Upload
infomedia18
View
234
Download
8
Tags:
Embed Size (px)
DESCRIPTION
Aftermarket is India's first business magazine for the automotive aftermarket . Brought to you by Auto Monitor, it acts as a vital link between manufacturers and dealers and fulfills the communication needs of significant section of automotive professionals and entrepreneurs.
Citation preview
I N D I A ’ S F I R S T M A G A Z I N E F O R T H E A U T O M O T I V E A F T E R M A R K E T
Vol. 1 No. 10 April 2012 68 Pages `50
Brought to you by
FACILITY VISITTVS & Sons
INTERVIEWSumit Sawhney, GM India
Auto MonitorBrought to you by
NEWSCarZ plans 300 by 2017
From boats to planes to passenger
cars, Estane TPUs will offer you
solutions to keep your business moving.
In the transportation industry, Estane®
Thermoplastic Polyurethanes are widely used
for their excellent properties such as flexibility
over a wide temperature range, optical clarity,
flame retardancy, adhesion to various substrates,
superior abrasion resistance and extreme durability.
Applications
ABS Sensor Cable/Grommet
Shift Lever Skin
Fuel Bowl
Paint Protection Film
Dust Cover/Driveshaft Boot
Co-extruded Interior Parts
Sealing Material
Rail Pad
Estane® TPUs provide:
Abrasion Resistance
Elongation
Superior Tear Strength
Excellent Tensile Strength
Ease of Processing
© The Lubrizol Corporation 2011, all rights reserved.® Estane is a registered trademark of The Lubrizol Corporation.
Purchase it locally from our newly opened warehouse in
Mumbai!
Dust C
Co-e
Estan
For more information email us at
[email protected] or visit our web site.
www.lubrizol.com/engineeredpolymers
APRIL 2012 AFTERMARKET 5
WHENEVER the market winds affect the sales of new vehicles, it is the aftermarket seg-
ment that shows positive signs—be it better sales of used cars or increased footfalls at the
organised aftersales service network. It can be a recession or a slowdown or even on account
of the impact on some announcements, the aftermarket always responds positively. And now,
this segment is going to witness a little more cheer than usual, especially since the Union
Budget presented by the Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee has nothing significant to directly
encourage the auto industry. Every statement pertaining to the industry was discouraging,
except that the diesel car was left untaxed. The silver lining on the cloud is the weighted
deduction of expenditure on R&D and skilling—a positive thrust given to the manufacturing
sector—especially the MSMEs, infrastructure and skill development.
Shortage of skilled manpower has been an issue of significant concern to the auto industry,
especially in the aftermarket. It is far easier for the OEMs and the component manufac-
turers to attract talent than the dealerships and the service centres—perhaps due to the
image differentiation.
The passenger car industry that is slumping received another blow as the overall excise
duty for cars has been increased to 12 percent from the existing 10 percent. This has com-
pelled most of the OEMs to increase the prices of their products. In addition, the FM has
increased the excise duty for large cars—both petrol and diesel—to 24 percent from the cur-
rent 22 percent. The large cars with engine capacity above 1.5 litre will attract an additional
three percent ad valorem rate, which is significantly higher than the previously fixed `15,000
additional excise duty on such vehicles.
Altogether, the aftermath of Budget will trigger the inflation rate to soar further, which
had otherwise shown moderation in the last two months. And it will certainly impact the
sales of new vehicles. However, there will always be growth in the aftermarket due to its
unique characteristics. Those who postpone their new vehicle purchase will try to maintain
better by approaching organised service centers and using genuine spare parts. The success in
the aftermarket, however, depends on the individual attention paid to the customers at the
service points. Stay focused on customer service and the customers will stay with you during
the life cycle of the vehicle.
Wishing you much pleasure reading. Do send us your feedback.
Aftermarket Always Wins
T. Murrali [email protected]
EDITORIAL
APRIL 2012 AFTERMARKET 7
NEWS
Service Channel Preference – By type of Service
NEWS
IN CONVERSATION
FOCUS SPECIAL REPORT
COVER STORY
CONTENTS
10 CarZ plans 300 by 2017
13 Liqui Moly propels towards industrial pool
14 Valeo joins Anand Group to enter aftermarket
17 Mobis to diversify exports 18 Dutch navigation service provider to show way
34 Aftermarket speaks to VP, Sales, Marketing and Aftersales, General Motors India, Sumit Sawhney about the company’s attitude towards servicing
20 Why did TVS Group acquire Universal Components UK?
41 Aftersales service top priority for car buyers: Frost & Sullivan
10
14 18
24
34
20
41
24 The Great Indian Used Car Race Aftermarket turns the lens on the burgeoning demand for diesel cars and makes sense of the factors that spark the demand for used cars
I N D I A ’ S F I R S T M A G A Z I N E F O R T H E A U T O M O T I V E A F T E R M A R K E T
Vol. 1 No. 10 April 2012 68 Pages `50
Brought to you by
FACILITY VISITTVS & Sons
INTERVIEWSumit Sawhney, GM India
Auto MonitorBrought to you by
NEWSCarZ plans 300 by 2017
Cover DesignMahesh Talkar
13
APRIL 2012 AFTERMARKET 9
Infomedia 18 Ltd is the publishing arm of Network 18.
Printed by Mohan Gajria and published & edited by Lakshmi Narasimhan on behalf of Infomedia 18 LimitedEditor: T. MurraliPrinted at Infomedia 18 Ltd, Plot no.3, Sector 7, off Sion-Panvel Road, Nerul, Navi Mumbai 400 706, and published at Infomedia 18 Ltd, ‘A’ Wing, Ruby House, J. K. Sawant Marg, Dadar (W), Mumbai - 400 028. AUTO MONITOR is registered with the Registrar of Newspapers of India under No. 67827/98. Views and opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of Infomedia 18 Limited. Infomedia 18 Limited reserves the right to use the information published herein in any manner whatsoever. While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy of the information published in this edition, neither Infomedia 18 Ltd nor any of its employees accept any responsibility for any errors or omission. Further, Infomedia 18 Ltd does not take any responsibility for loss or damage incurred or suffered by any subscriber of this magazine as a result of his/her accepting any invitation/offer published in this edition. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the written permission of the publisher. All rights reserved.
Views and opinions expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of Infomedia18 Ltd., its publisher and/or editors. We at Infomedia18 do our best to verify the information published but do not take any responsibility for the absolute accuracy of the information. Infomedia18 does not accept the responsibility for any investment or other decision taken by readers on the basis of information provided herein. Infomedia18 Ltd. does not take responsibility for returning unsolicited material sent without due postal stamps for return postage. No part of this magazine can be reproduced without the prior written permission of the publisher. Infomedia18 Ltd. reserves the right to use the information published herein in any manner whatsoever.
FOUNDER & EDITOR, NETWORK 18Raghav Bahl
PRESIDENT & EDITORIAL DIRECTOR, TV 18Senthil Chengalvarayan
EDITORT. Murrali
EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARDVishnu Mathur, Director General, SIAMVinnie Mehta, Executive Director, ACMA
SP Shah, Director General, FADAEDITORIAL TEAM
Abhishek Parekh, Features EditorNandita Rohit Kapadia, Senior Copy Editor
SENIOR CORRESPONDENTNabeel A Khan
CORRESPONDENTS Shambhavi Anand, Bhargav TS
ASSISTANT ART DIRECTORVaruna Naik
SENIOR DESIGNERMahesh Talkar
SENIOR EDIT ASSOCIATE - PRODUCTSMichael Anthony
CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHERMexy Xavier
PHOTOGRAPHERSNeha Mithbawkar, Senior Photographer
Joshua NavalkarBUSINESS CONTROLLERS
Akshata Rane, Pukha Dhawan, Lovey Fernandes
PRINTINGEXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT
Ananth R. IyerASSISTANT GEN MANAGER-PPC
Shekhar Khot
PRODUCTION TEAMDnyaneshwar Goythale, Surekha karmarkar
Ravikumar Potdar, Ravi Salian, Sanjay Shelar
GROUP CEO, NETWORK 18B. Sai Kumar
CEO-PUBLISHING, INFOMEDIA 18Sandeep Khosla
EVP-HUMAN RESOURCESSanjeev Kumar Singh
ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENTSudhanva Jategaonkar
ADVERTISING SALESShashin Bhagat (Ahmedabad)[email protected] B (Bengaluru)[email protected] Hara Subramaniam (Chennai)[email protected] N (Coimbatore)[email protected] Kalyan Chakravarthy (Hyderabad)[email protected] Gokhale (Indore)[email protected] Bidawat (Jaipur)[email protected] Abhik Ghosal(Kolkata)[email protected] Dhingra (Ludhiana)[email protected]@infomedia18.inMukesh Yadav (New Delhi)[email protected] Dass (Pune)[email protected] Pathak (Vadodara)[email protected]
MARKETING TEAMGanesh Mahale, Prachi Mutha, Varsha Nawathe, Abhay Borkar
OVERSEAS CONTACTRingier Trade Media Ltd CHINA
1001 Tower 3, Donghai Plaza, 1486 Nanjing Road, West, Shanghai 200040, China Tel: +86-21 6289 – 5533 Ext. 368, Fax: +86-21 6247 – 4855
(Craig Shibinsky) Email: [email protected] Trade Media Ltd HONG KONG
9/F, Cheong Sun Tower, 118 Wing Lok Street, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong Tel: +852 2369 – 8788 Ext. 21, Fax: +852 2869 – 5919
(Octavia Au-Yeung) Email: [email protected] Trade Media Ltd TAIWAN
Room 3, Fl. 12, No. 303, Chung Ming S. Rd., Taichung, TaiwanTel: +886-4 2329 – 7318 Ext. 16, Fax: +886-4 2310 – 7167
(Sydney La) Email: [email protected]
USA Tel: (513) 527-8800 Fax: (513) 527-8801
Email: [email protected]
USA Alfredo Domador, 6505 Blue Lagoon Drive, Suite 430 Miami, FL. 33126, USA
Tel: (305)448-6875 Fax: (305)448-9942
NEWS STAND AND SUBSCRIPTIONSDISTRIBUTION HEADSunil Nair
SR. MANAGER-SUBSCRIPTIONSSheetal Kotawdekar
CO-ORDINATORSRahul Mankar, Anant Shirke, Sarita Quartos’, Chaitali Parker, Kamlesh Madkar, Vaibhav Ghavwale
SERVICESCIRCULATION SERVICES Write to [email protected] SERVICES For subscription queries, write [email protected] or call +91 22 30034631-34 ortoll free 1800 200 1021PERMISSIONS For subscription to copy or reuse material from AUTO MONITOR, Write to [email protected]
• Monthly Issue Price: `50
10 AFTERMARKET APRIL 2012
NEWS
CarZ plans 300 by 2017
MULTI-BRAND car servicing st ations
seem to be growing, slowly but st ead-
ily. Today, only one-third of the cars that
are sold by the dealerships go back to the
dealerships, post -warranty. Th e rest is
an opportunity for the aftermarket serv-
ices networks, which the multi-brand
car servicing st ation chains are trying to
tap and these companies are successful,
based on their penetration levels.
As part of its expansion programme
the Hyderabad-based multi-brand car
service st ation CarZ is planning to
increase the number of outlets to 300
by the end of 2017. Th e company’s
immediate plan is to open 26 new serv-
ice outlets in South India in addition
to few st ates including Maharashtra,
Goa and Odisha by 2012-2013.
Recently, the company also forayed
into Bangalore by opening two st ate-
of-the art service outlets in Rajajinagar
and Sarjapur road. Th e expansion into
Karnataka is part of the company’s
aggressive plans of st rengthen its foot-
prints across the country and bring its
unique value proposition to car owners
through its service and
solution off erings.
Commenting on their expan-
sion plans, the Founder & Managing
Direct or of CarZ, Venu Donepudi
said, “We also have plans to spread
across India by increasing the number
of outlets to 300 by the end of 2017.
Bangalore, for inst ance, is an important
growth market for us, with its huge IT
population and high disposable income.
At CarZ, our const ant endeavor is to
provide end-to-end solutions to the dis-
Bhargav TS
The company has
partnered with a European
company called Akzono-
bel, to outsource full body
painting requirements for
their cars. It has also tied
up with a Germany-based
chemical company BASF to
outsource paint for
full-body painting
of branded cars
CarZ Bangalore Outlet
12 AFTERMARKET APRIL 2012
NEWS
cerning Indian car owner through our
st ate-of-the-art workshops located across
the country and our unique business
verticals. Cust omer centricity has always
been the key to our delivery model and
we promise the same unique experience
to our cust omers in Karnataka.”
According to company sources, the
service centre off ers express and mobile
service to its cust omers. It is equipped
with the latest diagnost ic scanner, elec-
trical and mechanical syst em, lifts, body
and paint shops among other equip-
ments. It provides numerous services
ranging from maintenance to collision
repair to car wash. Th e modern garage
equipment used by CarZ has been
imported from Japan, Korea
and Germany.
Th e Founder & CEO of CarZ, Vijay
Gummadi, said, “We plan to create
new benchmarks in cust omer service
and product off erings in the automo-
bile indust ry. It’s our endeavour to
provide complete auto care solutions to
our cust omers which include preventive
maintenance, elect rical and mechani-
cal repair, accident repair—denting and
painting, tyres and services, battery,
variety of st yling and performance acces-
sories, interior and exterior detailing.“
To ensure satisfact ion and prompt
delivery of the vehicle to cust omers,
CarZ has tied-up with several public and
private insurance companies for process-
ing cashless insurance claims as well as
insurance renewals. CarZ also off ers
express and mobile service to cust omers
for their convenience, where one can get
their car picked up from their doorst eps
at night and get it back (in case of minor
maintenance repair) the next day before
leaving home, at no extra cost .
Painting PartnerTh e company has partnered with a
European company called Akzonobel, to
outsource all full body painting require-
ments for their cars. It has also tied up
with a Germany-based chemical compa-
ny BASF to outsource paint for full-body
painting of branded cars. Besides, it has
associated with HPCL for supply of
lubes and oils. CarZ also uses advanced
software StockTrack for managing an
inventory for 340 models of cars of diff er-
ent brands and multiple variants.
Th ough, there are hundreds of unor-
ganised car care centres mushrooming
across the country they lack the where-
withal to handle the technologically
rich modern cars. Adequate training
of the personnel, along with st ock-
ing of genuine auto parts and garage
equipment are tad bit expensive and
cumbersome process, which these
small players can't aff ord. Th erefore,
companies such as CarZ, Carnation,
Mahindra First Choice and other play-
ers have a win-win situation, as these
companies are armed with a range of
equipment and machines to cater to the
service requirements of vehicles of dif-
ferent brands under one roof.
As of December 2011, CarZ had
eleven own outlets and one franchise in
Nizamabad dist rict of Andhra Pradesh.
Currently, the company operates in four
locations in Hyderabad. In the sec-
ond phase, CarZ had launched these
two outlets in Bangalore, thus entering
the Karnataka market. Eventually, the
company is planning a nationwide roll-
out of its outlets soon, sources said.
To become a franchisee of CarZ,
the company looks forward to having
st rong ethics, appreciation for cus-
tomer service values, the prowess to
leading the team by const antly moti-
vating them, a hunger for humungous
growth. Besides, they should have
adequate experience in retailing busi-
ness and a proven management skill
with sound fi nancial credentials, the
sources added. �
As part of its expansion
programme, Carz has
added another outlet to its
network by foraying into
Bangalore. The company
recently opened two tech-
equipped service outlets in
Rajajinagar and Sarjapur
road. Its expansion into
Karnataka is part of the
company’s aggressive plans
to strengthen its footprints
across the country CarZ Service station
APRIL 2012 AFTERMARKET 13
NEWS
Our Bureau
THE motor oil and additive
manufacturing company Liqui Moly
(LM), together with its subsidiary
company Meguin, is set to expand its
industrial business. With this in mind,
the two brands will be represented for
the fi rst time at the Hannover trade fair
at the end of April.
“Th is is the curse of success. In the
automotive sector in Germany, we have
acquired such a large market share that
we can hardly grow any further there. So
we are moving on to new pastures and
will increasingly focus our attention on
industrial customers. We want to allow
our industrial customers to profi t from
our experience in the automotive sector”,
says CEO, Liqui Moly, Ernst Prost.
Th e industrial business is no new
ground for Liqui Moly as the company
along with its subsidiary provides
lubricants, greases and special products
to a host of industrial customers.
Despite being one of Europe’s leading
manufacturers of contact lubricants,
the company is planning to expand its
industrial business.
Th e company group is presenting the
form oil WT01 for the asphalt industry
as a trade fair innovation. It ensures that
the material doesn’t adhere to loading
areas and asphalt chutes. Th e form oil is
obtained from renewable raw materials
and is biologically degradable. Its usage is
not only economical; it is also especially
environmentally-friendly. According to
the company release, Liqui Moly and
its subsidiary are the fi rst providers of a
product on this basis. Several innovations
from the areas of lubricant greases,
corrosion protection oils and coolant
lubricants will also be presented. Th e
company will also present its ideas for the
lube shuttle concept.
Th e formulae for success are the same
as those for the core business such
as quality, extensive aftersales service
and the fl exibility of a medium-sized
company that can implement customer
wishes in an uncomplicated fashion.
Th e Liquily and Meguin group, which
composed of the two companies based in
Ulm and Saarlouis, off ers an assortment
of about 4,000 products encompassing
motor oils, additives, care products and
chemical technology problem solvers
for the automotive sector. Th e group
develops and tests the products at its
own laboratories and manufactures in
Germany. In addition to the German
market, the products are already sold
in more than 100 countries across
the world. Th e customers of the high-
tech assortment include wholesale and
specialty traders, consumer markets,
home-improvement markets, industry,
automotive businesses and single brand
automotive dealerships, as well as
independent gas stations. �
We are moving to
new pastures and will
increasingly focus our
attention on industrial
customers. We want to
allow them to profi t from
our experience in the
automotive sector— Ernst
Prost, CEO, LM
Liqui Moly propels towards industrial pool
LM Meguin Trennoel
14 AFTERMARKET APRIL 2012
NEWS
IN a bid to target the fast-growing
automotive independent aftermarket
business in India, auto component
manufacturer, Valeo has forged an
alliance with Anand Group. Th e newly
formed company—Valeo Service India
Auto Parts Private Limited will be based
out of Chennai and distribute automotive
products manufactured by the two groups
under Valeo.
Th e JV agreement will enable both
the companies to leverage the existing
opportunities and to work closely in a
complementary manner. Valeo started
its Indian innings in the year 1997 and
currently employees 2,000 members
working out of fi ve production sites in
Chennai and Pune and a Research and
Development Centre in Chennai.
Th e Anand Group, India is among
India’s leading manufacturers of
automotive systems and components
supplying a range of parts across vehicle
categories. Speaking to Aftermarket, the
Managing Director of Valeo Service India
Auto Parts, S Balasubramanian said that
the aftermarket division of Valeo already
exists in many countries in Europe, the US,
Japan and China. In India, the company
has been present since 1997. In order
to target the fast-growing automotive
independent aftermarket business in India,
Valeo Service has been launched.
Valeo Service sees a huge aftermarket
potential in India, which is growing at a
rapid pace of 12 to 15 percent every year.
“Th ere is opportunity in maintenance,
crash repair and heavy-duty servicing
business. Valeo also recognises that
India is a large market In order to
provide effi cient logistics service, Valeo
Service will supply
material through
12 warehouses
across the country
which could be
further increased
in future,” he said.
