Indian Auto Industry Update

24 March 2017

IndustryCar dealers sit on inventory of 900000 BS-III vehicles

Auto industry is all charged about going electric

Pune likely to register around 4 lakh new vehicles this ongoing fiscal

The Hindu Auto Expo in Chennai from tomorrow

Automobiles A blip in growth

Interviews amp FeaturesExpect 9-10 growth in two-wheeler sales next year Subrata Ray ICRA

Mahindra seeks to make luxury electric cars under Pininfarina brand agrave la Tesla Pawan Goenka MD MampM

Tata Tigor the compact sedan with a touch of sport

Cars SUVs MUVsHonda cars to get pricier from April 2017

Honda Cars India CEO Yoichiro Ueno shares his love for India

Expect workers wage settlement in coming weeks Tata Motors

VWamprsquos premium compact SUV to be launched in May

31 Maruti workers to move high court against conviction say SIT probe was not fair

Maruti 2012 Riot Verdict Workers to hold protest meet today

Judicial probe demand at rally to back workers

Changing landscape of car plant capacities in India

Make in India offers fail to strike a chord with Tesla

This ride is high on style performance

Workers protest Maruti convictions

Which Honda to buy Jazz WR-V or City

Should you go the AMT way

Luxury CarsLexus debut in India on Friday All about models features and prices

Commercial VehiclesEicher Trucks amp Buses introduces AMT in its commercial vehicles

Volvo Buses rolls out BS-IV compliant bus in Bengaluru

Unmanned electric buses to ply in new Andhra capital

VECV to push sales of AMT-powered trucks buses

Construction amp Agri Machinery23 Wheelers

Harley Davidson a threat to Donald Trump-Narendra Modi bonhomie

Mahindra to introduce exclusive dealerships for Mahindra Mojo

Honda Motor makes India an export hub Read how

TVS Motor in line to achieve 18 market share in two years

India should lower tariffs on Harleys for foreign investmentamprsquo

Make your riding experience fun with this mid-class streetfighter

Kawasaki to launch Z900 in India on March 25

E-Bikes

OK Play forays into 2-wheeler Inc launches range of e-scooters amp e-bikes

ComponentsIndian automotive aftermarket likely to reach Rs 75k cr ACMA

Oerlikon Graziano India targets Rs 1500 crore revenue by CY2019

ACMA Automechanika underlines need for safety and tilt towards electrics

ZF launches its connectivity solution Openmatics in India

ZF gears up for new mobility solutions

Allied IndustriesIndia invests in synthetic rubber

Bridgestone India to supply tyres for Honda WR-V

India invests in synthetic rubber

Pioneer launches new enclosed car subwoofers

SC to take call on BS III stocks today

Emissions EnvironmentFinance amp InsuranceOil Lubricants amp Alternative FuelsNews Magazines

Lexus LX450d to be priced at Rs 23 crore

Lamborghini Huracan Performante India launch on April 7

FAME India scheme will extend by up to 6 months

2017 Renault Kwid Climber A closer look

No more exclusively electric cars from Mahindra

Royal Enfield Continental GT 750 final version spied in UK

Tata Tigor vs rivals Specifications comparison

2016 Renault Kwid long term review final report

International NewsHigher investments sales drop to weigh on Ford Q1 earnings

Volkswagens Seat returns to profit to launch third SUV in 2018

Ford cuts water usage in its plants in Asia Pacific

Turkish automotive production and exports to rise in 2017

US aluminium wheel maker Superior Industries offers $715 mn for Uniwheels

Porsche celebrates record year with 911 bonus payout

Chinas Chery files trademark complaint against Mercedes-Benz over green car brand

2017 Porsche Macan adds four-cylinder engine lowers US price

France not ruling out reducing Renault stake but must be at right price -Sapin

Audis global sales decline marginally in Feb 2017

Staff levels at BMWs Dutch Mini assembly plant to overtake UKs

Stuttgart prosecutor probes Daimler employees for potential fraud

France to reduce stake in Renault

UK car production hits 17-year high

Microsoft Toyota ink agreement

Ford expects lower Q1 earnings

EconomyRupee extends retreat down 8 paise to 6552

Sensex advances 164 pts on firm global cues Nifty reclaims 9050

Net forex reserves increase by $142 billion in April-December period

Closing

Last Financial Closing

Industry

Car dealers sit on inventory of 900000 BS-III vehicles Business Standard (Web amp Print Edition)

Ahmedabad The fate of a few thousand automobile dealers hangs in the balance as the Supreme Court takes up hearing in a caserelated to whether registration and sale of BS-III vehicles be allowed after March 31 when a higher emission standard BS-IV comesinto force

As many as 900000 BS-III vehicles including commercial vehicles and two-wheelers are lying as inventory with dealers Theirvalue is estimated at Rs 12000 crore

The Supreme Court has admitted an intervention application from the Federation of Automobile Dealersamprsquo Associations(FADA) which has urged the court to allow the sale of BS-III vehicles after March 31

When the hearing comes up on Friday we will be able to present our case Dealers are caught in a crossfire between automobilemanufacturers and the Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA) said Nikunj Sanghi director international affairs FADA

There are around 20000 automobile dealerships in India Almost all of them are carrying inventory of BS-III vehicles especiallycommercial vehicle and two-wheeler dealerships

The original notification from the government mentioned clearly that the deadline for manufacturing of BS-III vehicles was March31 It did not mention anything about sale and registration said Shekar Viswanathan vice-chairman Toyota Kirloskar Motor whichstopped making BS-III vehicles almost a year ago and now has no stock lying with dealers

He added that the if the EPCA was of the opinion that sale and registration of BS-III vehicles be stopped from April 1 the bodyought to have taken up the issue long back and lobbied with the government to ensure necessary legal changes

The EPCA initiated talks with automobile manufacturers around October to start planning for inventories of BS III vehicles

Bajaj Auto has said it is in favour of stopping the sale and registration of BS-III vehicles after March 31 Having moved to BS-IVcompliant two- and three-wheelers the company feels its competitive edge is eroded because the BS-IV exercise has resulted in aprice increase of Rs 1000-7000 across its product range

Yamaha Motor and Suzuki Motorcycle have stopped sending BS-III compliant vehicles since February They are sending vehiclesthat comply to BS-IV norms However there are some slow-moving units and there is an inventory of such products said SukhbirBagga director Group Planet Petal which operates 32 two-wheeler dealerships in Gujarat

