias or diagonal ply to the steel-belted radial tyres, tubeless tyres, tyres with low aspect ratios, puncture resistant tyres, etc. Testing standards also evolved accordingly to ensure high performance, mileage, safety, reliability and durability of the tyres. The tyre manufacturers are investing in ‘green tyres’.[Read More…]
GLOBAL HUB The Automotive Industry, due to its very nature, has grown in clusters. The clusters have OEMs as hubs or centres of growth surrounded by the suppliers. India’s first and the oldest cluster is South India, which has grown significantly due to the presence of a strong component industry in Chennai. It has attracted several vehicle manufacturers. The Southern[Read More…]
BRIGHTER PROSPECTS By the time you read this column, the Government of India would have rolled out the Goods and Service Tax (GST). GST is set to be rolled out on July 1, 2017. It is going to be a red letter day in the economic history of India. Automotive industry is among its major beneficiaries. From a combined VAT[Read More…]