Th e aftermarket
company plans to
sell its in-house
m a n u f a c t u r e d
products like cutch
assemblies, starter
and alternators, wiper blades, lighting and
climate control products. “In addition,
Valeo Service plans to outsource and
sell certain maintenance products, ride
control products and engine components
to off er a bigger basket of products to its
customers,” he said.
To a question whether the company
will look at importing products to cater to
aftermarket, Balasubramanian said, “Yes,
Valeo Service plans to import products
from its plants in Asia. Also we plan to
import parts for the premium segment
cars from its most modern factories
in Europe.”
Globally, Valeo Service supplies
original equipment spares to automakers
and replacement parts to the independent
aftermarket in cooperation with the
business groups/product families. Its role
is to off er to all aftermarket channels
worldwide a wide range of products
and services to help make repairs easier
and to provide greater safety, comfort
and pleasure to drivers and passengers.
Besides, it also off ers support and services
that are constantly being enhanced and
developed, in areas such as diagnostics,
training, sales & marketing and technical
support.
Valeo Service off ers 176 product
ranges covering 12 product functions
for light, commercial and industrial
vehicles and trucks such as wiper systems
(under the brand names Valeo, Marchal,
PJ, and SWF), transmissions, lighting
systems, climate control, engine cooling,
electrical systems, electrical accessories,
security systems, switches, braking and
engine management. �
Valeo recognises that
India is a large country
and to provide effi cient
logistics service, Valeo
Service will supply materi-
al through 12 warehouses
across the country, which
could be increased in the
future—S Balasubrama-
nian, MD, Valeo Service
India Auto Parts
Valeo joins Anand Group to enter aftermarket
Bhargav TS
A range of Valeo components
16 AFTERMARKET APRIL 2012
NEWS
DR VOLKMAR DENNER, has been
appointed the new chairman of the Bosch
board of management. He joined Robert
Bosch GmbH in 1986, and has been a
member of the board of management
since 2006. Before he joined the board
of management, Denner, who has a
doctorate in physics, was president of
the Automotive Electronics division
from 2003.
He was initially responsible for the
automotive electronics, car multimedia,
starter motors and generators, and
electrical drives divisions.
Since July, 2010, he has been responsible
for the corporate sector research and
advance engineering, for product
planning and technology coordination,
and for the “user experience” issue across
all three business sectors. In addition,
he is responsible for the automotive
electronics and car multimedia divisions.
Eff ective July, 2012, Denner will also join
Robert Bosch Industrietreuhand KG as a
shareholder.
For a number of years, Denner
has focused on the issue of dynamic
technological change and the
opportunities arising for Bosch from
services and solutions that are increasingly
web-enabled. One example of this is
vehicle interconnectivity.
Professor Dr Ing Hermann Scholl is
to resign from offi ce eff ective 30 June,
2012. At the same time, he will retire
from Robert Bosch Industrietreuhand
KG. Franz Fehrenbach, who has been
a member of the board of management
since 1999 and its chairman since
2003, will step down from the board of
management. Following a resolution
of the shareholders of Robert Bosch
GmbH, he will join the supervisory
council of Robert Bosch GmbH eff ective
July, 2012. Th e supervisory council has
elected him its chairman as of July, 2012.
At Robert Bosch Industrietreuhand KG,
of which he has been a shareholder since
2003, Fehrenbach will in future be a
general partner and take over the chair of
the shareholders’ meeting.
Dr Ing Dirk Hoheisel will join the
Bosch board of management from July
this year. A qualifi ed electrical engineer,
Hoheisel has been with Bosch since
1990, and has held various engineering
positions. Hoheisel is currently Executive
Vice President Engineering at chassis
systems control in Abstatt, near Stuttgart.
From 1 July, 2012, Hoheisel will be
the board of management member
responsible for automotive electronics
and car multimedia. �
ASIA MOTORWORKS (AMW) has
entered into an agreement with MyTVS
to allow AMW customers to obtain
service at MyTVS outlets across the
country. Th e agreement covers all AMW
haulage and tractor models operating on
Indian roads.
With this agreement, AMW gains
access to MyTVS’ service network
which includes 1,157 outlets across 763
locations. Th e types of services to be
provided include minor repair jobs that
would allow the vehicle to continue on
its journey until it reaches an AMW
authorised service outlet.
MyTVS is part of the TVS Group
and off ers multi-brand car services and
emergency breakdown assistance for
mechanical and electrical faults. It also
off ers ambulances, cabs, winch and towing
services as well as and legal coordination
assistance. AMW would also be using
these MyTVS outlets to sell spare parts,
which would add to customer convenience
and enhance vehicle uptime.
AMW has a network of around 113
dealerships and over 1,500 touch points
across India. Th is network includes sales
and service centres, authorised service
outlets, mobile vans, workshops and a
24X7 helpline. Th e company off ers trucks
ranging from 16 to 49 tonne. �
Volkmar Denner to take over as Bosch chairman
AMW, MyTVS join forces Skoda conducts summer check-up SKODA AUTO INDIA has organised
a month long comprehensive car check-
up camp, starting April, 2012. As part of
the camp, areas like the air-conditioner,
engine, electrical systems, tyres, wheel
rims and other such essential areas of
the vehicle will be thoroughly examined.
Th e company is aiming to cater to around
28,000 cars during this month long check-
up camp. It had previously organised
monsoon car care camps, pollution check-
up camps and festival camps. Skoda Auto
India has a network of around 100 outlets
across the country and has sold over
138,341 units since December 2001. �
APRIL 2012 AFTERMARKET 17
NEWS
Mobis to diversify exports
SOUTH KOREAN auto parts major,
Mobis is looking to diversify exports
by st rengthening its presence in the
emerging markets of China and India
through a ‘Two-Track’ export st rategy,
according to a company release.
Th e company opened a local branch
in India, which would be responsi-
ble for auto-part orders from local car
manufact urers in and around New
Delhi, India. Th e company, which
has local branches in North America
(Detroit), Europe (Germany), Japan
(Tokyo) and China (Shanghai), has
est ablished an exclusive global sales
network in leading and emerging mar-
kets following the opening of a local
branch in India.
Th e local branch in India is a part
of the company’s st rategy to increase
the company’s presence in emerging
markets. Th e company plans to lever-
age this competitiveness to become
the leading international fi rm through
diversifi cation, securing cust omers in
emerging markets including China
and India and accelerating auto-part
exports in leading markets. Th e com-
pany is a major supplier to international
automakers including GM, Chrysler
in North America, and BMW,
Volkswagen, and Mercedes in Europe.
Th e company plans to reinforce busi-
ness act ivity in China and India to
secure cust omers in these emerging
markets. It plans to gradually expand
sales offi ces in China to other regions by
next year while carrying out business to
obtain component orders primarily with
the local Indian branch.
It has completed a detailed analysis
of the Indian market and its competi-
tors and est ablished a business st rategy
targeting the Indian market with safety
syst ems, including airbags, automotive
syst ems and audio as st rategic
company product s.
Th e airbag market is expect ed to
grow 37 percent annually in India, as
the Indian government enforces tougher
measures to inst all airbags in India’s ten
major cities commencing this year. As
local auto manufact urers demand high
quality audio syst ems, the market is
expect ed to grow 19 percent annually.
Vice President, Mobis International
Business Department, Lee Jun Hyung
said “Th e company will develop these
st rategic product s tailored to the Indian
market in cooperation with a research
inst itute in Hyderabad, India, while
reinforcing price competitiveness
through design improvement and
on-site development of major com-
ponents, and promoting aggressive
business act ivities”.
In addition to Hyundai Motors,
Mobis is targeting Maruti Suzuki, Tata
Motors and M&M, India’s three major
companies accounting for more than 60
percent of the Indian market. Th e com-
pany has est ablished a branch offi ce in
Delhi for best access to these companies
and best use of exist ing R&D personnel.
Mobis has expanded exports to over-
seas car manufact urers to 10 percent of
overall sales by increasing major auto-
part exports to leading car manufact urers
in North America and Europe. Th e
company now aspires to be one of the
global top fi ve leading companies in the
car component indust ry by expanding
its share to 20 percent of the market by
2020 through a st rategy of diversifi cation
across leading and emerging markets. �
Our Bureau
Mobis has completed a
detailed analysis of the
Indian market and
established a business
plan targeting the Indian
market with safety
systems, including
airbags, automotive
systems and
audio, as strategic
company products
18 AFTERMARKET APRIL 2012
NEWS
18
Shambhavi Anand
WITH a strong belief in the growth
potential of the Indian market, TomTom,
a Netherlands-based in-car navigation
solutions provider, is building a team of
400 employees in the country to localise
its services and solutions in the region.
Th e company is also planning to invest
substantially in the country in order to
have a grip on the market. Th e company,
which is already a partner with major car
companies such as BMW, Renault and
GM is talking to other global companies
about forming alliances in India. Founded
in the early nineties, the company is listed
on the Amsterdam Stock Exchange and
earned total revenue of €1.27 billion in
2011. It has a presence in more than
100 countries.
“Our goal for India is very clear. We, as
a consumer product company and digital
map maker, believe that the market has
tremendous growth potential, and plan to
invest to serve our customers better,” said
General Manager and SrVP, India, Tom
Tom, Jocelyn Vigreux to Aftermarket.
Th e company entered the Indian
market in September 2011 when
it unveiled the Via Series of PND
devices, catering specifi cally to Indian
requirements. “Th e market is still very
nascent but developing rather rapidly,
going by the data we obtained for 2011.
Th e PND market here last year was
valued at approximately $80,000. We
also detect that the awareness about
such products is increasing amongst
consumers,” Vigreux added.
StrategyTh e investments that the company
is envisaging are to primarily increase
awareness and availability of its
products in the local market. “First, it
is important to build a robust channel
to introduce our products and brand to
the market. Second, we have to educate
the market on the benefi ts it off ers to
the consumers. We believe that we are
executing well on all of these aspects,
as we have already created a pan-India
distribution channel that is giving
our company a true national reach,”
Vigreux said.
TomTom has recently partnered with
Reliance Digital to sell its products
through its 100 distribution channels
across the country. Th e products will be
sold through Reliance’s retail division
for automobiles—Reliance Autozones,
besides, independent car accessory dealers
and car dealers. Realising the importance
of localisation, every device of the Dutch
company comes with comprehensive
maps of India, with more detailed Points
of Interest (POIs), and coverage of more
than 5,000 cities and towns across the
country. It is also working on making
the interface user-friendly for the
Indian consumer.
TomTom has introduced three portable
navigation devices from it’s Via series —
Via 100, Via 120 and Via 125. It has
also introduced Landmark Navigation
feature for the Indian market through
which, drivers can search for the nearest
landmark to their destination. Th ese
devices also have a ‘Help Me’ feature
in them that lists an emergency menu,
providing them with local emergency
service information. �
Tom Tom has introduced
a Landmark Navigation
feature for the
Indian market through
which, drivers can
search for
the nearest
landmark to their
destination
Dutch navigation service provider to show way in India
Jocelyn Vigreux, GM & SVP India , Tom Tom
Via 125 degree Angle ViewVia 125 degree Angle View
20 AFTERMARKET APRIL 2012
FOCUS
Why did TVS Group acquire Universal Components UK?
MADURAI headquartered TVS
Group has recently acquired Universal
Components UK Limited, Britain’s
leading independent wholesale
distributor of commercial vehicles’ parts
and accessories.
TVS Group had already made
acquisitions in UK through TVS Logistics
Services Limited in 2009 to acquire the
capability in the logistics business. Post
that deal, the distribution and services
business had been looking at possible
acquisitions to increase its relevance to its
stakeholders (suppliers) and also acquire
new capabilities.
As part of this intent, the group
created a special purpose vehicle in
the UK—TVS Europe Distribution
Limited, which has purchased 90
percent of Universal Components’
stake. Th e total investment towards
this deal is `100 crore including
its proposed spending on its
expansion plans.
The Rationale Well, what is the reason for TVS to go
ahead with the acquisition? Is it because
the company is keen in inorganic
growth to enhance volumes or is it due
to its intent to expand globally? It is
much more beyond all these reasons,
said Joint Managing Director, TVS &
Sons, R Dinesh.
Established in 1911, TVS Group is one
of the leading business conglomerates in
the country with interests in automobile
dealerships, distribution of spares for
aftermarket, sales and service support
for garage equipment, products for off -
highway applications like construction
and material handling. TVS & Sons,
which is the holding company of the
group, is one of the largest distributor
T Murrali
R Dinesh, Jt MD, TVS & SonsRichard Slee, CEO, TVS Supply
Chain Solutions, Europe
The parts aftermarket
in Europe for LCVs and
HCVs in 2010 was
$33 billion, while
it was `4,500 crore
in India and set
to double by 2015
APRIL 2012 AFTERMARKET 21
FOCUS
of automobile spare parts in India,
handling more than 35,000 part numbers
from 80-odd suppliers and catering
to the requirements of about 8,100
customers, besides, marketing in-house
branded products.
Discerning Distributors Dinesh is of the view that the structure
of the Indian automotive aftermarket
indicates a strong role for independent
distributors, which is similar to Europe
and the UK. Elaborating the synergies,
he said that original equipment
suppliers contribute 39 percent of
parts manufacturers, 34 percent is by
OEMs and the rest is by generic parts
manufacturers. However, OEMs cater
only to OEM sales units and part dealers
while the generic manufacturers support
independent part dealers. Th e one
segment that caters to both distributors
is the original equipment suppliers, he
said, referring to a study conducted by
ACMA—McKinsey.
While 45 percent of their lot goes to
OEM sales units and part dealers, the
rest goes to independent part dealers. Th e
retail segment is only catered to through
independent part dealers. Th e OEM sales
units and part dealers refrain from retailers
that are largely unorganised, and directly
support the needs of owned / franchised
dealers and multi-brand dealers, which
according to the study, account for 46 and
four percent respectively of authorised sales
and service centres. Original equipment
suppliers and generic manufacturers
support the remaining 50 percent of the
market that comprises small garages
and gas stations. Th e study states that
distributor/wholesaler is indispensable
in the network providing market access
to OEMs, original equipment suppliers
and third-party suppliers. In addition, it is
also vital in fulfi lling supply chain, source
of credit to customers and the ability
to source a wider product range than
any supplier.
Similarities, SynergiesDinesh said that the European
aftermarket, baring minor variations, has
a similar structure. It is this synergy that
made TVS group to acquire Universal
Components, he said. Th e acquisition
will help TVS enhance its presence in
the commercial and light commercial
vehicles spare parts range in other Asian
markets (except India) as well as help
acquire best practices in dealing with its
customers (small retailers). It will also
further improve its forecast and planning
capabilities and deploy state-of-the-art
IT systems in India and other countries
including Sri Lanka and Bangladesh
where the distribution of spare parts is
currently undertaken.
Th e parts aftermarket in Europe
for LCVs and HCVs in 2010 was $33
billion while it was `4,500 crore in India
and set to double by 2015. Th e positive
contributors to the growth include entry
of global truck manufacturers in HCV
segment, increasing range and variety
in the growing LCV segment and the
independent aftermarket distributors
that occupy about 50 percent of space
despite being fragmented and sub-scale.
“Th is acquisition will give increased scale
and size to strengthen our relationship
further with global suppliers, which will
The TVS group has
purchased 90 percent of
Universal Components’
stake. The total invest-
ment towards this deal
is `100 crore including its
proposed spending on its
expansion plans
David Kernahan, MD, Universal Components
22 AFTERMARKET APRIL 2012
FOCUS
benefi t both Universal Components
and TVS. We will utilise Universal
Components’ marketing expertise and
best practices in our businesses in India
and other Asian markets. It would also
help us to have wider range coverage of
parts to distribute in the aftermarket,”
Dinesh said.
Modern Marketing Th ough the company has been in the
parts distribution for over fi ve decades,
what was missing is the marketing using
the web or adopting diff erent methods to
reach the customers. Secondly, in terms of
the range coverage, it had its limitations
based on the suppliers. Th irdly, TVS
currently honours 75 percent of the
orders placed within 24 hours while
Universal Components is at 95 percent.
Th is is due to the superior forecasting
ability, which will be a key learning,
he said.
Management bandwidth will increase
eventually benefi ting TVS while entering
new markets beyond boundaries. It will
help address the market in the shortest
possible time, he said. In the domestic
market, despite being a seasoned player in
parts distribution, the range availability
across diff erent segments, especially for
global brands is less. Th e acquisition will
help address these issues, he said.
TVS has a vision to be a focused
aftermarket distributor in Asia
having global scale and strong brand
marketing capabilities. With Universal
Components, it saw the relevance to
accomplish its objective in terms of
scale, range and marketing of the brand.
Leveraging the inherent potential,
the group is looking at acquiring few
key capabilities such as integrating
companies, global sourcing of parts
especially from low cost countries,
fulfi lling orders through effi cient supply
chain and understanding international
market dynamics.
Europe ExpansionUniversal Components, headquartered
in Sheffi eld, has 420 customers in the UK
being serviced through 650 distribution
outlets. It sells parts worth approximately
`200 crore and employs around 100
people selling both manufacturer-
branded parts and its own range of in-
house branded parts. It currently has
more than 12,000 part numbers and
plans to double this number in the next
three to fi ve years.
Yet another synergy TVS saw in
the deal is the opportunity to tweak
the supply chain of acquired company
through its existing operations. Th e
CEO of TVS Europe, Richard Slee
said, “With Multipart (now renamed as
TVS Supply Chain Solutions), we will
be able to provide signifi cant benefi ts
to Universal Components on the supply
chain and backend logistics.” Besides, it
will also help the company to become the
market leader and grow its relationship
with its customers.
SymbiosisAccording to Managing Director,
Universal Components, David Kernahan,
the business deal will support the
company in its growth plans and become
a larger player in the international and
domestic CV sector. TVS can support
the company in furthering the range
of its supplier relationships and also
bring in low cost country sourcing. TVS
compliments the sourcing eff orts of
Universal Components not only in trailer
range but also in the CV range, which is
one of the growth drivers identifi ed by
Universal Components in UK and other
parts of Europe.
Universal Components is the second
acquisition by TVS group in the UK
after its successful buyout of Multipart
Holdings in 2009. With these two
acquisitions, TVS group hopes to
register a turnover `1,000 crore in UK.
It is also planning to employ nearly
500 people. �
The European automotive aftermarket has a similar structureEUROPE
2010
Owned and fran-chised dealers
OEMs (50%)
OEM branded
C
OEM affiliated ASSPs (55%)OEM sales units
and part dealers (50%)
Service provider1Distributor2Manufacturer3 CustomersIntermediaries
OEM
chised dealers
Multibrand dealers
Mainly OEM or OES branded
Commer-cialInsurances
Automobilel bdealers
OES brandedOESs
(43%)Fleet
Independent ASSPsS t h i
clubs
Leasing
Mainly OES branded
iGeneric Individual
Independent part distributors (50%)
S ystem chains (33%)
Small garages/Generic
or gener icmanu-facturers (7%)
Small garages/ gas stations/ DIY (12%)
SOURCE: ZDK; DAT Report; GVA (BBE); Bundesverband Tuning VDAT; GDV; Datamonitor; Global Insight;
The structure of the
Indian automotive
aftermarket indicates
a strong role for
independent
distributors, which is
similar to Europe
and the UK
APRIL 2012 AFTERMARKET 23
SPECIAL REPORT
Abhishek Parekh
MOTOREXCHANGE is looking to
enhance its technology platform and
notch up a turnover of around $one
billion over the next two to three years.