Sources in the industry said the BS-III vehicles would be sold with heavy discounts but the exercise would take some time Dealerspoint out there is no precedent of an automobile manufacturer taking back unsold inventory

The company has already sold the vehicle to the dealer and has also paid excise duty on it The situation becomes complex if thegovernment has to refund the excise duty it collected said a source in the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM)httpwwwbusiness-standardcomarticlecompaniesdealers-sit-on-inventory-of-900-000-bs-iii-vehicles-117032301210_1htmlFADA approaches Supreme Court to allow sale of BS-III vehicles after April 1Autocar Indiahttpwwwautocarindiacomauto-newsfada-approaches-supreme-court-to-allow-sale-of-bs-iii-vehicles-after-april-1-404503aspx

Top

Auto industry is all charged about going electric Amrita Nair-GhaswallaThe Hindu Business Line (Web amp Print Edition)

Electric mobility is the new buzzword for car-makers across the world as the drive for cleaner emissions continues in full swing

India has been hugely slow in contrast but things could just change with Bharat Stage VI norms just three years away which willbring it closer to standards in Europe Whether this will translate into achieving the Centreamprsquos goal of seven million electric andhybrid vehicles on the roads by 2020 is still the million dollar question

ampldquoElectric drive is the futureamprdquo says Roland Folger MD and CEO Mercedes-Benz India ampldquoThat is why we areinvesting massively in a battery-electric fleet and in battery technology including as an energy store for private and industrialuseamprdquo

Agrees Mahesh Babu CEO Mahindra Electric ampldquoElectric vehicles are the future of mobility and there is no disputingthisamprdquo he says ampldquoThey are not only efficient in terms of energy usage but are also more economical than fossil fuelvehicles and are perfect in the current situation where cities are struggling with pollution and fast depleting fossil fuelsamprdquo

New plans

Ford announced plans to produce 13 electrified models by 2020 while Mercedes has targeted 10 by 2025 Volkswagen has created

Last Financial Closing

Industry

Car dealers sit on inventory of 900000 BS-III vehicles Business Standard (Web amp Print Edition)

Ahmedabad The fate of a few thousand automobile dealers hangs in the balance as the Supreme Court takes up hearing in a caserelated to whether registration and sale of BS-III vehicles be allowed after March 31 when a higher emission standard BS-IV comesinto force

As many as 900000 BS-III vehicles including commercial vehicles and two-wheelers are lying as inventory with dealers Theirvalue is estimated at Rs 12000 crore

The Supreme Court has admitted an intervention application from the Federation of Automobile Dealersamprsquo Associations(FADA) which has urged the court to allow the sale of BS-III vehicles after March 31

When the hearing comes up on Friday we will be able to present our case Dealers are caught in a crossfire between automobilemanufacturers and the Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA) said Nikunj Sanghi director international affairs FADA

There are around 20000 automobile dealerships in India Almost all of them are carrying inventory of BS-III vehicles especiallycommercial vehicle and two-wheeler dealerships

The original notification from the government mentioned clearly that the deadline for manufacturing of BS-III vehicles was March31 It did not mention anything about sale and registration said Shekar Viswanathan vice-chairman Toyota Kirloskar Motor whichstopped making BS-III vehicles almost a year ago and now has no stock lying with dealers

He added that the if the EPCA was of the opinion that sale and registration of BS-III vehicles be stopped from April 1 the bodyought to have taken up the issue long back and lobbied with the government to ensure necessary legal changes

The EPCA initiated talks with automobile manufacturers around October to start planning for inventories of BS III vehicles

Bajaj Auto has said it is in favour of stopping the sale and registration of BS-III vehicles after March 31 Having moved to BS-IVcompliant two- and three-wheelers the company feels its competitive edge is eroded because the BS-IV exercise has resulted in aprice increase of Rs 1000-7000 across its product range

Yamaha Motor and Suzuki Motorcycle have stopped sending BS-III compliant vehicles since February They are sending vehiclesthat comply to BS-IV norms However there are some slow-moving units and there is an inventory of such products said SukhbirBagga director Group Planet Petal which operates 32 two-wheeler dealerships in Gujarat

Sources in the industry said the BS-III vehicles would be sold with heavy discounts but the exercise would take some time Dealerspoint out there is no precedent of an automobile manufacturer taking back unsold inventory

The company has already sold the vehicle to the dealer and has also paid excise duty on it The situation becomes complex if thegovernment has to refund the excise duty it collected said a source in the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM)httpwwwbusiness-standardcomarticlecompaniesdealers-sit-on-inventory-of-900-000-bs-iii-vehicles-117032301210_1htmlFADA approaches Supreme Court to allow sale of BS-III vehicles after April 1Autocar Indiahttpwwwautocarindiacomauto-newsfada-approaches-supreme-court-to-allow-sale-of-bs-iii-vehicles-after-april-1-404503aspx

Top

Auto industry is all charged about going electric Amrita Nair-GhaswallaThe Hindu Business Line (Web amp Print Edition)

Electric mobility is the new buzzword for car-makers across the world as the drive for cleaner emissions continues in full swing

India has been hugely slow in contrast but things could just change with Bharat Stage VI norms just three years away which willbring it closer to standards in Europe Whether this will translate into achieving the Centreamprsquos goal of seven million electric andhybrid vehicles on the roads by 2020 is still the million dollar question

ampldquoElectric drive is the futureamprdquo says Roland Folger MD and CEO Mercedes-Benz India ampldquoThat is why we areinvesting massively in a battery-electric fleet and in battery technology including as an energy store for private and industrialuseamprdquo

Agrees Mahesh Babu CEO Mahindra Electric ampldquoElectric vehicles are the future of mobility and there is no disputingthisamprdquo he says ampldquoThey are not only efficient in terms of energy usage but are also more economical than fossil fuelvehicles and are perfect in the current situation where cities are struggling with pollution and fast depleting fossil fuelsamprdquo

New plans

Ford announced plans to produce 13 electrified models by 2020 while Mercedes has targeted 10 by 2025 Volkswagen has created

a new arm Electrify America which will build and maintain a cross-country network of over 200 DC charging stations

Even as Tesla recently raised about $12 billion in fresh capital as the firm approaches production of its mass-market Model 3Volvo Cars has announced a new target of one million electrified cars by 2025 It plans to offer at least two hybrid versions of everymodel in its range and releasing the first all-electric car in 2019

Volvo Cars has developed two all new vehicle architectures for larger and smaller cars scalable product architecture (SPA) andcompact modular architecture (CMA) that can incorporate either hybrid or fully electric car technology says Tom von BonsdorffManaging Director Volvo Auto India in an email interaction

Its larger 90 series and 60 series cars are to be built on SPA and the company will soon launch a global range of smaller 40 seriescars on CMA ampldquoAll of these cars will have electrified versions and the one million electrified car target is a cumulativetotalamprdquo he says

PSA of France is also readying its its electric cars for 2019 while its French counterpart Renault (along with ally Nissan) is alsogoing flat out in this effort on e-mobility

Mercedes plans to kick off its EV portfolio with the GLC-sized SUV launch in 2018 across all segments from smart to large SUVsglobally ampldquoThe company assumes that the proportion of electric vehicles in the total unit sales of Mercedes-Benz will bebetween 15 and 25 per centamprdquo says Folger

The Mercedes-Benz plant at Sindelfingen in Germany will produce EVs under the new EQ brand umbrella which was showcased atthe Paris Motor Show ampldquoEQ stands for amplsquoElectric Intelligenceamprsquo and is heralded by the close-to-production conceptvehicle amplsquoGeneration EQamprsquoamprdquo adds Folger ampldquoThe first series-produced EQ model will be launched in the SUVsegment before the end of this decadeamprdquo

Mahindra Electric has close to 7000 electric cars rolling in India ampldquoIn 2016 we launched four vehicles in differentsegmentsamprdquo says Babu ampldquoWe recently increased the capacity of our plant at Bengaluruamprdquo

The e2oPlus debuted as the city smart drive for the average urban population The eVerito was positioned for the executive mobilitysegment In addition the company launched the passenger and cargo versions of the eSupro The challenge now is to sustainnumbers in a market that still has not embraced EVs thanks to inadequate charging infrastructure and lack of fiscal sops

According to Babu MampM intends to keep increasing the reach of e-mobility in India and worldwide ampldquoThis will includedeveloping ground up electric vehicles and electrifying vehicles from the Mahindra stable We are even open to working with otherOEMs to supply powertrains to electrify their vehiclesamprdquo he sayshttpwwwthehindubusinesslinecomtodays-papertp-otherstp-automobileauto-industry-is-all-charged-about-going-electricarticle9598613ece

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Pune likely to register around 4 lakh new vehicles this ongoing fiscal Sarang DastaneThe Economic Times (Web Edition)

Pune More vehicles will be on the roads of Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad as the transport offices in both cities together haveregistered a whopping 369 lakh new vehicles this fiscal till February In the next 10 days before the current year (2016-17) endsthere may be about 4 lakh vehicles

Last year both cities had collectively registered 392 lakh vehicles The registrations are likely to remain more or less the same orgo up slightly considering the trend in the last 11 months an RTO source said

The Pune RTO in the last 11 months has registered 244 lakh vehicles with a monthly average of over 22000 registrations Vehiclenumbers are set to cross 250 lakh in 2016-17 the highest since 2001 Last year Pune RTO had registered 249 vehicles thehighest ever

Sources in the transport sector said registrations will certainly go beyond the 250 lakh this time in Pune with Gudi Padwa falling onMarch 28 when sales of vehicles go up

ampldquoThe monthly average registration is 22000 in Pune Even if a minimum of 6000 vehicles are registered in March thecumulative registrations could easily cross 250 lakhamprdquo sources added

In Pimpri Chinchwad registrations have already crossed 125 lakh mark with average monthly registrations of 11000 vehicleswhich may reach up to 135 lakh by March-end In the last fiscal Pimpri Chinchwad had registered 142 lakh new vehicles

Meanwhile statistics with both RTOs show that two-wheelers are at the top in both cities followed by cars and taxi cabs While PuneRTO registered 161 lakh two-wheelers registrations in Pimpri Chinchwad reached 92100 till February taking the total registrationof two-wheelers to 253 lakh

ampldquoIt is a fact that registration of vehicles with transport offices in Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad is up A large number of bikesand mopeds indicate use of private vehicles by residents for their daily commute Families have at least one two-wheeler and a carSome families have more than one two-wheeleramprdquo an official from the RTO said

The RTO registers 21 different types of vehicles such as bikes cars buses autorickshaws carriage vehicles trucks and tractorsVehicles that witnessed a jump in registrations in the current fiscal include taxies cabs contract carriage vehicles and private cars

Besides a significant rise has been recorded in the registrations of trucks and lorries Registrations of cars have increased by 2400while taxies cabs have increased by 5600 till Februaryhttpautoeconomictimesindiatimescomnewspassenger-vehiclecarspune-likely-to-register-around-4-lakh-new-vehicles-this-ongoing-fiscal57789737

Top

The Hindu Auto Expo in Chennai from tomorrow The Hindu Business Line (Web amp Print Edition)

Chennai The Hindu Auto Expo 2017 presented by Hero will be held at Chennai Trade Centre Nandambakkam from 1030 am to8 pm on March 25-26

The two-day expo will offer an opportunity to manufacturers and dealers to engage with prospective buyers

The expo will see prominent automobile manufacturers and other players showcasing their products The event will feature regularcars two-wheelers accessories and auto loans in addition to a special section for high-end cars amp motorcycles

The exotic cars that would be on display include Rolls Royceamprsquos Ghost and Phanton BMW i8 Maserati QuattraporteMercedes C-43 AMG and Bently-Contenental among others

Super bikes Kawasaki H2 Harley Aprilia Caponard Moto Guzzi Greso Ninja 1000 BMW S1000 RR Yamaha R1 Kawasaki Z800and BMW Multistrada will also be displayed

A bike stunt show which will be performed by Team Pro Guyz Stunt Inc will also be part of the expo

Hero will be the presenting sponsor of the event while platinum sponsors are Volkswagen Skoda Fiat Jeep Toyota Honda andTata Motors Datsun Renault and Ford are gold sponsors Silver sponsor is Isuzu The expo is supported by Riders Republic andMoto Workx46httpwwwthehindubusinesslinecomnewsthe-hindu-auto-expo-in-chennai-from-tomorrowarticle9598576ece