“We are looking to make this the most
robust and sought after used car auction
platform in India. Th e value addition and
connectivity is the diff erentiation that this
platform from any similar endeavours,”
said Founder and CEO, Motorexchange,
Vinay Sanghi.
Currently, more than a million
customers visit the consumer site cartrade.
com and around 1,200 automobile dealers
are registered users on the B2B platform
cartradeexchange, which is the online
auction marketplace for cars that connect
institutions like banks, fi nance companies,
insurance companies and auto dealers to
trade used and repossessed cars.
Value added services including
price guides on used cars, inventory
information and listing by dealers,
registration information and dealer
management system are integrated with
cartradeexchange platform to help faster
decision making process. To strengthen
the appeal of the platform, the entire
inventory of used cars is visible on the
B2B and consumer websites.
Th e consumer website is largely geared
to generate leads on individual buyers
with transaction on used car buying and
selling done offl ine.
“Features like inventory sharing by
dealers on regular basis are helping to
enhance the transparency in the market
and better price discovery for the used
car pool,” said Sanghi. He added that in
addition to enrolment of larger number
of dealers on the platform, the company
is also looking to enhance the scalability
of auction and lead generation business.
MotorExchange was launched towards
the end of 2009 as an online platform for
transacting used vehicles. Th e site enables
business (fi nancial institutions and fl eet
owners) and consumers to sell their pre-
owned vehicles. It claims to off er an
effi cient price discovery mechanism to
sellers in addition to defi ned timelines
and transparency. Buyers on the platform
are used vehicle dealers who gain access
to a large pool of vehicles. It also focuses
on repossessed vehicles from commercial
banks (that come from loans defaulters).
Th e B2B platform charges buyers a
commission fee and provides the services
to sellers for free. �
Features like inventory
sharing by dealers on
regular basis are helping
to enhance the transpar-
ency in the market and
better price discovery for
the used car pool—
Vinay Sanghi,
CEO, Motorexchange
Motorexchange to provide value added services
Currently, around 1,200
automobile dealers use
the platform, which is
the online auction mar-
ketplace for cars that
connect institutions like
banks, fi nance, insurance
companies & auto dealers
to trade used cars
Vinay Sanghi, CEO, Motorexchange
24 AFTERMARKET APRIL 2012
COVER STORY
24
The fuel price differential between petrol and diesel is distorting the used car market across geographies. However, experts feel that the burgeoning demand for diesel powered cars may be a transitory phenomenon. Aftermarket turns the lens on the market winds, to make sense of the factors that spark the demand for used cars.
APRIL 2012 AFTERMARKET 25
COVER STORY
25
SPEAK to any used car dealer these
days and one may be perplexed at the
discounts off ered on the petrol powered
cars. Th ough it is not an unprecedented
situation, the scenario is unusual given
its wider impact across geographies
and segments in a market that are
characterised by segmentation and
local taste.
Market players are of the opinion that
the fuel price diff erential scenario in the
new car market and tighter fi nancing
norms are playing their part in keeping
demand under check. Aftermarket
conducted an extensive survey on the
ground to assess the situation.
“Th e demand for diesel cars is
ruling steady but the demand for
petrol powered cars has come down
signifi cantly. Th e rush for new and
used diesel cars is helping keep the
prices steady whereas prices of petrol
cars in the used car market have fallen
signifi cantly over the past one years
so,” said Founder and Chief Operating
Offi cer, Motorexchange, Vinay Sanghi.
Currently, there are more than a
million hits on the consumer site
cartrade.com, and around 1,200
automobile dealers are registered users
on the B2B platform cartrade, which is
the online auction marketplace for cars
that connects institutions like banks,
fi nance companies, insurance companies
and auto dealers to trade used and
repossessed cars.
Value added services including
price guides on used cars, inventory
information and listing by dealers,
registration information and dealer
management system are integrated
with cartradeexchange platform to help
hasten decision making processes. To
broaden the appeal of the platform, the
entire inventory of used cars is visible
on the B2B and consumer websites.
Th e consumer website is largely geared
to generate leads on individual buyers
with transaction on used car buying and
selling done offl ine.
MotorExchange was launched
towards the end of 2009 as an online
platform for transacting used vehicles.
Th e platform site enables business
(fi nancial institutions and fl eet owners)
and consumers to sell their pre-owned
vehicles. It claims to off er an effi cient
price discovery mechanism to sellers
in addition to defi ned timelines and
transparency. Buyers on the platform are
connected to used vehicle dealers who
gain access to a large pool of vehicles.
It also focuses on repossessed vehicles
from commercial banks (that come from
loans defaulters).
Petrol WoesTh e falling demand for petrol cars is
also leading to an earlier arrival of the
latest models in the pre-owned segment.
According to the sales executive of a pre-
Value added services including price guides on used cars, inventory information and listing by dealers etc are integrated with
website platforms to help hasten decision making processes
Anil Bagaria, KB Motors, a Tata Motors Assured Dealer
26 AFTERMARKET APRIL 2012
COVER STORY
owned dealer, even petrol cars that were
recently launched, such as Toyota Etios
& Liva, Volkswagen Polo & Vento and
Ford Figo, have found their way into the
second-hand market.
A resident of Ambattur in Chennai
who runs a small business, Sampath
Kumar, wants to sell his petrol car—
Maruti SX4 and buy the diesel version.
He said, “My monthly fuel bill, which is
running up to `15,000, is pinching me
hard.”
An automobile ‘consultant’ based
in Chennai, Mohan Rajabather said,
“In the last one year, the demand for
used cars has grown around 1.5 times
compared to that for new ones. Th is
means there is demand, but aff ordability
is an issue.” He further elaborated that
the expectations of those selling diesel
cars are running high. Th ere is a gap of
at least `50,000 between what sellers
want and what the buyers are willing to
pay. Mohan also said, “Till August 2011,
the ratio of petrol and diesel cars used to
be 45:55 in Chennai. It is now 25:75 and
this shows the demand in diesel cars.”
In Bangalore, which is considered one
of the biggest used and new car markets
in the country, the diesel cars sales have
increased by 25 percent, as per some
dealer estimates. A manager at a leading
pre-owned car showroom in Bangalore
says that the inventory holding period
for petrol models has gone up from
around 10-15 days last year to anywhere
around 35-40 days currently. Meanwhile,
the growing demand for diesel cars has
led to supply constraints, leading to
an increase in their prices by eight to
ten percent.
Car Financing“Easy availability of loans for pre-
owned cars is the reason that this
segment is growing at a fast clip. Not only
the loans but also insurance is available
and easy to get. Th e down payment and
In the last one year, the
demand for used cars has
grown around 1.5 times
compared to that for new
ones. This means there is
demand, but affordability
is an issue. There is a gap
of at least `50,000
between what sellers
want and what the buy-
ers are willing to pay
APRIL 2012 AFTERMARKET 27
COVER STORY
the loan instalments have been aligned
to the needs of the buyers,” pointed out
Mohan. Customers feel that the there
are a lot of benefi ts in buying second
hand or pre-owned cars. Th e value of a
used car is lower than that of a new car
of the same make due to depreciation.
As the value of a new car is higher
compared to a used car of the same
make, the depreciation is also higher in
the initial years of the purchase. For a
pre-owned car, the depreciation cost is
lesser as compared to the new car and
used cars can be modifi ed according to
the owner’s preference.
With an increasing number of fi nancial
institutions coming in, the segment has
got a boost. Most banks such as Kotak
Mahindra, HDFC Bank are pursuing
used cars with aggressive strategies.
Currently, around 25 percent of used
cars that are sold are fi nanced. Th e used
car market is already larger than the
new car market in terms of volume and
is set to grow further as overall vehicle
population or ‘car parc’ increases.
According to some estimates, the
used cars segment has grown faster
than the new car segment over the last
fi scal. A domain of service stations till
very recently, pre-owned cars have now
become lucrative enough to attract new
car dealers as well. As per the estimates
of a leading car fi nancier, the used cars
industry is expanding at 25-30 percent
against around 13 percent or so growth
in the new car sector.
Th e Indian buyer has shed his/
her emotional inhibition of buying a
second hand car in favour of practicality
and economic consideration. Wider
presence of used cars brands certifi ed
by manufacturers including Maruti
True Value, Hyundai Advantage, Tata
Motors Assured provides comfort to the
customers opting for used cars. OEMs
have been increasingly focussing on
widening their presence in the used car
business by enrolling more pre-owned car
dealers, providing assistance on valuation
and refurbishments, regular exchange
programmes for buyers looking to upgrade
their existing cars and other value added
services to the existing owners. Free service
warranties are also provided on purchase of
used cars from OEM certifi ed used vehicle
brands. Despite signifi cant and growing
involvement of OEMs in the used car
market, unorganised players continue to
have a major presence accounting for 50-
60 percent of the total volumes in all Tier
I cities across the country.
Established players like Mahindra First
Choice Wheels Ltd (formerly Automart
India) which has around 180 outlets, is
focussing on increasing its dealership
network further and looking to compete
with dealers of new cars. “It is imperative
for customers to realise the benefi t of
opting for a used car. For the price of
a new hatchback, a potential customer
could get a pre-owned premium sedan
without compromising on warranties and
quality that comes with a new car,” said
Vice President–Operations & Network,
Mahindra First Choice Wheels,
Yatin Chadha.
He added that one of the biggest
challenges for any used car dealer is
establishing his/her credibility and
‘diff erentiation’ factor in a competitive
market. He considers ‘stable’ demand
or growing preference for diesel cars to
be a transitory phenomenon due to fuel
price diff erential and other factors. Older
diesel cars also require more maintenance
compared to similar aged petrol cars and
A domain of service
stations till very recently,
pre-owned cars have now
become lucrative enough
to attract new car deal-
ers as well. As per the
estimates, the used cars
industry is expanding
at 25-30 percent against
around 13 percent growth
in the new car sector
28 AFTERMARKET APRIL 2012
COVER STORY
hence the price diff erential may not grow
beyond a point.
Fuel PricesDue to the successive increase in
petrol prices over the last 12 to 16
months, the sales of petrol powered cars
has gone down not only in the new car
segment but also the used car market.
Maruti True Value and Mahindra First
Choice Wheels dealers point out that
the inventory of petrol cars has doubled
even as demand has been dropping in
the past six months.
Around 40 percent of the enquiries are
for diesel vehicles but the availability is
falling short of the demand leading to a
premium for diesel cars in the pre-owned
market, according to a dealer in Mumbai.
He added that in certain pockets or
geographical areas there could be a major
demand-supply imbalance. Moreover, the
demand for cars fi tted with CNG/LPG
retrofi tment is less in used car segment.
Customers prefer to buy petrol version
and then get a CNG/LPG kit fi tted
themselves, according to dealers.
“In a used car business, the main profi t
lies in how much we procure a car for.
Since there is lesser demand for petrol cars
in used car market, we cannot off er prices
that we would have otherwise off ered
had there been no major price diff erential
between petrol and diesel. Th is could also
be leading to lesser number of vehicles
coming for sale in the used car market,” said
a Maruti True Value dealer in Mumbai,
N Venkatramani.
Th e benefi t of customers opting to
buy cars from a manufacturer certifi ed
used car brand is that the available
cars are refurbished with fi nancing and
warranties thrown-in, while this may
not be the case with cars purchased
from the unorganised segment. Several
bottlenecks to functioning of the
market exists. It is diffi cult to source
cars to resell in the used car market.
Additionally, trained evaluators are hard
to fi nd for most dealers. “A dealer has
to be careful about the kind of car to
be sourced. Th e ownership ‘history’ of
the car is very important and so are the
documents and that is why it takes some
time and we have to hire good people
for that. We have some yardsticks based
on our experience,” said a used car dealer
from Bangalore.
“A major issue is sourcing of pre-
owned cars. Not only is it diffi cult
to source cars with ‘clean’ history,
but the process of sourcing is also
dependent on market vagaries like
price revision of the new car, model
discontinuation and other factors,” said
Motorexchange’s Sanghi.
“Since the disparity between diesel
and petrol price has widened, there is a
signifi cant rise in the demand of diesel
cars. However, the petrol cars are still
preferred in the below `two lakh price
range,” said KB Motors, a Tata Motors
Assured dealer, Anil Bagaria based
in Kolkatta. He added that there is a
diff erence of around four to fi ve percent
in the rate of interest when compared
with new cars. Th e loan for new cars
is available at the interest rate of 12
percent, while this goes up to 17-18
percent in case of used cars. “Around
eight months ago, we use to sell 70
percent petrol vehicle and 30 percent
diesel but now there has been a shift in
favour of diesel vehicles and the current
ratio of diesel and petrol cars is 50: 50,”
according to the CEO, Topsel Toyota,
Deepak Gupta. Topsel is an affi liate of
Toyota’s pre-owned brand U-Trust.
Th ough it may be a while before used
car dealers compete with new car dealers
on relatively equal footing, their growing
prominence is noteworthy. �
Since the disparity
between diesel and petrol
price has widened, there
is a signifi cant rise in the
demand of diesel cars.
However, petrol cars
are still preferred in the
below `two lakh price
range,” said Anil Bagaria,
KB Motors, a Tata Motors
Assured dealer
APRIL 2012 AFTERMARKET 29
FACILITY VISIT
TVS & Sons: Adapting to changing dynamics
WITH the vehicle parc increasing, the
demand for aftersales service is set to
rapidly grow triggering the increasing
requirements of spare parts not only in
diff erent varieties and volumes but also
at diff erent parts of the country.
Th e dist ribution and reach are going
to be critical and making parts avail-
able to cust omers when they want,
is crucial. TVS & Sons is looking at
expanding its network, creating more
space at its central warehouses and also
adding a new warehouse to its spread.
It is also looking at introducing bar-
coding parts for speedier operations
and hand-held devices to enhance over-
all product ivity of its sales force.
Vice President,TVS & Sons
(DSBU), KR Sridhar said that with
the OEMs launching more models and
variants the need to maintain a wide
range of parts has become quintessen-
tial, though a diffi cult proposition. It is
hard to maintain st ocks of all the parts
all the time and therefore it is necessary
to work with suppliers to disperse the
responsibility of maintaining the st ocks
while ensuring supply of parts to cus-
tomers within 24 hours.
ChallengesTo achieve better results, the sup-
ply chain effi ciency must improve. “One
must be able to look a little ahead and
create those alignments and alliances and
work better. For example, if we are plan-
ning to work with some manufact urers, it
is necessary to st art thinking in terms of
aligning our planning syst em with that
of the manufact urers,” he said. Th e com-
petition from overseas is set to increase,
especially in parts for passenger cars.
Tech-Up Currently, the company handles
around 50,000 part numbers. However,
on an average, it is managing around
20,000 SKUs (Stock Keeping Units).
In order to optimise the effi ciency the
company is looking at introducing bar-
coding syst em due to sheer quantity of
parts being handled.
Secondly, it is st udying possibili-
ties of aligning the supply chain in the
T Murrali
The Madurai headquartered TV Sundram Iyengar & Sons Limited, is one of the largest automobile spare parts distributors in India. It sells over 35,000 part numbers, manufactured by close to 100 suppliers and caters to over 7,000 customers across the country. The company has state-of-the-art central warehousing facilities with IT infrastructure ensuring smooth procurement and deliveries. It is now gearing up to prepare itself to address the changing market dynamics by introducing new concepts, leveraging its inherent capabilities and next generation technologies.
(L) Lubricants stored at the warehouse(R) An inside view of the facility
30 AFTERMARKET APRIL 2012
FACILITY VISIT
entire form. It is also looking at provid-
ing handheld devices for the sales force,
which is connect ed to the warehouse
or branch. Th e company already has an
ERP syst em with which, the sales force
get to know about the st ock position etc
at a click of the mouse. However, the
impediment, it feels, is the time taken
for the sales person to reach his offi ce
and log on to fi nd out these parameters
before placing the order. According to
Sridhar, the handheld device will help
the sales personnel to fi nd the st ock
position across the country and assure
the cust omer of the latest availability.
Besides, it will help him to spend more
time in the fi eld and generate better
business.
Evolution It all began when TVS & Sons fore-
saw the demand for spare parts soaring
in the early ’60s due to increase in vehi-
cle population and set-up workshops to
service the vehicles. And every work-
shop had its own spare parts counter. In
addition to captive consumption, these
workshops had a retail counter too.
Wherever TVS & Sons opened dealer-
ships, the spare parts counter followed
along with the service centre. As the
requirement of parts began to snowball,
the company felt the need to have a
central control to dist ribute parts to
the workshops.
ReorganisationDuring early ’90s, TVS & Sons reor-
ganised its business by making every
operation as a Strategic Business Unit
(SBU). For inst ance, the business that is
dealing with sales and service of Ashok
Leyland has become a separate SBU.
In the process the ‘parts dist ribution’
has become a separate SBU. Today, it is
called Dist ribution SBU or DSBU. And
in the evolution of things it brought in
a new concept—a central warehouse
based in Madurai.
Th e company has branches in nine
locations in Tamil Nadu with each
branch having several departments
including sales, spare parts, back offi ce
etc. Once the DSBU is formed, the
company brought in all the st ocks to
the central warehouse in large scale in
Madurai. Th ough major reorganisation
was required, it helped in managing the
inventory and supply chain better while
catering to the cust omers promptly at
the same time.
Currently, it has its central ware-
houses in Tamil Nadu (Madurai) and
Kerala (Kochi) with about 50,000 sq
ft of space each. It st ill follows the
older ‘branch’ concept in Madhya
Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh,
Uttarakhand and Rajast han.
Ef� ciency tweakedWith the central warehouse syst em,
it is convenient for the company to have
overnight delivery syst em. Th e goods
from the vendors st art fl owing in to the
warehouse during the day while the
despatch commences from the evening.
During the day, the sales representa-
tives meet the cust omers and procure
orders that are catered to the next day.
All orders that are placed and entered
until 3 pm everyday is executed and the
goods despatched before end of the day.
Th e warehouses have dedicated bays
for the scheduled fi nal dest inations such
as Salem, Coimbatore, Tirunelveli and
the st ocks piling up during the course
of the day. Th e trucks st arts coming
from about six pm in the evening and
after loading the goods they take a
scheduled route covering many towns
on the way to deliver goods. For some
dest inations, the company has sched-
uled two or three diff erent routes in
order to periodically cover more places
between major cities.
Cyclical SystemTh e entire syst em typically operates
like a post offi ce. Th e company deliv-
ers goods twice a day in Madurai due
to sheer volume of requirements, while
to other major cities it does on a daily
basis. It has dedicated logist ics service
provider to handle the transportation of
goods and it has a dedicated ERP sys-
tem to handle the overall operations.
TVS & Sons deals with all types of
parts for almost all kinds of vehicles.
TVS & Sons is looking at
adding a new warehouse
to its spread. It is aims
to introduce bar-coding
parts for speedier opera-
tions & hand-held devices
to enhance the productiv-
ity of its sales force
KR Sridhar, VP, TVS & Sons
APRIL 2012 AFTERMARKET 31
FACILITY VISIT
Depending up the season it also han-
dles spare parts for tract ors, marine
and rigging applications. According to
Sridhar, the company has two major
kinds of cust omers—the retailers,
which accounts for about 80 percent of
the business and fl eet operators contrib-
uting to about 15 percent. Th e rest is
inst itutional sales.