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Automobiles A blip in growth MT + (Delhi Print Edition)

Auto firmsamprsquo performance in the December quarter was under stress on account of the ban on high-value banknotes thatcrippled sales for almost half the quarter Net revenue of leading automakers therefore declined slightly from the year-ago quarter with the biggest impact being on two-wheelers

Save for premium motorcycle manufacturer Royal Enfield which bucked the trend both Hero MotoCorp Ltd and Bajaj Auto Ltd soldfewer vehicles This in turn led to a year-on-year decline in sales However TVS Motor Co Ltdamprsquos mopeds fared well liftingoverall sales slightly

Commercial vehicle makers presented a divergent trend No 2 company Ashok Leyland Ltdamprsquos sales bumped up significantlyRealization and profits rose Commercial vehicle market leader Tata Motors Ltd on the other hand posted weak growth Itspassenger car segment was the saving grace on the domestic front

The countryamprsquos largest car manufacturer Maruti Suzuki India Ltd saw dull growth This is because the company has asignificant exposure to rural markets with entry-level cars This segment did badly Fortunately the higher-end segment comprisingutility vehicles along with new launches compensated for the drop in sales of entry-level cars

The biggest takeaway is that most firms maintained operating margins at cushy year-ago levels despite the odds A higher inventoryof unsold vehicles masked cost increases Further other expenses and staff costs were trimmed too But then higher inventory offinished goods offset the material cost increase and lifted profitability This trend is unlikely to continue in the quarters ahead Highermaterial costs could cap margins

What stuck out as a sore thumb was Tata Motors Its results were dismal thanks to dismal global sales and operating performanceby its UK subsidiary and cash cow Jaguar Land Rover LtdThat said in spite of the sudden blip analysts feel demonetization blues are already behind the sector All eyes are now on a salesrevival especially in twowheelers and commercial vehicles driven by the race to buy vehicles before the new and more expensivevehicles compliant with the new emission norms (BS-IV) hit the market in April

Here again in the two months of the March quarter already gone by the ampldquopre-buyingamprdquo story has not been impressiveSales continue to be weak across most vehicle categories

Further the higher raw material cost effect is bound to weigh on profit margins in the current and forthcoming quarters unless pricehikes and sales offset the same Of course valuations are fair at the current stock prices A robust pickup in sales along with theability of firms to pass on any cost pressures to customers will be key in the coming quarters

Top

Interviews amp Features

Expect 9-10 growth in two-wheeler sales next year Subrata Ray ICRA The Economic Times (Web Edition)

In a chat with ET Now Subrata Ray ICRA says the growth in scooter segment will be higher at 14-15 vis-a-vis motorcycle sales

Edited excerpts

The impact of the note ban is it done and dusted

Yes post demonetisation we had same significant volume declines happening during the months from November to January In thecurrent months of February and March the volume growth has not comeback but it is more or less flat compared to last year So weexpect growth to come back from April onwards

What about the forecast for FY18 How would FY18 pan out for two-wheeler sales

Yes we are expecting about 9 to 10 growth in the two-wheeler segment next year A slightly higher growth will come from thescooter segment while the motorcycle segment growth would be a little lower and within the motorcycle segment we expect highergrowth in the premium segment especially the 250cc plus segment

Let us also understand from you about the outlook of the rural markets Do you think that could be better moving forward Could wesee some significant improvement there What is the outlook for the rural end

In the rural market the demand is slowly coming back and as we have mentioned in the report the impact of demonetisation isslowly wearing off and we expect from next financial onwards there should be no further impact However at the same time onemust remember that when we are talking about year on year growth the base effect also is pretty large The rural market today ispretty large to that extent There could be some slowdown in the rural growth compared to what we have seen in the past

Do you think that the two-wheeler industry has enough pent up demand to outperform the four wheelers in the coming year becausewith the rural demand kicking in I would imagine that there would be enough interest for their products and there is a fair amount ofdiversification that a lot of these companies are indulging in Plus they are trying to tap the export market We have just heard newsabout TVS looking at selling their BMW bikes overseas Do you think that both on the domestic turf as well as the export marketthat the two-wheelers perhaps are going to be holding more ground in FY18 than the four-wheelers

In terms of the domestic market we definitely expect the growth to come back to 9-10 level in FY18 and possibly maintain asimilar kind of growth over the next couple of years If you look at the exports market which has no linkage with the demonetisationimpact had a negative volume growth last year because of significant market impact happening in some of the large key marketslike Nigeria Egypt even neighbouring markets like Sri Lanka or Nepal

Now most of the Indian OEMs are expanding their reach across geographies and they are entering into new markets While thepositive impact of the additional volume coming from the new markets are there some of these new markets are relatively still smallin size but overall we expect mid single digit volume growth in the export segment in FY18 Possibly from FY19 onwards we shouldsee a double digit volume growth in the exports also coming in

What is happening in the scooter segment Do you think scooter segment sales can do better versus motorcycle sales in thetwo-wheeler industry

Yes the base effect is wearing off The scooter segment had been growing from a very low base However if you see in the lastyear almost a significant part of the sales also is coming from the scooter segment So overall base has become quite large Whilewe expect scooter demand to continue to grow at a higher clip compared to the motorcycle segment the gap in the percentage willreduce So we would expect a slight moderation In the scooter segment we expect 14-15 kind of growth in the coming yearshttpeconomictimesindiatimescommarketsexpert-viewexpect-9-10-growth-in-two-wheeler-sales-next-year-subrata-ray-icraarticleshow57790784cms

Top

Mahindra seeks to make luxury electric cars under Pininfarina brand Atilde la Tesla Pawan Goenka MD MampM Amrit Rajmint (Web amp Print Edition)

New Delhi Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd wonamprsquot mind losing money on its electric vehicles (EVs) business till such time as theEV game picks up Pawan Goenka managing director of the firm said MampM is pursuing its electric dream on two fronts heexplained with the first being mass market and the second luxury under the Pininfarina brand which will largely be modelled on thelines of Tesla Inc Edited excerpts from an interview

You have big plans for electric vehicles

Yes If you put bits and pieces of what we have been talking about together we will be playing at two ends One end we hope willbecome mass market once the floodgates open