Stock Planning With the choice of vehicle user
increasing the OEMs are churning out
many models and the need to main-
tain adequate spares is key considering
the space it occupies and the profi t-
ability. Stock Keeping Units (SKUs)
is a major challenge for those involved
in spare parts business and retail as
the requirements are highly fl uct uat-
ing. TVS & Sons’ ERP syst em takes
the hist orical sales data for the last six
months and those that the company
could not execute due to non-availabil-
ity of parts. Besides, it also takes the
average sales, lead-time taken by the
vendors to supply the parts, which is
depending upon the season-related to
a range of product s. Th ese parameters
are compiled against the st ock in hand
and back order lying with the manu-
fact urers. Th e reorder level is set based
on these parameters, Sridhar said. Th is
exercise is done typically on two ways—
for a fi xed period and fi xed quantity.
Th erefore the SKUs are maintained
based on these methodologies depend-
ing upon the sales charact erist ics of the
product s. If the parameter of one of the
indicators goes below the st ipulated
level, then the syst em triggers MOQ—
minimum order quantity. Th e company
sources from about 100 vendors across
the country.
Central Warehousing As the company has garnered
expertise in its central warehouse con-
cept, it is mulling options to replicate
the model in others st ates where it
has operations now. “We are getting
towards this model in some st ates,”
he st ated. Th e company has three
branches in Madhya Pradesh (Bhopal,
Indore and Jabalpur) and two (Jaipur
and Jodhpur) in Rajast han. Th e third
one is in the offi ng. Th e company will
look at those st ates that have potential
to have fi ve branches, for putting up
a central ware house. It also depends
upon the size of the st ate as the ware-
house needs to supply parts overnight.
“I think with fi ve branches with a
fairly well centrally located ware-
house will work,” he said. Currently,
it is present in Kanpur and Waranasi
in Uttar Pradesh and in Haldwani in
Uttarkhand, Raipur in Chattisgarh.
Th e company is looking at entering
Bihar and Jharkhand as, “we are get-
ting the right vibes from the market
and people,” he said.
Future PlansAccording to him, a growth rate of
eight to 10 percent is considered nor-
mal in parts business earlier. Th is is
not true anymore, as the business has
begun growing at more than 15 percent.
Growth in spare parts for two-wheelers
leads the pack followed by passenger
cars and commercial vehicles. However,
in the case of dist ribution it will be
two-wheelers followed by commercial
vehicles and passenger cars as the spare
parts for passenger cars are st ill largely
with the OEMs. Moreover, the com-
petition from overseas is set to increase,
especially in parts for passenger cars.
Th e option is either to fi ght that by
putting barricade or act proact ively by
making better supplies.
In order to address the emerging
challenges, TVS & Sons is looking
at expanding its central warehouse in
Madurai. It is mulling with two options
—either to expand the current one or
to set up another warehouse as Sridhar
feels that the intensity of dist ribution is
good. “I see this happening in the near
future, if not immediately,” he said.
Est ablished in 1911, TVS & Sons
is currently the holding company of
TVS Group, which has a diversifi ed
presence in the automobiles. Th e com-
pany has JV operating in Sril Lanka
called TVS Auto Parts (TVS AP).
Th e company, which is 65:35 joint
venture between TVS Lanka and
World Wide Trading, Sri Lanka, is in
the business of dist ribution of spare
parts for Indian made vehicles across
the island. Over a period of time, it
has est ablished a wide network of 150
dealers across the island. �
With the central warehouse system, it is conven-ient for the company to have overnight delivery system. The goods from the vendors start flow-
ing in to the warehouse during the day while the despatch commences from the evening
32 AFTERMARKET APRIL 2012
FACILITY VISIT
Brand-finance-service mix ensures success
IT all st arted with the business of
providing fi nance to commercial vehi-
cles. Manish Jain and his maternal
uncle, Lalit Choudhry, perceived an
opportunity in the business of selling
commercial vehicles. Th e duo was look-
ing for ways of leveraging
the opportunities.
Th eir initial venture took off in
2001, when they st arted selling used
vehicles (most ly commercial vehicles).
“Ten years ago, the market for sec-
ond-hand commercial vehicles in and
around Surat was huge. Being in the
business of fi nancing, we got numerous
enquiries about used vehicles. So we
took the plunge,” Direct or Sreelaxmi
Motors, Surat Manish Tiwari said.
Jain purchased vehicles from across
the st ate of Gujarat, refurbished and
then sold them. Th ey also provided
fi nance for the used vehicles from their
own fi nance company.
In 2007, when Jain fi rst applied for
the dealership of Atul Auto, his appli-
cation was reject ed. However, Jain did
not give up and determination proved
to be Jain’s st rength; he kept try-
ing until he succeeded. Finally, on 2
November, 2009 saw the inauguration
of his fi rst showroom in Surat.
Th e showroom, which st arted after
much eff ort, sold 40 vehicles in the fi rst
month, and has not looked back since.
An additional advantage for those who
came to Jain was easy availability of
Shambhavi Anand
There are three things
that make a dealership
successful: fi rst, a well
known brand & second,
fi nancing facilities. Ear-
lier, we had only our
fi nancing services, but
today, major banks have
relations with us. Finally,
third, is service centres. A
good mix of three, paves
the way to success—
Manish Jain, Founder
Sreelaxmi Motors facility
APRIL 2012 AFTERMARKET 33
FACILITY VISIT
fi nance from his own fi nance company.
Today, Sreelaxmi Motors has 12 outlets
across Surat.
Th e idea behind opening a chain of
outlets across the city was to expand its
reach to the cust omers. “We wanted to
go to our cust omers rather than making
them come to us,” Jain pointed out. Out
of the total 12 sales offi ces in Surat, one
has a showroom and fi ve service centres.
Jain’s expansion plans do not end there.
He intends to open more outlets. Two
such outlets are in pipeline in Baruch
and Navsari.
Five of the outlets of Sreelaxmi
Motors also have service centres; service
being a vital element especially when
it comes to commercial vehicles. On
these vehicles depends the earnings
of a person and so it is very impor-
tant that cust omers do not have to face
hiccups while getting them repaired
—Commercial vehicles are a source of
income for their owners. And so it is
necessary that the service centres are
prompt in doing repair work.. Th e rest
of the outlets cater most ly to the sales
division of the dealership.
While talking about his cust omer
profi le, Jain explained, “Th is segment is
extremely diff erent. Th e level of educa-
tion is not very high. And so the way
one deals with them is also very dif-
ferent,” he added. One has to have an
underst anding of their lifest yle, prob-
lems and mindset to st rike a rapport.
To underst and the cust omer and his
lifest yle, the sales execu-
tives have to be proact ive
and take personal inter-
est in each cust omer.
Conversation and small
talk about family, daily
routine, even sharing of
anecdotes can help in
gaining an insight into a
cust omers’ life. His fi nanc-
ing business has always
given him an edge, which
Jain, keeps in mind while recruiting
st aff members also. Education level for
him is not a criterion. What matters is
the skill to st rike a chord with the seg-
ment that he deals with. He has a total
of 135 st aff members in all his outlets.
Around 25 employees are engaged in
sales and up to 70 in service centres.
Th e rest facilitate fi nancing, insurance
and other paperwork.
Monthly meetings are a regular
at the dealership. “We learn through
sharing our learnings. Th ere are no
st ruct ured training modules. However,
we share our ideas, talk to each other
and try to hone our skills at these meet-
ings to become better. We discuss each
one’s experiences, share anecdotes, talk
about the cust omers and the deals they
have closed recently. Th e seniors guide
the juniors and tell them how to go
about convincing clients. We work like
a family,” Jain revealed.
Challenges were many, but looking
beyond the obst acles, the team kept
on marching like a family. Today they
sell upto 200 vehicles each month.
Sharing his secret of success, the
founder of the dealership said, “Th ere
are three things that make a dealer-
ship successful: fi rst , a well known
brand and second, fi nancing facili-
ties. Earlier we had only our fi nancing
services, but today, major banks have
relations with us. Finally, third is
service centres. A good mix of three,
paves the way to success.” �
In 2007, when Jain fi rst
applied for the Atul Auto
dealership, his applica-
tion was rejected. How-
ever, he kept trying until
he succeeded. Two years
later, he inaugurated his
fi rst showroom in Surat
Atul Auto vehicles lined-up Inside the facility
Five of the outlets of Sreelaxmi Motors also have service centres; service being a vital element especially when it comes to commercial vehicles
34 AFTERMARKET APRIL 2012
IN CONVERSATION
34
“Every customer complaint is taken up at the management level”
APRIL 2012 AFTERMARKET 35
IN CONVERSATION
35
What kind of role does the dealership
network and aftersales support services
play in the GM’s growth story in the
country?
Like for every manufacturer,
distribution network and aftersales
support is very important for us. We
are now one of the fastest growing
automotive nameplates in India and
provide consumers with fuel-effi cient,
safe and reliable vehicles that deliver
high quality, expressive design, spirited
performance and value. We want to have
an impeccable service support for our
customers to back all this up.
What kind of distribution network and
service network do you currently have?
At our distribution network and the
aftersales support network we have been
working pretty hard and we have grown
our network three times. We have more
than 280 outlets currently. And by the
end of this year we will have more than
310 outlets across the nation. We will
keep expanding in future also. Th at’s
the service network we are providing to
our customers.
Which are the cities you focus on?
We have presence in all the major
towns and cities across the country in all
the regions. And when I say major towns
and cities, we are present even in Tier IV
cities. We are moving to much smaller
locations to ensure that our customers in
these areas get after sales service in the
vicinity of around 100-200 km.
As a manufacturer, how do you ensure
that good service is provided to your
customers?
Chevrolet has won three top awards
in the India Automotive Initial Quality
Study (IQS) and Vehicle Dependability
Study (VDS) 2010 announced by
JD Power and Associates. We have
improved our position from seventh to
third in the ranking for good service
support. We work very hard with our
dealer partners and other authorised
service stations to give to our customers
the best possible service. Even at the
management level, we are concerned
about what the consumer is getting.
We believe in responding back to our
consumers as fast as possible.
I think the hard work our dealers
and our team had done on the previous
years has helped us in improving our
position from seven to three. Any
customer can reach us directly. In
case of adversity, we provide our call
centre numbers and customer support
number and email address in all our
advertisements. Our website also has
all numbers. Every customer complaint
is taken into account individually at
the management level.
How do you evaluate on the spare parts
availability and pricing aspects?
Our spare parts availability is more
than satisfactory. Th e way one evaluates
spare parts we are extremely competitive.
We are one of those leading ones when
it comes to spare parts. Pricing is also
competing. We value our customers and
want to respect their requirements.
Have you tapped the potential of the
online media on the sales side?
We have not tapped this
media currently.
Any plan to sell through the internet in
near future?
Not currently. And there are no
immediate plans that I can share.
What is the roadmap for future?
Th e strategy is very clear we are
expanding our width and the quality
of service we off er to our customers the
best. We will have presence in more and
more locations. �
Good aftersales support is the key to customer retention. In order to attain new customers and retain the old ones, it is imperative for a vehicle manufacturer to build a strong service network as this is one of the most important factors that customers consider while purchasing a vehicle. Shambhavi Anand speaks to Vice-President, Sales, Marketing and Aftersales, General Motors India, Sumit Sawhney about the company’s service network.
Sumit Sawhney at New Tavera launch
36 AFTERMARKET APRIL 2012
TYRES & RETREADING
36
MICHELIN India will contribute a
signifi cant portion of revenue that the
French tyre manufacturer gets from the
emerging markets, Managing Director,
Michelin India, Th om Clark has said.
Speaking to Aftermarket, Clark said,
at a global level, the group has spelt out
its ambition to grow by 25 percent in
sales volumes by 2015 and a signifi cant
portion of this growth will be contributed
by emerging economies like India. “We
have just started out in this market
and we believe that we are taking small
but signifi cant steps in that direction.
We have ambitions to grow and be a
signifi cant player here,” he said.
Th e company has launched a new
range of tyres—Michelin Energy XM2,
for the Indian market. Th e product,
which has already been launched
globally, is targeted at the compact and
lower-mid size passenger car segments
in the country. Michelin India, which
is predominantly an aftermarket player
in India, is also focusing on catering to
the emerging demands with a relevant
product portfolio that will cater to the
specifi c requirements of the aftermarket
in the country.
Th e company claims that its products
have up to 28 percent more tyre life as
compared to the other products that are
available in the Indian market thereby
leading to less frequent tyre replacements.
It also has 18 percent reduction in rolling
resistance and so provides improved fuel
savings and cost benefi ts to the user. Th e
product is available in a wide range of
sizes, starting from the 12” to 15” seat
size.
“In a country like India, where
traffi c is very heavy, road networks are
either under construction or needing
repair, and distances
between the city and the
countryside are long, car
owners can rely on our
innovation to give them
a tyre that provides
them three most sought
after benefi ts–longevity,
fuel savings and safety
(strength and reliability),
all in one,” said Clark.
Prior to its launch in India, the tyre has
been launched in other Asian markets
such as Th ailand and China.
Th e Energy XM2 tyre incorporates
‘ironfl ex’ technology, which provides a
combination of strength and fl exibility.
Due to an optimised casing design,
XM2 is better able to absorb and
dissipate peak stresses generated when
it comes into contact with any type of
road hazard. Alternative bridging
in the tyre, reinforces the rigidity
of tread blocks. Also, the silica-
based compounding gives 18 percent
less rolling resistance and the new
formulation of micro resilient tread
compound provides a fi rm grip with the
road surface which helps to reduce the
braking distance and improving safety.
Michelin India is setting-up its
manufacturing unit at Th ervoy Kandigai
Industrial Park in Th iruvallur district
with an investment of `4000 crore over a
period of seven years, the manufacturing
facility in India is being set up on 290
acres of land and will produces radial
tyres for the truck and bus segment.
TyrePlus“Right now, we are focusing on
creating the demand, creating product
off erings that will cater to what the
consumer needs are in the aftermarket
scenario. We have our presence across
the country and are expanding our dealer
network rapidly. We have brought in our
most popular distribution programmes
in India in order to increase our network
throughout the country,” Clark said.
“Since the last decade we have
witnessed in India, an exceptional rise
in consumer demand for quality services.
Th e objective for bringing TyrePlus to
India is to make available the a wide
choice of tyres, other automobile related
needs and tyre related services to Indian
car owners under one roof,” he added.
India is an important market for the
company and the objective is to continue
expansion on both sides—truck and
passenger car tyres. Th e aim behind
setting-up these stores is to reach out
to consumers and educate them about
choosing the right tyre that is suitable for
their needs.
Michelin has set-up 21 concept stores
across India. Some of the recent openings
include—TyrePlus in Delhi and Bangalore,
MTSC in Panvel (Maharashtra). Th e
other locations where it has a presence
are Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Karnataka,
Gujarat, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and
Delhi. It will continue to expand its
footprint in the coming months. �
Shambhavi Anand
Energy from Michelin
Michelin XM2 launch
APRIL 2012 AFTERMARKET 37
AUTOMOTIVE TRENDS
Abhishek Parekh
PASSENGER CAR makers are likely
give increasing attention to road safety
even as the overall vehicle population
has been going up. Th e renewed focus is
likely to spawn major opportunities for
safety equipments and systems suppliers
in the OEM and replacement market,
according to a recent report from Frost
& Sullivan.
According to data available from
Ministry of Shipping, Road Transport
and Highways, around 130,300 people
were killed in road accidents in 2008 and
this number is likely to go up to 200,000
by 2015. Number of serious injuries is
also likely to increase from 2,206,000 to
as high as 3,092,000 in the same period.
Even though vehicle manufacturers
in India have a huge list of safety
equipment to choose from, they would
initially focus on bringing safety to
driver and front passengers and children,
according to Senior Research Analyst,
Automotive & Transportation Practice,
Frost & Sullivan, Aswin Kumar. It
has been proven several times that
airbags can save thousands of lives but
there are many cars sold in the Indian
market without driver airbags, whereas
these features are mandatory in all the
developed markets and some developing
countries with smaller sales volumes than
India. Government of India is likely to
make air bags mandatory for passenger
cars in a couple of years’ time.
Th e other systems that could also
gain increased attention from vehicle
manufacturers include Electronic
Stability Control (ESC) and Antilock
Braking Systems (ABS); both these
systems are standard in developed
markets already. Given this growing
awareness, infotainment is likely to get
huge push from vehicle manufacturers
and after-market suppliers. Vehicle
makers should also look into introducing
active safety systems like lane departure
warning, blind spot detections, and other
radar-based safety systems for making
cars safe, the report added.
Fuel Pricing DisparityWith increased polarisation between
petrol and diesel prices over the last few
years, the market share of diesel vehicles
has been edging steadily upwards.
Th ere exists a very strong correlation
between increased petrol prices and their
declining market share. In 2011, the
price diff erence hit an all time high when
petrol was priced 1.6 times more than the
price of diesel. Due to this, the talks of
‘Dieselisation’ of Indian car market have
been growing louder.
What used to be a huge market for
petrol vehicles has seen a remarkable
reversal of fortunes in the past few years.
Some vehicle manufacturers are looking
to set-up diesel powertrain plants for
capacity augmentation. Last year, the
market share of diesel vehicles inched
close to 40 percent.
Going by current fuel price disparity,
diesel cars are outselling petrol cars in the
volume segment and inventory of petrol
cars have increased substantially. In the
Budget, the government has added an
additional excise duty on diesel vehicles in
2012, which means that the demand for
diesel cars may be aff ected due to higher
prices of diesel cars. In the long term, the
government is likely to deregulate diesel
prices which would ensure equal price
parity between petrol and diesel. �
Safety equipments to getincreased attention from vehicle makers
There are many cars sold in the Indian market without driver airbags, whereas these features
are mandatory in all the developed markets
38 AFTERMARKET APRIL 2012
TECHNOLOGY
DENSO CORPORATION, in
collaboration with Tongji University
(Shanghai), will begin testing vehicle-
to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure
(V2X) technology on public roads in
Taicang, Jiangsu Province, China.
Field TestingTh is is Denso’s fi rst V2X technology
fi eld test on public roads in China. Th e
company has been conducting fi eld tests
in Japan, the US and Europe for the past
several years. “Due to the rapid increase
in vehicles on China’s roads, chronic
congestion and safety are the two
largest issues, particularly in the larger
cities. V2X technology, which allows
cars to wirelessly communicate with
other cars and roadside infrastructure,
such as traffi c signals, is expected to
help alleviate traffi c congestion and
help prevent collisions,” said executive
director in charge of the Engineering
Research & Development Center,
Denso, Yasushi Yamanaka.
Short Range Communications V2X technology will be used to
wirelessly communicate the vehicle
position and speed of emergency
vehicles—like ambulances and fire
engines–to the surrounding vehicles
and roadside infrastructure. When
an emergency vehicle is approaching,
the technology will change the
traffic light at intersections and alert
surrounding vehicles to switch lanes.
The experiments are intended to give
the right of way to authority vehicles in
case of emergency and to help prevent
vehicle collisions.
Denso has been globally researching
and developing V2X technology
since 2003. One of the central focus
points is Dedicated Short-range
Communications (DSRC), which
is the primary enabling component
of V2X communications. At its test
track in Japan, Denso has simulated
an urban road environment to check
the communication performance and
to develop and evaluate applications
with actual vehicles. Th e results have
been used to develop in-vehicle devices
which have been provided to various
demonstration experiments involving
collaboration among automakers and
government agencies in Japan, the US
and Europe.
Integrated SupplierHeadquartered in Kariya, Aichi
prefecture, Japan, Denso is a leading
supplier of advanced technology, systems
and components in the areas of thermal,
powertrain control, electric, electronics
and information and safety. Its customers
include global carmakers. It employs
approximately 120,000 people and
notched up consolidated global sales for
the fi scal year ending March 31, 2011,
totalled $37.7 billion. �
Our Bureau
Denso to test VTX technology in China
Denso has been
globally researching
and developing V2X
technology since 2003.