Do you think there will be more subsidies

I donamprsquot think so Subsidy also becomes a drain on the exchequer Subsidy has to be such that it makes the offering viable forconsumers Consumers will not buy just because it is an electric vehicle They will buy because it makes sense to the wallet Todaywe are just short of that Another Rs40000-50000 difference will get us there If the pressure is on us to bridge that gap by workingon reduction of costs and we are not making money otherwise that pressure is much higher than if you start making money So it isokay for us to be under some pressure to reduce the price of electric vehicles but not to the extent that we give up I am on the sidethat says let me work on filling the gap

But what needs to be done first is push volumes Without volumes I cannot fill the gap What the government needs to do is not(think) how do you incentivize the financial part of it but how do you create a condition for more volumes In places like Delhi it isvery easy where they can say that in peak time you cannot ply small commercial vehicles except if it is electric I donamprsquot needanything else Then the volume will come

And what are your plans for the higher end

Pininfarina started as a dream but we still have to worry about financial viability Unlike many other electric car companies which aresupported by investors who are looking to make it big in the future we will have to ensure that it makes prudent business sense

The company that has made electric vehicles respectable is Tesla Before Tesla electric cars were seen as something that got youfrom point A to point B uncomfortably Tesla made them a matter of pride So thatamprsquos the difference that they have made butat a cost They are not making money We would like electric vehicles to become a matter of pride not because they are electric butbecause they are great cars Thatamprsquos what Tesla has done Pininfarina is the brand that we have and with Indian expertise inelectric it becomes a natural way for us

Two-wheelers have not really done well for you

It has not worked out in the manner that we wanted it to But we have sort of completely changed the direction in the two-wheelerbusiness There are three businesses that were not making money for usampmdashtwo-wheelers trucks and electric vehicles EVsare a long-term bet and we will continue to remain in the game till there is a game remaining Frankly it is one business where if wecan make a difference we donamprsquot mind losing money In CVs (commercial vehicles) we are over the hump Next yearbecomes very important with BS IV coming in Two-wheelers was the only area where we did not see a possibility of a quickturnaround

Mahindra announced that it will create a manufacturing base outside India Is that on

What we said is that we need to be expanding outside India as every global company has significant manufacturing capabilitiesoutside India and we donamprsquot In the tractor business we do but in automotive we do not and therefore we are looking for asecond home market which will become an export base for us We are in the process of deciding what that would be

Are there any specific geographies that you are looking at

We are looking at the Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) region Basically there are four clusters of markets for ourkind of vehiclesampmdashLatin America African nations Asean and China Volume is in Asean So thatamprsquos what we arelooking at

Are you considering acquisitions

If an opportunity comes up we will do what makes more business sense Today in the auto industry there is an abundance ofcapacity Therefore it is possible for us to find a brownfield plant where we can invest some money to do what we want to do Sothat would make more financial sense than to taking the greenfield route

How do you plan to synergize your two-wheeler business with PMTC (Peugeot Motorcycles) and BSA

There are a lot of back-end synergies in terms of sourcing from India More or less PMTC is a stand-alone business

What is CLPL

It is Classic Legend Pvt Ltd That is the name of the company that will make BSA and Jawa bikes That is the company that wehave set uphttpwwwlivemintcomCompanieszR1P2wLJgimjEAhOgbDmfIMahindra-seeks-to-make-luxury-electric-cars-under-Pininfarinhtml

Top

Tata Tigor the compact sedan with a touch of sport S Ronendra SinghThe Hindu Business Line (Web amp Print Edition)

If looks can sell then Tata Motorsamprsquo latest sub-four-metre sedan the Tigor amplsquoStylebackamprsquo could help the companyreach a new milestone Capturing a unique niche Tata has chosen a Styleback design to distinguish the new sedan from itsplatform sibling ampmdash the Tiago Unlike the regular three-box sedan with its boot lid the Styleback has a coupeacute like profile andits tail-gate is hinged at the roof The unique design of the Tigor was frozen after the company worked on the styling over the pastthree years and the prototype was showcased at the last Auto Expo with the concept name amplsquoKite 5amprsquo The Tata Tigorwill be facing tough competition from the likes of Maruti Suzuki Swift Dzire and Baleno from traditional rivals Hyundai Xcent andElite i20 and also from other sub-four-metre sedans like the Volkswagen Ameo and Honda Amaze After our test drive of the Tigor

first impressions are positive and include a rising feeling that along with the Tiago this one too can definitely help Tata Motors buildits market share in the passenger car segment The company has set for itself the second car buyer or upgrader as its targetcustomers It has already opened pre-bookings for the Tigor and is expecting to deliver to some of its first customers on March 29ampmdash the day of the official launch

DesignThe Tigor is the third vehicle based on Tataamprsquos amplsquoImpact Designamprsquo philosophy that was started a few years agoThe product is smartly designed on the outside and did catch onlookersamprsquo eyes on the road The stylebackamprsquosuniqueness is a big draw It flaunts a dual-coloured bumper with the Tata Signature Grille and a striking chrome humanity line at thefront This extends into the crystal-like smoked projector headlamps to create the face of the car The character lines integrate withthe signature split LED tail lamps and an integrated high mounted LED stop lamp highlighting the length of the car

On the road quite a few people even stopped us to enquire more about the detailing of the design and features inside the car Thecabin features intelligent use of space and of course the high quality infotainment system Tata engineers have worked closely withHarman to design and produce an acoustic audio and infotainment system which has apparently been certified by the globallyrenowned Golden Ears and tuned by seasoned Harman audio experts According to Tata officials the Tigor is all about its style andinfotainment

Cabin space is quite impressive Tata engineers have managed to improve legroom and include as many as 24 utility spaces toprovide ample storage Some smart engineering and attention to detail has also helped maximise space for luggage the 419-litreboot has hydraulic units to close it instead of traditional gooseneck hinges Taller luggage can now fit in without snagging on thehinges

It has a dual-tone cockpit luxurious patterned seats with bolsters a knitted roof liner along with customisable air vents Howeverthe driver-side power window doesnamprsquot have an amplsquoauto roll upamprsquo option which many of its competitors would haveIt doesnamprsquot have electrically folding ORVMs which most of the cars in its segment offer at least in the top-end variants

PerformanceThe Tata Tigoramprsquos performance is similar to the Tiagoamprsquos The engines are offered in the same state of tune in both carsThe 12L Revotron petrol engine was quick to respond to our commands on city roads as well as on the highway The three-cylinderengine delivers an optimum power of 85 PS and a maximum torque of 114 Nm However the diesel variant comes across as beinga bit slower on the highway with the turbo kicking in late and you get its boost only at around 2500-3000 rpm Though noisevibration harshness levels are much better than erstwhile Tata passenger cars the Tigor is still a bit noisy Also the ORVMs on ourtest mule were shaking and vibrating while driving at high speeds even on smooth well-laid roads The Revotorq 105L dieselengine delivers peak power of 70 PS and a maximum torque of 140 Nm Both engines are available with multi-drive modesampmdash Eco and City The Tigor is also equipped with safety features such as dual front airbags an energy absorbing bodystructure advance ABS with EBD and cornering stability control for improved braking efficiency However as of now the car will nothave an AMT variant both for petrol and diesel and it may be introduced later

BottomlineTata Motors has managed to improve the performance and design of its new vehicles demonstrated aptly with cars like the Tiagoand Hexa The company is similarly expecting a lot from the Tigor However Tata has to work harder to convince customers tobreak out of their mindset when it comes to performance of their cars Price is expected to be in the range of Rs 525 lakh to Rs699 lakh for the petrol variant and Rs 599 lakh to Rs 803 lakh for the diesel varianthttpwwwthehindubusinesslinecomtodays-papertp-otherstp-automobiletata-tigor-the-compact-sedan-with-a-touch-of-sportarticle9598617ece

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Cars SUVs MUVs

Honda cars to get pricier from April 2017 The Statesman (Web Edition)

New Delhi Honda Cars India Ltd has announced that it will increase the prices ampndash wef the first week of April 2017 ampndashof its lineup by up to Rs10000 The Japanese automaker stated in an official release that ampldquoincrease in freight charges andinput costsamprdquo are the primary reasons for the hike

The automakeramprsquos entire lineup will be affected including the 2017 Honda City which was launched in February at Rs850lakh (ex-showroom New Delhi) However its debutant sub-4m crossover the Honda WRV which was launched at Rs775 lakh(ex-showroom New Delhi) earlier this month will not be affected by this hike confirms Honda

Speaking of Hondaamprsquos latest entrant the WRV with a price band of Rs775-999 lakh (ex-showroom New Delhi) it goes upagainst a plethora of rivals among sub-4m SUVs and cross hatches The WRV can be had in just two variants ampndash the base Sand the range-topping VX Mechanically it shares its powertrain with its donor car the Honda Jazz the 12-litre i-VTEC petrol andthe 15-litre i-DTEC diesel However it doesnamprsquot offer the CVT automatic option unlike the Jazzamprsquo petrol version And itscertified fuel efficiency is marginally lower than the hatch the petrol WR-V returns 175kmpl (12kmpl less) while the diesel returns255kmpl (18kmpl less)httpwwwthestatesmancombusinesshonda-cars-to-get-pricier-from-april-2017-1490269226html

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Honda Cars India CEO Yoichiro Ueno shares his love for India Maleeva RebelloThe Economic Times (Web Edition)

Thereamprsquos no denying that Indian food and culture has a lot to offer And Honda Cars India CEO Yoichiro Ueno makes noqualms about his frequent preference for Indian food over Japanese cuisine

Speaking to ET Panache Ueno shared his love for things Indian ampldquoIn our office canteen we have both Indian and Japanesefood I alternate between the two since the Indian preparations are really tasty and very often I cannot resist itamprdquo he said

Ueno has also made the most of his time in India traveling Heamprsquos been to Ajanta and Ellora caves in Aurangabad and alsovisited the Taj Mahal

ampldquoA lot is written about the Ajanta and Ellora caves in Japanese textbooks

Both caves are unique and different from each other which made me marvel at the precision of the makersamprdquo he said

While the beauty of the Taj had him spellbound he added ampldquoIt was very hot and my family struggled to cope with the Indianheat

But the Taj is such a splendid structure that we felt it was worth it all India has always been associated with the structure and afterseeing it we know whyamprdquohttpautoeconomictimesindiatimescomnewsindustryhonda-cars-india-ceo-yoichiro-ueno-shares-his-love-for-india57792831

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Expect workers wage settlement in coming weeks Tata Motors The Economic Times (Web Edition)

New Delhi Tata Motors today said it expects to resolve with its workers the issue of compensation related to long term settlement inthe coming weeks

The company and workers unions have been in talks for several months but they not yielded results

As per the labour laws and practices there are ongoing discussions on compensation related to the Long Term Settlement (LTS)expected to be mutually resolved in the coming weeks a company spokesperson said in an emailed response

Earlier this week union members at the Pune plant had met Tata Group Chairman Emeritus Ratan Tata who had visited the plantwith the new Chairman of the Group N Chandrasekaran

It is understood that the two leaders of the Tata group assured the workers that the matter would be resolved soon

The company spokesperson further said Tata Motors has always encouraged a cordial and mutually trusted partnership with itsworkers individually as well as with the representatives of the Trade Unions

Last November during the peak of fight between Tata Sons and its ousted Chairman Cyrus Mistry two unions of the companyrepresenting around 16000 employees had written to the management expressing their support to Ratan Tata

At that time Tata Motors Employees Union Pune had alleged that the once cordial relations between Tata Motors Pune plantmanagement and the employees have taken a downward turn since the last 14 months over various negotiable issueshttpeconomictimesindiatimescomindustryautonewsindustryexpect-workers-wage-settlement-in-coming-weeks-tata-motorsarticleshow57796076cms

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VWacirceurotrades premium compact SUV to be launched in May The Hindu Business Line (Web amp Print Edition)

The 2017 Volkswagen Tiguan will be on Indian roads by May this year The company has just earlier this week confirmed thatproduction of the amplsquocompact crossover vehicleamprsquo has commenced at its Chakan plant in Maharashtra The Tiguan will bepart of the new product line-up for the year The road map includes the roll-out of the new Passat too later this year

The second-generation Tiguan will be assembled from CKD (completely knocked down) kits and is expected to be fairlyaggressively priced The Tiguan shares its platform with many Volkswagen group cars including the Audi Q3 It is built on theversatile MQB (modular transverse matrix) platform

The design of the Tiguan is classic VW though it is undeniable that the side profile is a mix of other group vehicles The frontfeatures the redefined Volkswagen design lines with the parallel bonnet grille slats extending visually into the headlamps TheTiguanamprsquos proportions and stance on the road are classic sports utility vehicle style though the company calls it a crossover insome markets An upright stance prominent wheel arches and contrast sill elements make it look quite distinctive and of coursevery much like a burly SUV