One of the central focus
points is Dedicated Short-
range Communications
(DSRC), which is the
primary enabling
component of V2X
communications
Dedicated Short-range Communications
APRIL 2012 AFTERMARKET 39
TECHNOLOGY
CONTINENTAL’S VDO brand
has introduced DLKPro family to
make the handling of data from digital
tachographs easier. Th e target-group-
oriented products of the new DLKPro
family is the practical key to the
professional handling of data in the
DTCO mass memory, the driver card,
the workshop card, the control card for
authorities, and all competing products.
Th e latest generation off ers numerous
innovative supplementary functions
and, with the integral smartcard reader,
renders additional peripheral devices
superfl uous.
Fleet Product FamilySix years since its initial introduction,
the DLKPro product family has
developed from a relatively simple
memory stick into a vest-pocket
computer. As handy as a mobile phone
and just as easy to operate, the software
and hardware of the new download
products combine all data handling
functions in one device and make
external card readers unnecessary. And
owing to the integrated accumulators, no
batteries are needed. Th e 2.2-inch full-
colour touchscreen display (approx.5.6
cm) enables direct data evaluation on
the key. Downloads can be controlled
and data evaluated by means of an easily
understandable menu that can output 29
languages. Th e software required for this
is preinstalled. All data records get a time
stamp, and a new timer function reminds
the driver when downloads are due.
Parallel to this, the memory has been
enlarged so that now, as many as 6,000
quarterly downloads can be captured.
Fleet operators and managers thus
fulfi l their legal requirements to archive
tachograph data with DLK Pro. In
addition, there is the DLKPro TIS-
Compact, designed for smaller fl eets
of fi ve to ten vehicles and containing
preinstalled software for data analysis.
Driver and vehicle data thus can be
quickly and simply visualised and
evaluated directly in the DLKPro
TIS-Compact and at the offi ce. Th e
DLKPro Inspection Key completes
the portfolio: authorities and fl eet
managers can use it for the simple
monitoring of permissible driving
time and identify possible violations
at a single glance. Th e individual
members of the product group easily
can be distinguished from each other
due to their diff erent colouring.
Aftermarket BusinessContinental Commercial Vehicles and
Aftermarket and Continental Tyre the
Americas, LLC’s Commercial Vehicle
Tyre business unit presented technologies
Our Bureau
Continental to widenfl eet management portfolio
Solutions for trucking
operations presented by
the company at the show
included the new HSL2
Eco Plus steer tyre & HDL2
Eco Plus Wide Base drive
tyre in super single sizes
to replace duals and the
HTL1 trailer tyre in
the category
DLKPro Product family
40 AFTERMARKET APRIL 2012
TECHNOLOGY
for trucking fl eets and drivers at the Mid-
America Trucking Show in Louisville
recently.
Its “Untamed Innovation” mobile
tyre exhibit targeted customers looking
for the latest tyre technologies and
aftermarket systems that drive their
business and create opportunities for
fuel savings, cost savings and regulatory
compliance, said Continental’s Director
of truck tyre marketing in the Americas,
Clif Armstrong.
Solutions for trucking operations
presented by the company at the show
included the new HSL2 Eco Plus
(Heavy Steer Long-Haul) steer tyre, the
new HDL2 Eco Plus Wide Base (Heavy
Drive Long-Haul) drive tyre in super
single size to replace duals and the HTL1
(Heavy Trailer Long-Haul) trailer tyre in
super single category.
Continental’s new
“ContiGOODSCasing”, will be
introduced with 2012 product launches
and provides lower rolling resistance, a
wider platform for increased mileage and
deeper treads and advanced capabilities
for re-treading through a more durable
shoulder, bead and belt package.
Th e company’s robust portfolio of new
tyres is complemented by fl at precure
tyre products that have the same tread
pattern and compounding for consistent
performance. ‘Axle’ is the new mascot for
Continental’s TrukFix emergency road
service programme for national accounts.
TrukFix provides one-call access to
Continental’s entire network of more
than 1,000 dealers and points of sale and
predictable, national pricing for tyres and
related services.
Th e company is looking to introduce
ContiPressureCheck, a tyre pressure
monitoring system for commercial
vehicle tyres. It integrates its sensors,
communication system and data processor
into a single module placed inside a
rubber container and glued to the inner
surface of the tyre. “Compatible with
all tyre makes, the ContiPressureCheck
system immediately detects any changes
in air pressure or temperature, and
sends warnings directly to the display
in the driver’s cab to avoid a tyre-
related breakdown before it occurs,” said
Armstrong.
Additionally, the company launched
VDO RoadLog Electronic On Board
Recorder (EOBR), an all-in-one solution
for daily log book and other compliance
reporting. RoadLog is designed to allow
drivers and fl eets to record and report
Hours of Service (HOS) and other key
compliance data quickly, easily and without
monthly fees. It automatically tracks the
driver’s on and off duty time and can provide
an instant paper report of accurate daily
log book data during road checks. VDO
RoadLog can also record data for a variety
of reports that can help make commercial
vehicle operations safer and more effi cient,
including Vehicle Maintenance and
Inspection (DVIR), International Fuel
Tax Agreement (IFTA) and International
Registration Plan (IRP).
“From OE quality replacement parts
to products that enhance safety and
profi tability, we are delighted to be able
to deliver a broad range of aftermarket
solutions that fl eets and independent
operators can use to keep their
commercial vehicles on the road and
operating effi ciently,” said Director of
sales, Continental Commercial Vehicles
& Aftermarket Business Unit, NAFTA
Phil McEwen. �
The target-group-oriented
products of the new DLK-
Pro family is the practical
key to the professional
handling of data in the
DTCO mass memory, the
driver card, the workshop
card, the control card for
authorities, and all com-
peting products
Fleet Application
APRIL 2012 AFTERMARKET 41
SPECIAL REPORT
QUALITY, wider availability of
aftersales service will not only increase
the number of vehicles coming for repair
and maintenance at the dealerships
but also gives impetus to the car sales.
According to a recent survey by Frost &
Sullivan, over 62 percent of the new car
buyers put aftersales service as the top
priority and another 31 percent consider
it somewhat important.
Th e study also revealed that for 72
percent of the new car buyers, brand
image plays key role while for 67 percent
fuel effi ciency of the car is on the top
priority. Quality of the product is the
most important element for 66 percent
people and for 31 percent it is somewhat
important factor. While manufacturers
reputation is the top priority for 54
percent of the new car buyers.
According to the study, prior
experience with the brands play a key
role for over 47 percent of car buyers
and for 39 percent of the car buyers
fi nds recommendations on the top of the
priorities. For 42 percent of the new car
buyers it is somewhat important factor.
Servicing TrendTh e shift from authorised service
centres to local repair shop and
organised independent service centres
Source: Frost & Sullivan analysis
Nabeel A Khan
Aftersales service top priority for car buyers: Frost & Sullivan
For regular repair jobs,
around 57 percent of
people go to the local
service centres, while 62
percent go to these places
for minor repairs. In case
of unscheduled mainte-
nance, 36 percent visit
local workshops while for
major or accident repairs
only 13 percent visit
local workshops
Service Channel Preference – By type of Service
Where do you generally take your vehicle when it comes to the followinWhere do you generally take your vehicle when it comes to the following?
42 AFTERMARKET APRIL 2012
SPECIAL REPORT
has been growing in recent years.
Th e authorised service centres have
been attracting only 39 percent of
the customers. While the organised
independent workshops have been
doing well, as around four percent of car
users avail of their services. However, a
whopping 57 percent of vehicle users go
to the local independent repair shops.
In diff erent categories of available
aftersales services, the preferences of the
customers vary based on the requirements.
Authorised workshops are preferred in
critical mechanical works as 83 percent
of car users go to authorised dealerships
for accidental repair and 78 percent of car
owners visit them in case of major repair.
For accidental repairs, customers
do not prefer independent organised
service centres, and only four percent of
customers or car owners opt for these
garages for accidental repair.
For regular repair jobs, around 57
percent of people go to the local service
centres while 62 percent go to these places
for minor repairs. In case of unscheduled
maintenance, 36 percent of users visit local
workshops while for major and accident
repairs, only 13 percent of the vehicle users
visit local workshops. In case of unscheduled
maintenance, around 48 percent of car users
visit authorised workshops.
“As over 70 percent of people service
their cars at local workshops, they
should have something unique to retain
their customers. So the organised multi-
rand and authorised service centres
should learn best practices like retaining
clients from the local repair shops.” said
Senior Research Analyst, Automotive
& Transportation Practice, Frost &
Sullivan, Aswin Kumar.
Part Reason Cost is the biggest deterrent for
71 percent of the car owners for not
visiting authorised service stations.
There is a perception among significant
proportion of vehicle owners that
the authorised service centres charge
higher prices for servicing compared
to unorganised or multi-brand
garages. Moreover, service warranty is
another major factor leading to
vehicle owners visiting the authorised
service stations.
Th e perception of getting overcharged
for basic maintenance at authorised
workshops keeps 41 percent car users
away. However, 35 percent of the car
users do not go to authorised workshops
because they think the dealerships
focused mostly on replacement and not
repair, according to F&S survey.
Timing For ShiftEighteen percent of car owners go to
authorised service centres for the fi rst 18
months and this percentage increases to
29 percent for the fi rst 19 to 24 months.
From the fi rst to third years after the
vehicle purchase, around 20 percent of
car buyers go to the authorised service
centres and the percentage dives to two
percent between fi fth and seventh year.
Services off ered at the local garages are
much better than the authorised service
centres according to 34 percent of the car
users. 20 percent of car users moved from
authorised service centres to the local
garages based on the recommendations
by friends and family.
Adding to this Kumar of F&S said “Word-
of mouth marketing is very important for
OEMs, if you make one customers happy,
then he will probably call his friends for
the service.” Authorised service station
has been priority in the Tier II cities, 83
percent people in Vizag and Lucknow,
while 79 percent in Patna go to authorised
service centres. Local independent service
stations are most popular in Ahmedabad
where over 94 percent people visit
unauthorised local workshops. Around 87
percent and 86 percent of people in Bhopal
and New Delhi respectively frequent
unauthorised workshops. �
Service Channel Preference by City for Scheduled Servicing
Where do you generally take your vehicle when it comes to regular servicing?
Cost is the biggest deter-
rent for 71 percent of car
owners for not visiting
authorised service sta-
tions. There is a percep-
tion that the authorised
service centres charge
higher prices for
servicing compared
to unorganised or
multi-brand garages
Where do you generally take your vehicle when it comes to regular servicing?
APRIL 2012 AFTERMARKET 43
INSIGHT & OUTLOOK
ONE of the goals of the recent white
paper from the European Commission is
that 30 percent of road freight transport
over 300 km should shift to other modes
such as rail or waterborne transport by
2030, and more than 50 percent by 2050
(European Commission, 2011). For the
purpose of a discussion on the feasibility
and implications of this target, this paper
reviews its rationale and the mechanisms
by which a substantial modal shift could
be achieved. Several concrete questions
emerge as to the realisation of the modal
shift target.
Modal shift: A Trend BreakClearly, the new target calls for a major
trend break in modal split. Looking back,
the autonomous trend in modal split over
the last 13 years shows an increase in the
share of road and sea transport. Th ere are
diff erent underlying trends that together
make up this picture, including:
• Increased value density of goods
and values of service, favouring road
transport
• Privatisation of transport markets in
Central & Eastern Europe countries,
also favouring road
• Strong internalisation and a modest
growth in domestic transport fl ows
• Decreasing shares of rail and
waterways transport
Th ese autonomous trends indicate that
an increase in rail and waterways was
not favoured by the market and that any
modal shift policies of the past have been
unable to change the share of the modes.
Th ere are, however, some autonomous
future tendencies within the logistics
and transport sector that might help
to break this trend; these occur both
on the demand and supply sides of the
transport system.
The Impact Of The Shift In order to get an idea of the impact
of this policy goal on the transported
volumes by transport mode in Europe, a
European trend scenario for the year 2030
based on a Trans-Tools run is analysed.
Th is analysis focuses on the transport
fl ows within the EU27 for the year 2030;
the year 2050 is not included. In the
European trend scenario, limited policy
measures are included to infl uence the
modal split. Th e 2030 database contains
information about origin regions,
destination regions, transport modes,
commodities, volume in tonnes and the
distance between regions.
As expected, most of the transport
volumes are carried over a distance of less
than 300 km. For road transport and all
commodities, 89 percent of the volume
is transported over a distance of less than
300 km, while 11 percent of the volume
is transported over a distance greater
than 300 km. Per commodity, the share
of transport above 300 km diff ers. Th e
commodities “other products”, chemicals,
metal products, crude oil and solid
mineral fuels have relatively high shares of
transport over distances above 300 km.
Note that these numbers refer to
tonnes lifted; the distribution of transport
performance (tonne/km) over distance
shows quite a diff erent picture: here the
majority of tonne-km (56 percent) is
moved below distances of 300 km.
In a next step, we focus on the transport
fl ows over a distance greater than 300
km. Since the European trend scenario
contains only a few policy measures that
infl uence the modal split, these results
can be regarded as the expected modal-
split baseline.
Of the total volume of over all
commodities, 75 percent is transported
by road, 21 percent by rail and four
percent by inland navigation (note that
the accessibility of inland navigation is
limited in the EU27). Commodities like
solid mineral fuels, petroleum products,
ores and metal waste, fertilisers and metal
products show relatively high shares of
rail and inland navigation.
If the modal split objective is applied
to these results, the modal split for the
Modal shift target for freight transport
In a TNO study from 2006,
the theoretical potential
for rail transport, inland
navigation and short
sea was determined for
Netherlands. The study
determined limiting fac-
tors, which helped deter-
mine the potential of rail,
inland navigation & short
sea for shipments
Lorant A Tavasszy TNO and Delft University of Technology, the Netherlands
Jaco van Meijeren TNO, the Netherlands
44 AFTERMARKET APRIL 2012
INSIGHT & OUTLOOK
total over all commodities will change
as indicated in the fi gure below. Th e
reduction of road transport by 30
percent leads to a decrease in the share
of road from 75 percent to 52 percent, an
increase of rail transport from 21 percent
to 39 percent and an increase of inland
navigation from four percent to eight
percent (if the shift of road transport is
equally distributed over rail and inland
navigation). Th is means that the volume
of rail and inland navigation increases by
88 percent. Th e question whether this is
a feasible scenario, from the perspective
of available railway capacity, is discussed
further in the paper. Th e commodities
with the highest potential of this
shift–simply in terms of volume of road
transport—are in the “other products”
category, in building minerals, chemical
products and foodstuff s.
To the extent that the market cannot
absorb the burden of internalisation of
external costs itself (ie, consumers are not
willing to pay extra for greener products),
this can be enforced through government
regulation, emissions trading schemes
or additional taxes or levies. Here,
government is needed to select, introduce
and maintain the fi nancial schemes,
limiting investments to those cases that
create a net social benefi t.
In a TNO study from 2006, the
theoretical potential for rail transport,
inland navigation and short sea was
determined for the Netherlands. From the
perspective of the demand of transport
fl ows (logistical requirements of the goods
to be moved), the study determined the
limiting factors for the theoretical potential
of alternative modes. Th ese factors were
used to determine the potential of rail,
inland navigation and short sea from the
perspective of shipments. Th e maximum
share for alternative modes of transport
in the Netherlands, according to these
criteria, came to 34 percent.
As this was a theoretical exercise, it is
only a crude indication of the potential.
For inland waterways, the realisation is
higher than the potential, due to factors
not taken into account. For rail transport,
the realisation was below the potential.
A doubling of fl ows for rail and inland
waterways would be an extreme scenario,
however, which would not fi t well to the
known characteristics of the goods.
In the study, the theoretical potential
for rail, inland navigation and short sea
was determined from the perspective
of the demand side of freight fl ows.
Of course, the supply side is also an
important factor: the availability of
capacity is an important requirement
and increasing congestion on the road or
transport charges can have a substantial
impact on the shares of the diff erent
transport modes.
In a CE /TRT study from 2011–
focusing on the potential of rail
transport—a literature study was
performed on studies of modal-shift
potential. A lot of studies were reviewed,
SOURCE Eurostat
Air | Pipelines | Inland Waterways | Rail | Sea | Road
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
4000
4500* 1000 mio tonnekm
0
1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
Modal spl it development 1995-2008 in the EU27
Of the total volume com-
modities, 75% is trans-
ported by road, 21% by
rail and 4% by inland
navigation. Commodities
like solid mineral fuels,
petroleum products, ores
& metal waste, show rela-
tively high shares of rail
and inland navigation
APRIL 2012 AFTERMARKET 45
INSIGHT & OUTLOOK
but in the end, it was concluded that
only two studies covered the maximum
potential in Europe. Th e other studies
had diff erent objectives, scope and
methodologies. Th e two relevant studies
are briefl y discussed below: Vassalo and
Fagan (2005). In addition to supply
and demand factors, several policies are
mentioned that infl uence the share of rail
in Europe:
• Insuffi ciently open markets
• Lack of interoperability
• Th e national focus of European
railways
• Allocation of railway capacity in
favour of passenger transport
• Lack of productivity-enhancing
infrastructure (longer trains, double
stack)
In a scenario with new policies that
repaired all the above-mentioned
defi ciencies, rail freight transport could
grow by 100 percent. Th e base potential
of road transport that can be shifted to
rail was estimated by EEA at 19 percent.
Two approaches are applied. In the fi rst,
a theoretical potential is based on trip
length and the assumption that the share
of rail can rise signifi cantly over longer
distances, leading to a growth in rail
transport of 100 percent. In the second,
factors such as distance, costs, quality of
supply and rail access are also included,
leading to a growth in rail transport in
Europe of seven percent.
Besides the demand side factors,
another important question that
determines the potential is whether there
is enough capacity in the other modes of
transport to absorb a doubling of fl ows.
In the EC /TRT study, an analysis was
made of the available free capacity of rail
infrastructure. Th e main fi nding was that,
if rail freight volume increased by more
than 30 percent to 40 percent, the current
rail network would not have suffi cient
capacity. We note that the free capacity
depends strongly on whether fl ows are
concentrated on corridors, the primary
network or the whole network. A recent
study on rail potential (CE, 2011) fi nds
that an increase in rail capacity is only
possible if the whole network can be
employed to absorb freight growth.
In a historical context of shrinking
infrastructure and service networks by
rail in Europe, this would require a re-
direction of investment, developing
terminal networks, upgrading technology
outside main lines and corridors and
a higher prioritisation of freight with
respect to passenger traffi c.
A Simple Mode Choice ModelBelow we discuss the eff ects of policy
using a simple theoretical model for mode
choice. Th e choice of mode in freight
transport has been well researched over
the past decades. Th e textbook model of
mode choice applied most often is based
on the trade-off between the out-of-
pocket costs of transport (the tariff paid
by the shipper) and the lead-time between
origin and destination. Transport time is
Evolution Of Logistics Networks Through Time*
s• direct shipping• v ertical disintegration
external collaboration• multi -user hub networks• h orizontal bundling
1990 2000 2010 2020
internal rationalisation• s tock reduction• outsourcing 3PL => 4P L
* The dark dots (top, left) indicate suppliers, the light ones (right, bottom) indicate consumers,and the black triangles warehouses and cross-dock locations
Improved interoperability
will not only infl uence
strategic mode choice de-
cisions by improving the
service level of rails, but
also allow new dynamic
approaches to emerge,
within shipping and
forwarding companies
46 AFTERMARKET APRIL 2012
INSIGHT & OUTLOOK
weighted by the value of time (measured
in euro/hr, per shipment or tonne). Th e
weighted sum of tariff s and time is
called the generalised costs of transport
and determines the attractiveness of
transport modes. Shippers will choose
those alternatives that have the lowest
generalised costs. In mathematical
notation:
GCm,g = VOTg*Tm + Pm where
GC = Generalised Costs;
VOT = Value Of Time; T = Time;
P = Price and subscripts:
M = Mode of transport;
G = good
Th e value of time of transport is closely
related to the logistics characteristics of
goods (see e.g., Blauwens and Van de
Voorde, 1988 for a discussion). Time-
related cost drivers include physical
characteristics, such as the value density
of goods, their perishability, as well
as other characteristics, such as order
lead-time and production technology.
An indication of the infl uence of value
density on mode choice is that the value
density of goods decreases for slower
and cheaper modes of transport. Th is
distribution is not fi xed, however, and
may change if prices or transport times
change in the system.
Supply Side ChangesTh ere are many changes on the supply
side of the transport market that are
relevant for modal shift; examples of
these include the following:
• Deterioration in the performance of
road, through pricing, changes in cost
components such as driver wages or
fuel prices, increased regulation and
congestion
• Improvement in the performance
of rail and waterways transport, in
time dimension (through increased
frequency, reliability, etc.) or tariff s,
information availability (transparency
of schedules).
Th e eff ect of changes in transport times is
less well studied. Elasticities for changes
in the transport time of other modes
of transport in competition with road
transport vary widely (dependent on
the type of product), but may be around
unity (a 10 percent decrease of transport
time or increase in frequency can result
in 10 percent increase in volume).
It is questionable, however, whether
these elasticities could be applied to
major changes in transport times. In
any case, a doubling of fl ows would
require a substantial improvement in
transport performance.
In addition to policy, there will be
autonomous trends that will determine
future modal split:
• New technologies will change the
appearance of the por tfolio of transport
services on the European network:
modes will be able to provide better
service through seamless integration.
• Improved interoperability will not
only infl uence strategic mode choice
decisions by improving the service level
of rail, as intended by the policy; it will
also allow new dynamic approaches
towards mode choice to emerge, within
shipping and forwarding companies.
• Real-time information on network
performance and open, a modal
transport booking systems will allow
fl exible consolidation schemes and
dynamic switching between modes.
Demand Side ChangesChanges on the demand side that
can lead to a modal shift are less
straightforward to explain than supply
side changes, as they require a change
in the logistics processes. In our choice
model, a move away from road transport
would be achieved if the VOT, or
time sensitivity of the goods were to
decrease.
Where fi rms are able to reduce the
VOT, their generalised costs of transport
would already decrease even if they used
the same mode of transport. Examples of
measures to slow down fl ows include:
• Reduction of perishability with
improved conditioning (example:
fl owers in reefer containers)
• Increasing slack in the supply
chain with higher inventories,
increasing shipment sizes and
lead -time (example: urban
consolidation centres)
• Horizontal cooperation with other
shippers to consolidate shipments
(example: Dutch GreenRail system)
Note that these changes are very
diffi cult, if not impossible, to induce
or infl uence through public policy.
Th ese measures are not even easy to
implement for companies themselves,
as they require a careful reconsideration
and reorganisation of logistics structures
and operations. Companies are
generally well aware of typical issues,
such as the trade off between transport
and inventory costs, or the benefi ts of
improved conditioning.
However, other measures are more
complex, such as the creation of hybrid
networks, where logistics channels are
split into two or more parallel channels,
according to demand volume and
variability. Currently, such innovations
are still decades away for many
companies. At the same time, it is part
of a long term autonomous evolution of
supply chains and will, sooner or later,
transform the industry. �
What determines the po-
tential is whether there
is enough capacity in
other modes of transport
to absorb a doubling of
fl ows. An analysis found
that if rail freight volume
increased, the current rail
network would not have
suffi cient capacity
APRIL 2012 AFTERMARKET 47
PAINT & REFINISH
Bhargav TS
Bosch offers fi nishing edgeBANGALORE-BASED Bosch Power
Tools has entered into the paint and
refi nishing business to support the Indian
automotive aftermarket business. After
acquiring the SIA Abrasives, Bosch has
access to all its products comprising
painting and refi nishing systems.
With the help of SIA Abrasives, the
Bosch Power Tools division intends to
strengthen its focus on surface technology,
and to extend its existing portfolio. Bosch
Sanders assures the smoothening of
rough and hardened edges that are made
by using body fi llers and primers to fi ll
dents, scratches and marks on the vehicle
exteriors. Th e varied accessories such as
buffi ng and polishing pads from SIA
Abrasives along with the new range of
Bosch Polishers help in further enhancing
the fi nish.
“When it comes to innovative abrasives,
SIA Abrasives is one of the world’s top
three suppliers,” said Country Manager,
Marketing, Bosch Power Tools, Rakesh
Handoo. He also added that the time
consumed for the paint and refi nishing
work will be less when compared to the
normal tools used in the industry.
Elaborating on the denting procedure,
Handoo said, “Normally the dents in
the vehicles are mechanical in nature
because it is a metal body, which can
be removed either by using the vacuum
suction on the dent or it can be removed
by tinkering process. Th en the body
fi llers were used to fi ll the gaps. For the
fi nishing process, Bosch Sanders will be
used for body fi ller for sanding. After the
putty has been dried, again the sanders
are used for fi nishing. Once the putty is
done one uses the primer spray, which
will be coarse in nature, to remove these
coarse materials, again the Bosch sanders
are used to remove the same. For all
these applications, the tool remains the
same except the grade of the sand paper
varies. Th is eliminates the changing tool
time and enables better fi nish.”
While painting the vehicle, there will
be lot of dust particles present in the
atmosphere like dust snips and orange
peel, which causes damages to paint and
peel of easily. To avoid it, Bosch’s rubbing
compound plays a vital role in removing
the dust snips. Once the clear coat is done,
wool backup pad is used as a fi rst process
to take out the dust snips and take out the
orange peel. Following this, the fi nishing
compound which is normally called it as
polish is done to make the fi nal process.
With the help of SIA products, Bosch
Power Tools make the process easier and
faster and the quality is also maintained
on par with the OE fi nish.
Handoo said, “While using the manual
spray guns in the paint shop, there will
be a lot of orange peel on the paint and
there might be dust particles present in
the atmosphere, which will aff ect the
quality of the paint. Th erefore with the
help of wool backup pad, we can enhance
the quality of the painting process. Th ere
are many workshops which are in the
roadsides and have more dust in the air.
With the help of these products we can
address those workshops needs.”
Normally the paint fi nishing process
comprises three steps—One is the rubbing
compound, then fi nishing compound and
fi nally hand waxing. For these processes,
generally the workers require three diff erent
kinds of tools to be used. However, with
the help of Bosch tools, one can execute
the same with a single tool that reduces the
time by 50 percent when compared to the
regular tool.
For drying the primers and putty
surfaces faster, Bosch has hot air guns that
are extensively used in the paint booths.
Th e tool is perfectly suited to thawing,
drying, speeding-up the drying process
of glued connections, shaping, and dust-
free removal of paint. Th is gamut of tools
assures to deliver results even on curved
surfaces with ease and convenience. �
Bosch Power Tools
division intends to
strengthen its focus
on surface technology
with SIA Abrasives, and
to extend its existing
portfolio
Bosch’s pain and refinish solution
48 AFTERMARKET APRIL 2012
SPECIAL REPORT
THERE is mixed response for the
Union Budget 2012 presented by the
Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee,
from the automotive aftermarket players.
Th e increase in service tax has become
a worry, however, it has been increased
across board and so the impact is not
only for the auto industry.
Except for not directly taxing the
diesel vehicle, the Budget has very little
cheer, especially for the auto industry.
And it is evident from the muted
response elicited from the auto sector
for the Budget. While the pundits say
that the minister has tried to strike a
balance between the necessity for growth
and fi scal compulsions, the impetus for
growth should be more to achieve the
GDP target of 7.6 percent in 2012-13.
Th e FM has outlined concrete steps
towards implementation of Direct Tax
Code (DTC) and the GST. Customs
duty remains unchanged for auto
components—however, it may not help
the sector as the expenditure will be
increased due to increase in service tax
and excise duty. Increase in customs duty
on the fl at-rolled steel from fi ve percent
to seven percent could unfavourably
impact the auto component sector as this
is one of the key input materials for the
industry.
According to the Chairman of Vikas
Group and Auto Vikas Sales & Service
Pvt Ltd, Praveen Agarwal, “the service
tax has been increased for all the sectors
at the equal levels, so it will impact the
automobile aftermarket in the same
manner as any other industry. However,
I don’t see much adverse impact of the
budget on the dealership or aftersales
business. Th e increase in excise duty
was even less than what the industry
was expecting.” Auto Vikas owns GM
dealerships and workshop in Delhi.
Similarly, Amit Manaktala who owns
Topsel Toyota in Kolkata said, the
increase in service tax is going to impact
the sales of vehicles. “Th e increase is
excise duty for big car is unfair, especially
for products like Innova which is also
used for public transport,” he said.
Timeline For GST In the Budget, the body-building of
commercial vehicles has now got an ad
valorem duty of three percent, but “I need
to go through the fi ne print to comment
on this. If it is promoting the unorganised
sector then it is not very healthy, the
President of SIAM, S Sandilya has said.
Th ere were several positive outcomes that
the auto industry had expected that the
FM will come out with specifi c timelines
for introduction of DTC and how
petroleum subsidies would be addressed.
Th e road map for implementation of
Goods & Services Tax (GST) has not
been given except for stating that the
necessary constitutional amendments
will be taken up and the platform for
implementation will be operationalised
by August 2012. Th e Executive Director,
ACMA, Vinnie Mehta said, “We are glad
that the Finance Minister has outlined
concrete steps towards implementation
of DTC and the GST. We do hope that
these critical reforms are undertaken and
implemented at the earliest.”
Another aspect that SIAM had not
expected was the increase in customs
duty on non-alloy fl at rolled steel
products, which will infl uence price of
steel and impact costs of manufacturing
in India. According to Mehta, this
could unfavourably impact the auto
component sector as this is one of the
key input materials for the industry. He
said the enhancement of excise duty
would adversely impact the prices of
vehicles and in turn their consumption.
Th is is of concern to the auto component
sector as the sector grows in tandem
with the vehicle industry. Th ese changes
in taxes and duties will increase the
cost of ownership for the customers
Our Bureau
The Budget Effect?
Anand Sundaresan, MD, Schwing Stetter
Vinnie Mehta, Executive Director, ACMA
APRIL 2012 AFTERMARKET 49
SPECIAL REPORT
when they go for after sales service for
their vehicles.
Jt MD, Hero MotoCorp, Sunil Munjal
said the excise and service tax should not
have been increased, especially at a time
when the growth is nebulous already. Th is
may lead to increased pricing. But the
focus on SMEs and other manufacturing
sector is positive.
“I am disappointed that due to political
compulsions, the FM has not been able
to implement the many steps required
to give a strong boost to the economy.
One would wish that the politics of the
country was better coordinated, with a
consensus on economic policies among
various political parties, to enable bold
economic measures to be implemented,”
said Chairman, Force Motors, Dr
Abhay Firodia.
According to the General Manager
(Market Development), Maha India
Automotive Testing Equipment Private
Limited Rengarajan, the increased service
tax, excise duty and custom duty has not
aff ected the company much. Th e company,
which is primarily into automation
inspection certifi cation and also supplying
testing equipment such as brake testers,
suspension testers for OEM authorised
service stations, has been importing testers
for the less than two years. So far it has not
aff ected badly with the increased duties
especially on imports.
MD, Scania Commercial Vehicles India,
Henrik Fagrenius said the government
has taken a step in the right direction
in placing emphasis on developing the
infrastructure in the country. However,
“we believe that this will gain momentum
when the GST regime is implemented
and the FDI into multi-brand retail entry
into the country is approved. We do hope
to hear positive news on this at the earliest
that will go a long way in the development
of the Indian economy.
According to the Managing Director
of Schwing Stetter, Anand Sundaresan,
the increase in service tax and excise
duty from 10 percent to 12 percent was
expected and didn't come as a surprise.
According to the Director, Metals &
Minerals Practice, Frost & Sullivan—
South Asia, Middle East and North Africa,
Venkatesan Subramanian, the steam coal
(classifi ed under CTH 2701 19 20) is
being fully exempted from basic customs
duty along with one percent CVD; full
Basic Customs Duty (BCD) exemption
is being extended to coal mining projects.
Basic Customs Duty (BCD) is being
reduced to 2.5 percent for the capital
goods/ equipment required for setting up
or substantial expansion of iron ore pellet
plants and iron ore benefi ciation plants.
On account of these initiatives, steel
plants will benefi t through since good
quality coal imports could be used as fuel.
With the exemption of customs duty
and CVD, price of coal will reduce and
keep domestic coal prices under check.
Th is will in turn reduce the production
costs of steel and thereby improve steel
companies’ profi tability. Also, the duty
exemption for coal mining projects and
duty reduction of mining equipment
for iron ore plants would promote coal
mining activity and iron ore pellet plants
and enhance the availability of coal and
iron pellets for the steel industry.
Secondly, the BCD on fl at-rolled
products of non-alloy steel whether
or not clad, plated or coated falling in
headings 7208, 7209, 7210, 7211, and
7212 is being increased from fi ve percent
to 7.5 percent. Due to this the imported
fl at rolled products will become more
expensive. Th is will protect domestic
steel plants as it will shield them from
the competitive pricing from imports.
Warehousing Programme Manager, Transportation &
Logistics Practice, Frost & Sullivan, South
Asia, Middle East and North Africa,
Srinath Manda said that the measure
announced in the Budget of investment
linked deduction of capital expenditure
is likely to make investments into
warehousing a further attractive option
driving their development and growth.
Th ough there is no direct impact to
the aftermarket, the increase in excise
duty and service tax will infl ate the cost
structure. Th e overheads for the service
centre will shoot up further aff ecting
the bottom line of every business in the
aftermarket value chain. Moreover, there
will be slight surge in the aftermarket
activities due to postponement of new
vehicle purchase.
Th ere is no doubt that the Budget is
indirectly infl uencing the automotive
aftermarket. �-With inputs from Abhishek Parekh,
Nabeel A Khan, Shambhavi Anand and
Bhargav TS
Pawan Goenka, President, Automotive & Farm Equipment Sectors, M&M
Praveen Agarwal, Chairman of Vikas Group & Auto Vikas Sales & Service
50 AFTERMARKET APRIL 2012
GLOBAL
50
Honda Institute conferred ‘outstanding’ gradeHONDA (UK)’s apprenticeship
programme, delivered by its training
facility, the Honda Institute, has been given
an ‘outstanding’ grading from Ofsted—the
Offi ce for Standards in Education.
Inspectors carried out the report in
January 2012 using a variety of methods
such as questionnaires, observing learning
sessions and group and individual
interviews. A key paragraph from the
reports states that “the overall eff ectiveness
of Honda’s apprenticeship programme is
outstanding and the programme provides
exceptional value for money. Learners
enjoy their training and develop excellent
occupational skills, making a highly valued
contribution to their workplace”.
Th e report uses a four point scale
to grade the report (From one =
outstanding to four = inadequate) and
the record of main fi ndings state that the
apprenticeship programme scores a grade
of one in each of the following main areas
such as overall eff ectiveness, outcomes
for learners, quality of provision and
leadership and management.
Th e Honda apprenticeship programme
takes place over two years for Lawn and
Garden and Marine; and three years for
cars, parts operations and motorcycle/ATV.
During this time, apprentices are employed
by their local Honda dealership and attend
block training at the Honda Institute
working on products within one of the fi ve
divisions. Qualifi ed apprentice graduates
achieve an Intermediate Apprenticeship
for Lawn & Garden and Marine; and an
Advanced Apprenticeship for Cars, Parts
Operations and Motorcycle/ATV.
Technical Training Operations
Manager, Paul Taylor at the Honda
Institute commented, “Th e Honda
Institute is the home of Honda’s people
development and we work hard to support
skill and knowledge in our car, motorcycle
and power equipment networks. A good
understanding of both the economics
of our industry and people’s desire to
learn and improve is fundamental to our
operation. Having the right skill and
knowledge to look after our products
is key to maintaining performance and
reliability. Our customers expect highly
trained and skilled technicians in our
network of dealerships and that’s exactly
what we deliver through apprenticeships.
“Th e grading from Ofsted is a real
testament to the professionalism and
passion of our people and underpins
everything we do. Graduates from the
Honda Apprentice Programme make
up 20 percent of Honda (UK)’s car and
motorcycle technicians, a grading of
‘outstanding’ reinforces that we are getting
it right.” Honda (UK)’s apprenticeship
programme has recently scored 90.8
percent—14.4 percent above the national
average—for its completion rates and 89.8
percent—24.5 percent above the national
average—for its ‘timely success’ score. As
their titles suggest, completion rates show
how many apprentices actually fi nish the
apprenticeship programme and timely
success rates show how many apprentices
complete within the time frame promised
by Honda (UK). Scoring is carried out
quarterly by the Skills Funding Agency
(SFA)—the funding body for national
apprenticeships.
Th e Honda Institute was opened
in 2001, and is the home of people
development for Honda in the UK.
Working with sector skills and industry
bodies, the Honda Institute provides
a measurable contribution to business
performance. Some 10,000 people are
employed in Honda dealer networks, and
the Institute delivers around 25,000 days
worth of training every year. �
Honda Institute gets outstanding grading from Ofsted
APRIL 2012 AFTERMARKET 51
GLOBAL
CITROEN UK has started a new
interactive direct mail campaign to raise
awareness for its new fl agship DS5—
the third model in Citroen’s distinctive
DS line. Th e campaign was designed
by creative agency We Are Acuity,
and incorporated digital watermarks
and attached digital content created
by print-to-mobile specialists Digital
Space. Th e digital watermarks are used
in conjunction with the Digital Space
smartphone app, to provide an interactive
experience direct from the page to a
smart phone.
Over 200,000 target customers
will receive the interactive mailer, of
which, there are 192 versions, each
personalised with a dealer’s details and
invisible digital watermarks for DS3,
DS4 and DS5—making a total of 576
individual watermarks. To experience
the mailer in action, customers can
download the ‘Digital Space’ app
on their phones and scan the digital
watermarks embedded in the images
on the mailer. A dealer personalised
phone app is shown to the customer
upon scanning the image, helping to
drive leads and traffi c direct to the
relevant retailer.
From the app, customers can view nine
images and three videos for each of the
DS line models, as well as their local
dealer’s full address. Th ey also have the
ability to participate with a number of
calls to action. Th ese include making a
call to their dealer, requesting a brochure,
requesting a call back, booking a test
drive or expressing an interest in a ‘DS
Discovery Day’.
Citroen dealerships have organised
DS Discovery Days since last month,
as part of the offi cial launch of New
DS5 this month. With a DS-focused
display in showrooms, or at off -site
venues, the DS Discovery Days are a
stylish and engaging way for customers
and prospects to discover and experience
DS5 with the full DS line up.
Th e app also allows Citroen to help
measure the success of the mailing piece,
with insightful reporting dashboards
enabling a clearer understanding of how
the customer engaged with the content.
All interactions within the app can be
collected, managed and directed to the
relevant dealers.