The cabin itself is designed to give off a sedan-like look and feel with all the controls within reach of the driver However the

dashboard with its tall centre stack and the high set aircon vents are very SUV-like Excellent finish quality and refined materials arelikely to be standard though an all-black interior may not be the most preferred by buyers in this segment Volkswagenamprsquosinteriors are usually very well-made but sometimes lack a bit of oomph that buyers in the segment expect

However the Tiguan will not be found wanting in the boot space department with as much as an estimated 615 litres of luggageroom The boot space can be extended to 1655 litres by folding the seats This VW may also be offered with the active info displaythat is available in the Tiguan in some of the markets

It has a customisable 123-inch high-definition digital display behind the steering wheel Internationally the second-gen Tiguan isoffered with seven airbags multi-collision brakes and other safety and convenience features like driver fatigue detection parkingassist lane assist electronic stability programme adaptive cruise control and an extended electronic differential lock It is not clearyet as to what safety features will be offered in the India-spec Tiguan

But we hope that the really cool easy open and easy close tailgate feature will be offered here When it is locked just wave a footunder the rear of the car and the tail gate opens stepping away from the car will lead to the tailgate locking up

The Tiguan is likely to be offered in two trim options The powertrain option though will be only one ampndash just the TDI paired withthe 7-speed DSG gearbox We would say that is a good enough choice given the Indian marketamprsquos preference for dieselengines

The two-litre four-cylinder inline turbo diesel engine is offered in two different states of tune in many markets where the Tiguan issold currently

We are guessing that VW will make the prudent choice and bring the TDI with an output of 150 hp peak power and 340 Nm of peaktorque The seven-speed DSG gearbox will be the perfect pairing and we hope that steering-mounted paddle shifters will also bestandard

The Tiguan is also offered with VWamprsquos 4Motion all-wheel drive tech in the other markets A startstop system and thecompanyamprsquos BlueMotion technology too are standard fitment in many other markets we will have to wait and see if all of thesemake it here toohttpwwwthehindubusinesslinecomtodays-papertp-otherstp-automobilevws-premium-compact-suv-to-be-launched-in-mayarticle9598616ece

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31 Maruti workers to move high court against conviction say SIT probe was not fair Hindustan Times (Web amp Print Edition)

The Maruti workers and members of other factory unions held a meeting on Thursday and decided to move the Punjab andHaryana high court against the conviction of 31 workers for the violence at the car plant on July 18 2012

The members said the conviction happened because facts were not presented by the prosecution in the right manner

The workers said the investigation done by the special investigation team (SIT) into the incident was also not fair

Kuldeep Singh Jhangu general secretary Maruti Udyog Kamgaar Union said ampldquoWe want a judicial commission to be set upand fresh inquiry to happen as we do not believe the SIT did its job properly Besides that we want Maruti to take back all 546employees that it sacked after the incident in 2012amprdquo

The union members are likely to meet a legal expert in this regard to take up the matter in the high court

The union members had skipped their day meal and observed silence on March 17 the eve of the sentencing of 31 workers that thedistrict court in Gurgaon found guilty

Awanish Kumar Dev general manager (human resources) of Maruti Suzuki was burned to death and several executives injured inthe violence allegedly triggered by the workers at the car plant

The police had arrested 148 workers on charges of murder arson and rioting while 62 others could not be arrested and weredeclared proclaimed offenders

The district court awarded a life sentence to 13 people last Saturday Four convicts were given five yearsamprsquo imprisonment andmost of them have already spent about 4 years in jail as undertrials Fourteen accused of rioting have been fined and releasedhttpwwwhindustantimescomgurgaon31-maruti-workers-to-move-high-court-against-conviction-say-sit-probe-was-not-fairstory-Lhv4E6C6lpaCT6rKnrC5yMhtml

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Maruti 2012 Riot Verdict Workers to hold protest meet today Chetna ChoudhryThe Economic Times (Web Edition)

Gurugram Protesting the conviction of 13 labourers for their role in the 2012 Maruti violence workers unions will hold a massmeeting in Manesar on Thursday

The unions according to sources have picked March 23 as the day of protest as it is observed as Shahid Bhagat Singh martyrdom

day

The district administration police and labour department have already made extensive security arrangements to ensure law andorder in the area

ampldquoWe have intensified our protest now The lives of 148 workers have been ruined We are seeking justice and rehabilitationfor them We request all workers to take part in the mass meetingamprdquo said Kuldeep Janghu general secretary Maruti UdyogWorkers Union

As many as 150 unions from Gurgaon and Rewari and workers from four factories of Maruti Suzuki India and two of its mainvendors ampmdash Bellsonic Auto Components and FMI Automotive Components ampmdash are expected to join the protest marchsources said

On Wednesday workers from Maruti Udyog Workers Union distributed pamphlets in all industrial sectors of Gurgaon includingUdyog Vihar Sector 37 and IMT Manesar Workers alleged that the convicts were assaulted and made to sign on blank paperswhich were later submitted in the court as their confession

The protesters according to sources will finish their morning shift that ends between 2 and 3 pm and will reach Tau Devi Lal Parkin Manesar for the 4 pm meeting

To tackle any untoward incident the district administration has already imposed prohibitory orders under 144CrPC till May 15 Asmany as 500 policemen and two battalions reserve forces will be deployed in the area ampldquoCops will be deployed by 11 am onThursday They will have anti-riot gears with them to combat any untoward situationamprdquo said ACP Manish Sehgal

The labour department has cancelled leaves of its officials More than 200 labour officials will be on duty in their respective areas inGurgaon and Rewari to counsel workers asking them to hold the protest peacefully

ampldquoAll officials including labour inspectors will be on the fieldamprdquo said Jaibir Singh Arya additional labour commissionerGurgaonhttpautoeconomictimesindiatimescomnewsindustrymaruti-2012-riot-verdict-workers-to-hold-protest-meet-today57784366

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Judicial probe demand at rally to back workers Chetna ChoudhryThe Times of India (Web amp Print Edition)

Gurugram Over 8000 workers most from across Gurgaon and Rewari held a rally on Thursday to protest against the verdict in the2012 Maruti violence case The protesters claimed the convicts were falsely implicated in the case and demanded a judicial probeinto the violence as well as re-hiring of all the workers who were sacked after the unrest