Acuity’s Managing Director, Peter
Cronin said, “Brands in this space
are particularly keen to engage with
customers and to build themselves into
a lifestyle. Social media is particularly
topical, as well as other emerging
technologies and apps. However, print
is still a great method of communicating
with customers en masse. Inspite of the
unprecedented levels of personalisation
now achievable by digital print, the
vast majority of direct mail still follows
a fairly generic model of a standard
print piece, possibly personalised with
a dealer’s details. Th is new approach
represented a great opportunity for
Citroen UK to further stand out from
its competitors.”
Director at Digital Space, James
McIntosh said, “We were delighted
to be involved with Citroën in such
a campaign and off er our expertise in
bridging the gap between offl ine and the
mobile web. We delivered a solution that
enables the consumer to access mobile
content directly from the creative piece,
with clearly defi ned and measured calls
to action.” �
Digital watermarkingdrives Citroën campaign
New direct marketing campaign for Citroen uses interactive digital watermarking
52 AFTERMARKET APRIL 2012
GLOBAL
52
EUROPE car hire service company,
Europcar, is inviting motorists to test
electric vehicles. It believes that by
hiring, business and leisure renters would
discover electric cars off er a really cost-
eff ective and environmentally-friendly
way to get around the Capital and this
could help in encouraging more motorists
to buy electric in the future. Th ree years
since Boris Johnson announced his plan
to make London the electric car capital
of Europe, it was reported last month
that only 588 extra electric cars have been
registered in the city.
Managing Director, Europcar UK
Group, Ken McCall said, “It could be the
ideal option for motorists keen to reduce
their fuel costs and avoid congestion
charges. Buying an electric car is a big step
to take, but hiring one enables motorists
to check that the new technology can
meet their expectations without taking an
expensive risk. New fi gures suggest that
London is being slow to embrace electric
cars.” But it could be the ideal option for
motorists keen to reduce their fuel costs
and avoid congestion charges.
Europcar has recently added the
100 percent electric Nissan Leaf to its
fl eet in London. With 400 charging
points now installed across the city,
the company believes that the ideal
time for motorists to test out the
new technology has arrived. Hiring
a Leaf could be the ideal option for
motorists keen to reduce their fuel
costs and avoid congestion charges.
At the forefront of electric vehicle
technology, it fi ts perfectly with our
philosophy of pioneering sustainable
car hire solutions, giving customers a
real choice when it comes to car hire.
Th e LEAF has a homologated range
of 108 miles (175 km), which is more
than 90 percent of Europeans drive
in a day. And although it is as easy
to drive as a conventional car, every
Europcar customer hiring a Leaf will
be given a face-to-face handover by
a Europcar representative who has
been fully trained on the car and its
workings. Plus, Europcar will recharge it
completely free of charge, even waiving
the standard service fee usually made for
vehicle refuelling.
“Europcar continues to invest in the
quality of our fl eet and that includes
electric cars, to ensure we off er the widest
possible choice of vehicles. With access
to the new generation of electric vehicles,
Europcar customers can try before they
buy or just enjoy the cost savings on short
city trips,” concluded McCall. �
Europcar to help charge EV usage
Buying an electric
car is a big step
to take, but hiring one
enables motorists to
check that the new
technology can meet their
expectations without
taking an
expensive risk
Nissan Leaf available for rental at Europcar Nissan
APRIL 2012 AFTERMARKET 53
GLOBAL
MERCEDES-BENZ UK has launched
its revamped national fl eet website—
www.mercedes-benz.co.uk/fleet—as
part of a new campaign, designed to
continue raising the profi le of the brand
amongst the fl eet and leasing market.
Comparative AnalysisTh e new fl eet site is designed to be
an easy-to-use tool to highlight that
Mercedes-Benz vehicles are a cost-
eff ective solution for fl eet and small
business, by showing all current off ers on
the cars, tax calculators and information,
model cost comparison charts, price lists
and e download brochures.
Head of Fleet at Mercedes-
Benz, Nick Andrews said: “We are
delighted to launch our refreshed and
restructured fleet website, which now
has the ability to serve content to all
audiences—company car drivers, small
business, fleet managers and chauffeur
business. We have also added a new
‘meet the team’ page to launch our
great fleet sales team to the market and
make it much easier for people to get
in touch.
“Th is new website highlights our
commitment to make Mercedes-Benz
UK much easier to deal with for the
fl eet market; this is an important step
in making our fl eet strategy a reality.”
Mercedes-Benz UK is the sales and
marketing organisation responsible for
all Daimler products and services in
Britain.
Wider CoverageAs well as selling cars, vans, trucks,
parts, and service, the company runs
Mercedes-Benz World at Brooklands -
a brand experience centre in Weybridge,
Surrey. Mercedes-Benz World has
welcomed 1.5 million visitors since it
opened in 2006.
Th e Mercedes-Benz UK group
of companies directly employs over
4000 people, and 11,000 colleagues
at independent retailers. Over
500 Apprentices have passed their
professional qualifi cations at the
company’s in-house Training Academy.
Th e UK is also home to Mercedes-
Benz HighPerformanceEngines and the
Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula 1
team, where 1000 dedicate their work to
Grand Prix Engineering. �
We have also added a
new ‘meet the team’
page to launch our fl eet
sales team to the mar-
ket and make it much
easier for people to get
in touch— Nick Andrews,
Head Of Fleet, MB
New online avatar to raise Mercedes-Benz profi le
The new site is designed
to be an easy-to-use tool
to highlight that MB
vehicles are a cost-effec-
tive solution for fl eet &
small business, by show-
ing all current offers on
the cars, tax calculators &
other information
54 AFTERMARKET APRIL 2012
GLOBAL
MERCEDES-BENZ has retained
the contract to supply HSS Hire, the
national supplier of tool and equipment
hire and services, with its fl eet of
commercial vans. In 2009, HSS selected
Mercedes-Benz as its sole van supplier,
having been impressed with the safety,
reliability and environmental credentials
of the range. As the vans come to the
end of their lease, Mercedes-Benz has
now secured the contract to supply all
replacement units, as well as a range of
new vehicles.
HSS trials have shown that Mercedes-
Benz vehicles are out on the road, rather
than in a workshop, for twice as long as
other vans, off ering better reliability and
fewer maintenance issues. In addition,
the use of Eco-Start in the Sprinters
has lead to a signifi cant reduction in
fuel consumption for the company; a
major saving for running expenses and
environmental impact.
Further reductions were also seen
in the number of vehicle accidents,
which dropped considerably thanks to
the extensive safety systems, including
Adaptive ESP stability programme,
seat belt tensioners and adaptive
brake lights, all fi tted as standard on
Mercedes-Benz vans.
Th e latest consignment consists of
170 Sprinter 313CDI Long Chassis
cabs as well as 25 Vito 113CDI Long
Panel vans. Th e Sprinters, which will be
used for collection and delivery of HSS
hired equipment, feature a 13 ft 6” alloy
dropside Arnold Clark body with a 500
kg column tail lift and towing upgrades
to 6,300 kg.
Alongside the Sprinter, 313CDIs
are the brand new addition to the HSS
fl eet, in the shape of 25 Vitos with
tailgate and internal racking and storage
solutions, which will be used primarily
for onsite maintenance and repair of
hire equipment. Fleet Manager, Lee
Jackson at HSS, said, “At HSS, safety
is paramount so making sure that the
vans we chose off ered sophisticated
safety features played a large part in our
decision making process. In addition,
the reliability of Mercedes-Benz
vehicles and the service and support
they off er will help keep us on the road
and make sure we are better equipped
to serve our customers.
“We’ve introduced the Vitos to our
range as they off er an increased payload
and better mpg, which will mean our
fi tters can carry more parts and attend
to more customers in any one trip”.
Van Sales and Marketing Director for
Mercedes-Benz UK, Steve Bridge, said,
“HSS is a perfect example of why keeping
a business moving is so important,
especially in the current climate, and
thanks to the team at Mercedes-Benz
UK and at Enza Motors, we have been
able to provide the right vehicles to
deliver the right results for HSS.” Th e
vehicles, sold by Enza Motors, based in
Warrington, will be maintained via the
Mercedes-Benz dealer network. �
HSS Hire renews MB fl eet contract
Trials have shown
that Mercedes-Benz
vehicles are out on the
road, rather than in a
workshop, for twice
as long as other vans,
offering better reliability
and fewer maintenance
issues
Mercedes Benz retains HSS Hire fleet contract Mercedes
APRIL 2012 AFTERMARKET 55
GLOBAL
TOYOTA has introduced a new
Approved Used Car Warranty
programme to give even greater peace
of mind and support for customers
buying older and high-mileage vehicles.
Th is refl ects how built-in Toyota quality
is giving owners the opportunity to
purchase extended warranty cover for
used cars.
Under the new programme, customers
buying a Toyota Approved Used Car
with up to 150,000 recorded miles
will be given a minimum 12 months'
warranty, with the easy option to top-up
the extended warranty to provide up to
fi ve years' cover. Th is is a Toyota-backed
warranty, not a third-party insurance
product.
Easy Payment OptionsIf the used car is less than five years
old when purchased, up to 48 months'
warranty can be added; if it is between
five and eight years old, up to an extra
24 months can be purchased. To make
access to the extended warranty options
more flexible, Toyota has launched new
monthly payment plans. Customers
can spread the cost of their cover
across a fixed term of up to 48 months,
subject to the age and condition of
their vehicle.
Th e terms of the Toyota Approved
Used Car Warranty mean that, should
any part covered by the warranty fail,
it will be fi xed at an offi cial Toyota
Service Centre, using genuine Toyota
replacement parts. Th ere is no charge to
the customer for parts or labour; they
are only required to pay for scheduled
annual servicing and maintenance (more
frequently for higher mileage use).
Club ToyotaTh e warranty includes MoT test
cover and it can be upgraded to include
roadside assistance through membership
of Club Toyota. Th e extended warranty
includes 12 months' club membership.
Manager Vehicle Remarketing &
Cost of Ownership, Iain McCall, said:
"We believe our new extended
warranty programme gives our customers
what they really need, with similar protection
and peace of mind that come with the fi ve-
year warranty on all our new vehicles. �
The terms of the Toyota
Approved Used Car Warranty
mean that, should any part
covered by the warranty fail,
it will be fi xed at an offi cial
Toyota Service Centre, using
genuine Toyota replacement
parts. The warranty includes
MoT test cover and it can
be upgraded to include
roadside assistance through
membership of Club Toyota.
Toyota’s new programme warrants customer support
Toyota’s used car outlet
56 AFTERMARKET APRIL 2012
GLOBAL
THE Institute of Customer Service
has honoured BMW Group UK for its
commitment to excellent and innovative
customer satisfaction presenting the
company with the prestigious Kcom
Customer Feedback Strategy Award.
Presented to BMW Group UK's
fi rst Customer Director, Richard Price,
the award recognised in particular the
customer service system in operation in
all BMW and MINI UK dealerships
that allows every customer to rate their
experience on a fi ve star scale and write
specifi c comments on dealer websites.
"Th is award recognises our commitment
to providing the very best service for our
customers and there is absolutely no
doubt that satisfi ed customers drive the
success or failure of businesses," said
Managing Director of BMW Group UK,
Tim Abbott. "We are determined to put
the customer at the heart of everything
we do and Richard's appointment to the
new role of Customer Director is key in
making sure this is a fundamental part of
our overall business strategy."
With eleven categories, award
submissions are scored against pre-set
criteria by a panel of industry experts and
fi nalists are assessed by an independent
group of judges selected for their business
knowledge and acumen.
Customer Director, BMW Group
UK, Richard Price added: "We are
delighted by this award, particularly as
BMW Group was the only automotive
organisation across all categories to make
it into the fi nals. Our star ratings, a fi rst
of its kind in the automotive industry,
help all BMW and Mini customers
to make informed choices and inspire
everybody in the company and in our
dealer network to strive constantly to
provide better customer service." �
JOHNSON Controls Inc will implement
an eight percent price increase on lead-
acid batteries sold in the United States
and Canada from May this year.
Air Quality Standards“Johnson Controls supports the
rational tightening of standards such
as the National Ambient Air Quality
Standard and the National Emission
Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants,”
said President, Johnson Controls Power
Solutions, Alex Molinaroli. He added,
in a press statement, that the standards
have tightened ten-fold and would
require signifi cant investment from
manufacturers.
More stringent national air standards
for lead emissions were issued by the
United States Environmental Protection
Agency in 2008 and again as recently as
January 2012. Johnson Controls also
anticipates increased standards related
to employee safety and employee blood
lead levels. According to Molinaroli, the
company is investing $162 million on its
North American recycling centres to be
sure they meet the latest environmental
standards, as well as an additional $50
million to further improve the company’s
already industry-leading employee blood
lead levels at its battery manufacturing
facilities.
Johnson Controls is a global auto
component supplier employing around
162,000 people. It supplies lead-acid
automotive batteries and advanced
batteries for hybrid and electric vehicles
as well interior systems for automobiles.
Johnson Controls Power Solutions is a
leading lead-acid automotive batteries
and advanced batteries for start-stop,
hybrid and electric vehicles. Th e
company’s 50 manufacturing, recycling
and distribution centres supply more
than one-third of the world’s lead-
acid batteries to major automakers and
aftermarket retailers. �
BMW Group UK honoured by Institute of Customer Service
Johnson Controls raises batteries prices
Award submissions are
scored against pre-set
criteria by a panel of
industry experts and
fi nalists are assessed by
an independent group of
judges selected for their
business knowledge
and acumen
PRODUCTS
APRIL 2012 AFTERMARKET 57
Vehicle Security and Tracking DevicesTCOP is a GSM-based vehicle security and track-ing device. At the core of GSM-based tracking solution is a proprietary hardware device that has com-ponents, like power adapter, antenna, central processing unit, device software. Th e device is fi tted in each of the mobile assets to be tracked and it contains a GSM communication engine that stays in synchronised contact with the GSM network, via SIM. Th e central processing unit in the device runs on custom software that communicates with the GSM network and gets location information from the nearest GSM tower. Th is information translates into a user-readable format and sends an SMS using the GSM network to a mobile phone.
i-Trans Technologies Pvt Ltd Bengaluru - Karnataka Tel: 080-26788000
Email: [email protected]
All-Purpose Foam Cleaners THE Cyclo MaxClean is all-purpose foam cleaner that contains specialty deter-gents, which cleans and restores colour and appearance. With deep-cleaning foaming action the foam cleaner works as great as spot carpet cleaner. Boosted with orange oil it is a natural cleaner and has a pleas-ant citrus fragrance. Th e cleaner removes bad odours from the seat, covers, and car-pets. Th e Cyclo MaxClean foam cleaner is used on plastic, vinyl, carpet and fabric. It is available in packaged form of 624 gm.
Pidilite Industries Ltd Mumbai - Maharashtra Tel: 022-33087000
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.pidilite.com
Stacker Parking Systems THESE are st acker parking sys-tems for parking of two cars. Th e parking syst ems are equipped with a single platform, allowing long-term parking on the upper level and short-term parking on the lower one. For use of the upper platform vehicle from the lower parking space is removed. Th ese syst ems are suitable for medium and large buildings and can also be inst alled into exist -ing buildings. A lengthwise or breath wise arrangement may be select ed according to the condition of the site.
Kamex Mechanised Parking Jaipur - RajasthanTel: 0141-6511501
Email: contact @kamexparking.com
Website: www.kamexparking.com
Composite Impact Wrenches
THE new Chicago Pneumatic CP7748 is a durable and powerful ½” impact wrench in the entry level composite range. It is an aff ordable tool yet very reliable for tyre shops, general maintenance on vehi-cles and light industrial maintenance. Features
include: extreme torque of 922 ft lbs to 1250 Nm of maximum torque in reverse, durable steel aluminum alloy back housing, thermoplastic rubber injected in housing for a durable and comfortable grip, universal & durable twin hammer mecha-nism, full teasing ergonomically developed trigger, ergonomic handle in composite material, decreases fatigue of the opera-tor, and 360-degree swivel air inlet.
Chicago Pneumatic Thane - Maharashtra Tel: 022-39982731,
Mob: 09967047733
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.cp.com
PRODUCTS
58 AFTERMARKET APRIL 2012
Trailers
A complete range of trailers from 20 ft to 40 ft, 2/3 axles, skeletal and fl atbed trailers is off ered. Standard features are Rolled Jindal I-Beam 455 with additional reinforcement used to avoid bending and increase central st rength, 12 twist lock with 150 I-beam reinforcement, 10 leaf YTE 75 York sus-pension, 15 ton suspension, tool box (900 x 750 x 475 big size to fi t all tools easily), air tank of 50 litre capacity to avoid break grabbing issues at slope areas, York king pin, mechani-cal parking brakes, etc.
Seamless Autotech Pvt Ltd Pune - Maharashtra Tel: 02135-662431,
Mob: 09881254788
Email: [email protected]
Silent Blocks A wide range of silent blocks are fabricated using opti-mum quality raw materials. Th ese blocks can be off ered as per specifi cations provided by client. Th e silent blocks play a fundamental role in the suspension syst ems. In
these silent blocks, the rubber is bonded to the outer tube and the outer tube is press-fi t/interference fi t to the moulded inner tube. Applications are in automotive and refrigeration indust ries. Salient features include: high-degree of torren-tial st iff ness; wear & tear-free; durability; high-performance; resist ance to oxidation, ozone & radiation; indefi nite shelf life; and anti-abrasive.
Shalaka Polymers Nashik - Maharashtra Tel: 0253-2380057, Mob: 09822080157
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.shalakapolymers.com
Automotive Air-Conditioning
AIR-CONDITIONING involves more than cooling. Th e most air-conditioned vehicle is the automobile and millions of syst ems are sold annually. Most of the automobiles today are fi t-ted with air-conditioners at the manufact uring st age. But many other conveyances are air-conditioned as well including buses, ambulances, vans, trailers, trucks, recreational vehicles, trac-tors, crane cabs, aircrafts and ships. Air conditioning is a natural choice while cust omising a vehicle. Th e vagaries of climate and pollution necessitate insulating the cabin from outside environs.
Kotkar Energy Dynamics Pvt LtdPune - MaharashtraTel: 020-25815315
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.kotkar.com
Triplex Plunger Pumps THE high-pressure triplex plunger pump (series 8000) with unloader and safety valve is coupled with elect ric motor or diesel engine and assembled with centrifugal pump and fi lter to ensure supply of pressurised clean water at the pump inlet. Th e com-plete pump unit with local control panel, inst rumentation and safety controls is mounted on a vibration-free fi xed base frame or towable trolley with solid/pneumatic wheels. Th e unit is suitable for operation in hazardous area with fl ame-proof elect rics. Th e pump is compact in design and rugged in const ruct ion with quieter operation. UT Pumps & Systems Pvt Ltd Mumbai - MaharashtraTel: 022-32992488, Mob: 09322658363
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.utpsl.in
PRODUCTS
APRIL 2012 AFTERMARKET 59
Exhaust Gas Recirculation TubesIN these exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) tubes a fl exible bellow is incorporated as an integral part of the structure. Th ese tubes are designed and developed as per customers’ requirements and tested to withstand the vibrational stress of high temperatures. Th e EGR tubes are provided with accessories, such as coupling clamps in order to couple with the mating castings. Th ese tubes are custom-designed on individual requirements for after treatment of exhaust gases.
Alfa Flexitubes Pvt LtdBahadurgarh - HaryanaTel: +91-1276-268119,+91-01686-267175
Mob: 09811209178
Email: alfafl [email protected]
Website: www.vanjax.in
Cage PalletsTHESE supreme quality cage pallets are completely designed with extreme quality raw material and are procured from renowned industries. Th e cage pallets come in diff erent
specifi cation with respect to application. Base is made of MS tubular structure with sides of wire mesh provided at the bottom for forklift or pallet truck entr wire mesh pallets are used in automobile industries as well as warehouses of large factories. It has up to 1000 kg weight bearing capacity with even load distribution.
Ahlada Industries Pvt LtdHyderabad - Andhra PradeshTel: 040-2309 4301/302
Mob: 0810075011
Email: indust [email protected]
Website: www.ahlada.com
PRODUCTS
60 AFTERMARKET APRIL 2012
Studs And SpindlesTHE studs are available from 3 mm to 75 mm, 1/8” to 3” and 6BA to 0BA diameter. Slotted type, full thread studs, drill hole type, hex and square head type studs are available from 2” to 12” and 50 mm to 300
mm full thread roll threaded stud spindles six mm to 12 mm and 1/4” to 2½” diameter. Th ese products are made as per IS, BS, JIS, GOST, ASTM, ISO, ANIS and DIN standards or as per customer’s drawings and samples. Th reads are in mm size standard, coarse, fi ne or special pitch, BSW, BSF, UNC, UNF, A-193-B7 and B8. Materials used are MS 4.6 grade, EN-8, 6.6, 8.8 grades, EN-19, 10.9 grade, EN-24, 12.9 grade, brass, copper, SS-304/316, A-193-B7, R, S, T and V grades. Applications are in machine tools, light and heavy engineering industry, pumps and valves, hydraulics and pneumatics, automobiles, chemical, injection moulding machines, diesel generators and other service industries.
Zenith Industrial ProductsMumbai - MaharashtraTel: 022-2847 0806
Mob: 09924566887
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.zip-india.com
Easy Shine PolishTHE SONAX Easy Shine is an innovative product. It is a wax polish with advanced formula, which is used in direct sunlight and on hot paintwork. Th e Sonax Easy Shine makes polishing eff ortless and provides a long lasting, with high gloss shine. It cleans & polishes and protects.
Methods Automotive Pvt Ltd Bengaluru - KarnatakaTel: +91-080-22217879
Mob: 09413303674
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.methods.co.in
PVC And Nylon FastenersHEX HEAD BOLTS, hex head screws, nuts, washers, slotted machine screws, etc, of commercial quality made from p o l y p r o p y l e n e and nylon are off ered. Th ese fasteners are available in BSW, mm size, standard and coarse pitch. Materials of construction include PVC, nylon and polypropylene. Applications of the fasteners are in industries, such as petrochemical, fertilizer, chemical, cement, machine tool, textile, automobile, etc.
ABC Industrial Fasteners, Mumbai - MaharashtraTel: 022-2847 0806
Mob: 0810075011
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.precibolts.com
Impact Hex SocketsTHE heavy-duty six-point impact hex sockets are used with pneumatic/electric impact wrenches and nut runners. Th ese have a single hex broaching for good grip on nuts and bolts to avoid tools slipping during high speed tightening operations. Th e extra wall thickness of the sockets, together with special steel and heat treatment process, helps to absorb shock transmitted to the socket while in use with impact wrenches. Th ese sockets are also provided with two cross holes and groove for locking onto the impact wrench using O-ring and pin arrangement. Th ese are ideal for operating with hydraulic wrenches and are most suitable for use in automobile industry.
Tulex Industrial Tools (P) Ltd, Thane - MaharashtraTel: 0251-2436207
Mob: 0810075011
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.tulextools.com
PRODUCTS
APRIL 2012 AFTERMARKET 61
Circlip PliersTHESE assembly pliers are developed especially for safe and economic work. Th e pliers guarantee easy, precise and effi cient work, mainly in the automobile industry and workshops. Th ese pliers are manufactured from chrome–vanadium steel and then burnished black. Tips are precision manufactured to very fi ne tolerances. Th e functional design and practical construction allow work to be done safely and sensibly, even in awkwardly accessible conditions. Various other torque tools and assembly tools are also available.
Summit Engineering Technology Pvt LtdNavi Mumbai - MaharashtraTel: 022-2764 2776, 2769 9667,9821150858
Mob: 0810075011
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.summitengg.com
Water Pump Seals THESE seals are usually of the st ationary fl oating face design with a single coil spring surrounding the elast omer bellows. Th ey are also normally supplied as a cartridge assembly, or in automotive indust ry terminology a cassette, complete with a sleeve ready to be assembled direct ly onto the water pump shaft.
Avon Seals Pvt Ltd Chennai - Tamil Nadu Tel: 044-26880225,
Mob: 09381009070
Email: [email protected]
Hydraulic Car LiftsTHESE hydraulic car lift is designed as per cus-tomers’ specifi cations and developed with the help of premium grade of raw materials using most sophisticated technology. Th e range of car lifts fi nds application in diff erent sectors, like automobile, heavy engineering, etc. Some of the salient fea-tures include multi-utility, highly durable, lifting height up to desired height, etc. Th e hydraulic car lift has a haulage height of up to 12 meters with a capacity of three tons, which makes it suitable space saver as modular car parking equipment.
Servo Tech (India)Delhi - DelhiTel: +91-011-23259123
Mob: 09810287375
Email: [email protected]
Die LoadersTHE model model TL-4M Truckman hydra trucks (also called die loaders) is effi cient and ideal material handling e q u i p m e n t , designed for quick loading and unloading of press tools or machine parts, crates, oil drums,
components, etc. Pump is manually operated and is of double acting type complete with oil tank with release valve capacity of 500 to 1000 kg. Maximum height of lift from the ground level is 1400 mm. Lowered height is 140 mm. Platform size is 700 x 700 mm. Th e unit is mounted on polymer wheels for easy movement and long life. Applications are in tool rooms, godowns, engineering units and chemical and petrochemical industry, automotive industry, etc.
Textile Machinery Manufacturing CompanyAhmedabad - GujaratTel: 91-079-22941389
Mob: 094284 07325
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.truckmanindya.com
TMMC
PRODUCTS
62 AFTERMARKET APRIL 2012
Safety Hand ShieldTHE durable safety hand shield protects welders’ faces while welding. It is made up of cotton fi bre and is designed to provide safety to users. Th e hand shield provides heat resistance, chemical resistance and durability. It possesses excellent quality and comes at competitive prices. Also off ered is safety hand shield as per customers’ specifi cations and requirements.
Atul ArcNew Delhi - New DelhiTel: 011-2573 6102,9811825256, 9810273058 (SK Jain)
Mob: 0810075011
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.atularc.com / www.atularc.net
Lifting EquipmentTHE Hercules 4.0 CF clear fl oor lift is complete-ly electro-hydraulic and made according to accurate structural calculation, with a capacity of four tonne. High-pressure cylinders in each column provide mximum lifting force and smooth operation. Th e lift is equipped with safety valve to prevent overloading and in case of hydraulic pipe fracture. Other features include mechanical safety catches with automatic engagement, automatic arm restrain, perfect synchronisation between cyl-inders regardless of load distribution, self-controlled lowering speed, and special overhead padded limit switch to prevent dam-aging vehicle being raised too high.
ARO Equipments Pvt LtdGurgaon - HaryanaTel: +91-0124-4585400
Mob: 0810075011
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.aroequipments.com
Cockpit Spray (Lemon)THE Sonax cockpit spray lemon cleans and maintains all car interior plastics. It has a dust-repellent eff ect. It is antistatic and even maintains wooden fi ttings. It brings a new shine and fresh fragrance to the cockpit. Th e Sonax cockpit spray lemon protects plastics against brittleness and is silicone-free.
Sonax GmbH, NeuburgTel: +49-8431-530
Mob: 0810075011
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.sonax.com
Wheel BalancersTHE commercial wheel balancer offers features required by most of the operators. Model WB-VL-65 professional wheel balancer comes with 15.5” TFT monitor suitable for 10”-24” rim dia and maximum 65 kg
wheel weight. It is suitable for car and LCV wheels. Features include TFT monitor, static and dynamic balancing, simultaneous display of inner and outer plane results, two modes of measurement (normal & fine), five modes of alloy wheel functions, self-checking, online error display facility, dimension setting in inch or mm, unit conversion in grams/ounces, self-calibration, automatic distance input mechanism, mid-centering device for positioning and rim accuracy, quick change lock nut to ensure fast mounting & removal of wheels, etc. Manatec Electronics Pvt LtdPuducherryTel: +91-0413-2248926
Mob: 09344643104
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.manatec.net
PRODUCTS
APRIL 2012 AFTERMARKET 63
Gas TorchesTHE gas torch is light-weight and convenient to handle, made of high quality brass stamping, which makes it sturdy, dependable and dura-ble. Th e stainless steel spindle with a tapered nylon seal is an excellent leakproof device. Silver soldered joints make it trouble-free, leakproof and strong. Prolonged service life and its ability to work on low-pressure gases make it an excellent tool for welding. Th e torch is avail-able with Swage-type nozzles in varying sizes of 2, 3, 5 and 7 for welding mild steel up to 8 mm thickness. It is available in high-pressure and low-pressure ranges as well as premium and standard range. Th e gas torch is ideal for sheet metal work and pipe welding in garages and workshops.
Pilot India, Mumbai - MaharashtraTel: 022-6697 8900
Mob: 0810075011Email: [email protected]
Website: www.pilotindia.com
Hydraulic Pumps PULSAR hydraulic pumps are designed to meet or exceed the original equip-ment they replace. Th ese pumps are manufact ured with all new materials and components and are test ed under rigorous qual-ity control. Th e pumps are
made to ensure trouble-free service life. Tight process con-trol ensures consist ency of product . Th ese are made from special alloy extruded aluminium, which ensures long serv-ice life. Th e pumps are 100 per cent test ed with endurance test ing carried in house periodically. Th ese are available in st andard mountings and provide effi cient pumping without air pockets. Th e hydraulic pumps are assembled and test ed in dust proof assembly room, all gears hardened and shaved for best results.
Shriram Automotive Products Ltd,New Delhi Tel: 011-40433111, Mob: 0810075011
Email: [email protected]
Hydraulic Presses THESE are multi-purpose press-es used in general workshops and automobile workshops for st raighten-ing, press fi tting, bending, forming, punching, assembling, dismantling, etc. Th e presses are operated with manual hand pump or with power pack. Th ese are also available with adjust able daylights. Specifi cations
are altered as per individual needs. Exclusive benefi ts and features include: heavy-duty const ruct ion, moveable work table, large day light, hydraulic return concept, rigid frame under full load, operated manual or with separate power pack. Technical specifi cations include: capacity of 5 to 200 tons, st roke 150 to 600 mm, and daylight from 300 to 2000 mm.
Hydropack India Pvt Ltd Belgaum - Karnataka Tel: 0831-2442559, Mob: 09449595040
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.hydropackindia.com
Automobile Engineering ComponentsA wide range of auto-mobile engineering components are off ered that include CNC machine parts, bear-ing assemblies, machine nuts, elect rical rivets, washers & pins and seat camshafts. Cust omers can also avail preci-sion engineered self-tapping screws, brass screws, hex bolts, insert bolts, metal rivets and hex nuts. Th ese components are fabricated from diff erent grades of brass, aluminum and copper. Besides, these can be cust omised as per cust omers’ specifi cations.
Sakshi Engineering Works Ghaziabad - Uttar Pradesh Tel: 0120-3940428, Mob: 09811900822
Email: [email protected]
DATA
6464 AFTERMARKETAFTERMARKET APRIL 2012APRIL 2012
CA
TE
GO
RY
WIS
E T
YR
E P
RO
DU
CT
ION
J
AN
UA
RY
20
12
AN
D C
OM
PA
RIS
ON
S
Cat
egor
y Tr
uck/
Bus
P
asse
nger
Je
ep
L.C
.V.
Tr
acto
r
Adv
O
tr
Sco
oter
S
coot
er
M
otor
Cyc
le
In
dust
rial
To
tal
C
ar
Fron
t R
ear
Trai
ler
(2
Whe
eler
/Mop
ed)
(3 W
heel
er)
Ja
n. 2
012
1385
018
2254
773
1366
89
5295
19
2296
04
1537
15
9660
5 29
668
1885
7 11
3100
8 69
6812
34
8065
8 56
518
1019
9444
Ja
n. 2
011
1304
550
2366
231
1264
24
5327
01
1908
48
1381
47
1132
79
3201
2 16
910
1145
874
7227
70
3645
768
4943
6 10
3849
50
%
Cha
nge
Jan.
12
over
6%
(-
)5%
8%
(-
)1%
20
%
11%
(-
)15%
(-
)7%
12
%
(-)1
%
(-)4
%
(-)5
%
11%
(-
)2%
Jan.
11
(Pro
dn.)
Avg
. Mth
ly. P
rdn.
(10
Mon
ths)
in F
.Y.
1333
585
2245
516
1315
51
5581
78
2288
33
1583
82
8446
3 25
527
1628
1 11
2568
6 72
0699
37
5473
9 54
862
1043
8302
2011
-12
Apr
.-Jan
.
A
vg. M
thly
. Prd
n.
(10
Mon
ths)
in F
.Y.
1299
626
2171
061
1269
03
4951
36
2148
94
1474
09
8464
7 25
914
1580
0 10
2528
5 60
7967
35
6774
0 51
361
9833
743
2011
-12
Apr
.-Jan
.
%
Cha
nge
Apr
.-Jan
. (11
-12)
3%
3%
4%
13
%
6%
7%
(-)0
.2%
(-
)1%
3%
10
%
19%
5%
7%
6%
O
ver A
pr.-J
an. (
10-1
1)
DATA
APRIL 2012 APRIL 2012 AFTERMARKETAFTERMARKET 6565
CA
TE
GO
RY
WIS
E T
YR
E P
RO
DU
CT
ION
J
AN
UA
RY
20
12
AN
D C
OM
PA
RIS
ON
S
Cat
egor
y Tr
uck/
Bus
P
asse
nger
Je
ep
LCV
Trac
tor
O
tr
Sco
oter
S
coot
er
Mot
or C
ycle
Im
plem
ent
Indu
stri
al
Tota
l
Car
Fr
ont
Rea
r Tr
aile
r
(2 W
heel
er
(3 W
heel
er)
/Mop
ed)
Jan
. 201
2 19
4421
15
7755
16
033
1550
91
1737
43
19
346
4013
35
767
5825
6 72
414
3191
12
69
7046
12
Jan
. 201
1 19
2059
11
6371
41
85
1442
26
1991
45
06
0 87
24
4911
64
288
6359
6 88
21
8880
62
2558
%
Cha
nge
Jan.
201
2 ov
er
1%
36%
28
3%
7%
(-)1
3%
(-)4
%
100%
(-
)54%
62
8%
(-)9
%
14%
(-
)64%
(-
)86%
13
%Ja
n. 2
011
(Exp
orts
)
A
vg. M
thly
. Exp
ort
(10
Mon
ths)
in F
.Y.
1875
26
1348
95
9300
13
8378
14
46
2613
28
3 17
468
1133
5 62
387
7814
1 72
43
5757
65
6772
20
11-1
2 A
pr.-J
an.
A
vg. M
thly
. Exp
ort
(10
Mon
ths)
in F
.Y.
1595
96
9498
5 74
92
1171
35
888
3278
13
2 86
56
4212
45
817
6189
9 84
84
1096
5 52
3539
2010
-11
Apr
.-Jan
.
%
Cha
nge
Apr
.-Jan
. (11
-12)
18
%
42%
24
%
18%
63
%
(-)2
0%
114%
10
2%
169%
36
%
26%
(-
)15%
(-
)47%
25
%
Ove
r Apr
.-Jan
. (10
-11)
66 AFTERMARKET APRIL 2012
LIST OF PRODUCTS & ADVERTISERS’
Pg No. Advertiser ...........................................Tel .................................E-mail ............................................Website
6 .........ADEA .................................................... . .............................................................................................. www.adea.in
19 .......Endurance Technologies Ltd ................................................................................................................ www.endurancegroup.com
8 .........Engineering Expo .................................+91-09819552270 [email protected] .............. www.engg-expo.com
15 ....... Federal Mogul ......................................+91-124 – 4784530 [email protected] ... www.federalmogul.com
11 .......Google India Private Limited ...............+1800-266-3000 .................................................................... www.indiagetonline.in
BIC ..... Litel Infrared Systems Pvt Ltd ..............+91-20-66300636 [email protected] ............................ www.litelir.com
4 ......... Lubrizol Advanced Materials India P Ltd ...+91-22-66027800 [email protected] ....... www.lubrizol.com
3 .........Madhus Garage Eqpts ..........................+91-80-26660656 [email protected] .......... www.madhusindia.com
59 .......Oil Lube Systems ..................................+91-129-2430786 [email protected]
FIC ......Pidilite Industries Ltd ...........................+91-9619488533 [email protected] ................. www.pidilite.com
BC ......Yamazaki Mazak India Pvt Ltd .................+91-2137-668800 ............. [email protected] .. www.mazak.com
� Our consistent advertisers
ABS sensor cable and grommet ............................................ 4AC service equipment ........................................................... 3All-purpose foam cleaners .................................................... 57Automobile engineering components .................................. 63Automotive air-conditioning................................................. 58Automotive Dealership Excellence Award ............................ 6Brake testing equipment ...................................................... 3Braking ................................................................................. 19Cage pallets .......................................................................... 59Circlip pliers .......................................................................... 61CNC/VMC machines .............................................................. BCCockpit spray ........................................................................ 62Collision repair system ......................................................... 3Composite impact wrenchers ............................................... 57Dashboard polishes .............................................................. FICDie loaders .......................................................................... 61Dust cover ............................................................................. 4Easy shine polish .................................................................. 60Exhaust gas recirculation tubes ............................................ 59Exhibition - Engineering Expo .............................................. 8Filter cleaning unit ............................................................... 59Fuel bowl .............................................................................. 4Gas analyser.......................................................................... 3Gas torches ........................................................................... 63Go-jack system...................................................................... 59Heating solutions .................................................................. .bicHeavy duty bike lift .............................................................. 59Hydraulic car lifts ................................................................. 61Hydraulic presses.................................................................. 59,63Hydraulic pumps .................................................................. 63Impact hex sockets ............................................................... 60Instant drying and curing technology .................................. BIC
Laptop trolley ....................................................................... 59Lifting equipment ................................................................. 62Mobile sevice van ................................................................. 59Online business .................................................................... 11Paint protection fi lm ............................................................ 4Parts washer ......................................................................... 59Piston ................................................................................... 15Polishes ................................................................................ FICPVC and nylon fasteners ....................................................... 60Rubbing compound .............................................................. FICSafety hand shield ................................................................ 62Shampoo .............................................................................. FICShift lever screen .................................................................. 4Silent blocks ......................................................................... 58Spot welding equipment ...................................................... 3Stacker parking systems ....................................................... 57Studs and spindles ................................................................ 60Suspension ........................................................................... 19Tool trolley ........................................................................... 59Trailers .................................................................................. 58Transmission ......................................................................... 19Transmission jack ................................................................. 59Triplex plunger pumps ......................................................... 58Tyre care ............................................................................... FICTyre changer ......................................................................... 3Tyre infl ation equiment ........................................................ 3Vehicle security and tracking devices ................................... 57Waste oil disposer ................................................................. 59Water pump seals ................................................................ 61Wheel aligner ....................................................................... 3Wheel balancer ..................................................................... 3,62
FIC : Front Inside Cover BIC : Back Inside Cover BC: Back cover