The protest march began at 315 pm when nearly 3000 workers from Maruti Suzukis Manesar plant walked around5km from thefactory gate to Tau Devi Lal Park shouting slogans against the district courts judgment At the park they were joined by as manyas 5000 workers from 80 unions and over 200 factories from across Gurgaon Rewari Alwar Faridabad and Noida

The protesters held a two-hour meeting at the park where they reiterated their demand for a judicial inquiry into the unrest Theyalleged the convicted workers were picked up by the police from their houses on the basis of the list submitted by the managementThey also claimed the convicts were assaulted and made to sign on blank papers which were later submitted in the court as theirconfession

These convicts are innocent and we will appeal against the district courts judgment in the Punjab and Haryana high court We willrequest the court to conduct a judicial inquiry as well so that the truth is revealed We want all the 13 workers convicted of murder inthe case to be released said Kuldeep Janghu general secretary Maruti Suzuki Workers Union

The workers also demanded re-hiring of the 546 workers whose services were terminated by the Maruti management following theviolence They terminated 546 workers despite the special investigating team naming only 214 of them in its report Now even thesessions court has acquitted 117 of those who were implicated in the case The company should now take them back said KhushiRam head of the unions provisional working committee

To tackle any untoward incident as many as 500 policemen and two battalions of reserve forces were deployed in the areahttptimesofindiaindiatimescomcitygurgaonjudicial-probe-demand-at-rally-to-back-workersarticleshow57800390cms

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Changing landscape of car plant capacities in India Murali GopalanThe Hindu Business Line (Web Edition)

Over the last few weeks there have been two big announcements of ownership changes in Indian car plants

The first was PSA of France which opted for the CK Birla groupamprsquos facility at Tiruvallur near Chennai to roll out its range ofcars by 2020 The investment earmarked is a little over Rs 700 crore which is a fifth of what it would have otherwise involved for a

brand new automobile plant

More recently Chinaamprsquos SAIC Motor Corp made official that it would acquire General Motorsamprsquos Halol plant in GujaratCoincidentally this was also a CK Birka-owned unit which was hived off as a joint venture with GM in the mid-1990s before thelatter acquired complete control eventually

The American automaker has just not been able to create any dent in the Indian market despite being around for over two decadesSAIC GMamprsquos loyal Chinese ally has always planned to enter India for some years and now has a readymade facility to kickoff operations aggressively

GM has a more modern plant at Talegaon near Pune but it is still a million dollar question as to how it proposes to increase itsmarket share in India especially when it has put on hold investments for the future In fact there was a point in time when it waskeen on acquiring the now defunct Daewoo Motorsamprsquo facility at Surajpur near Delhi When that did not come through itdecided to go in for Talegaon

Its American counterpart Ford Motor Company has done better in comparison but that is really not saying too much in terms ofmarket share Ford commissioned a second Indian plant in Sanand Gujarat which was intended to complement its Chennai unitReports have been doing the rounds within industry circles that Changan Automobile of China could now look at sharing one ofthese facilities as part of its plan to enter the Indian market

At a global level Ford seems keen on targeting new mobility options in a world where the likes of Uber have truly disrupted the carownership space Even in India the company has invested in Bengaluru-based rental outfit ZoomCars which clearly reflects itspriorities at least for now

Two-horse arena

Even as India is poised to emerge as the worldamprsquos third largest automobile market by the end of this decade it still remains atwo-horse arena with Maruti Suzuki and Hyundai taking up 70 per cent of the volumes The balance comprises a host of other bigbrands fighting for a share of the mass market pie a list that includes Renault-Nissan Toyota Honda Volkswagen Ford GM aswell as Indian companies such as Mahindra amp Mahindra and Tata Motors Luxury brands such as Mercedes BMW and Audioperate in a completely different customer space

Over the last two decades since the gates for multinational carmakers were thrown open it is only Hyundai that has emerged aserious rival to Maruti in the mass market The others have just not been able to make any significant impact though they have hadtheir share of successful brands like the Toyota Innova or Honda City In this backdrop it is not entirely surprising that quite anumber of car plants have enough capacity to spare

Some like the Birlas and GM have sold these to other companies while others may just look at sharing capacity if the need arisesAnd then there are companies like Kia Motors of Korea which will in all likelihood announce its India entry over the next couple ofmonths This could perhaps be the last big ticket announcement of a new plant investment unless States like Andhra Pradesh offerhuge fiscal goodies to Chinese automakers

The real big ticket news from the Birlas was their decision to shut down the Hindustan Motors plant near Kolkata when it becameamply clear that it would no longer be viable to manufacture the Ambassador The brand has been sold to PSA for Rs 80 crore butthat by no means indicates a revival of operations at the West Bengal facility

With its closure the State has been left high and dry in the car space even while the yellow Ambassador taxi remains one of theenduring symbols of Kolkata The other big ticket investment that came and went was from Tata Motors which had originallyplanned to set up the Nano car plant in Singur but had to relocate to Gujarat following political opposition

The other prominent carmaker of yesteryear Premier Automobiles whose Padmini taxi is now in its last lap in Mumbai had two carplants near Mumbai These were hived off as joint ventures with Peugeot and Fiat way back in the amplsquo90s While the formerexited its India operations and brought down the shutters on the plant Fiat plodded on before relocating to Pune in a manufacturingjoint venture with Tata Motors

It is not as if all companies are suddenly facing the problem of excess capacity Maruti Suzuki is readying a new unit in Gujaratwhile Renault-Nissan has a sprawling facility in Chennai which is balancing exports and domestic demand reasonably wellHyundai is going flat out at its Chennai plant too and with Kia coming in soon the issue of capacity could be sorted out

At the end of the day while India is potentially a robust car market it is not the easiest either That explains why some companieshave cracked the code while others just have not been able to As a result spare capacity becomes inevitable in some cases thatcan be better used by other entrantshttpwwwthehindubusinesslinecomtodays-papertp-otherstp-automobilechanging-landscape-of-car-plant-capacities-in-indiaarticle9598611ece

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Make in India offers fail to strike a chord with Tesla Jyotika Sood and Utpal BhaskarHindustan Times (Delhi Print Edition)

New Delhi Indiaamprsquos overtures to electric car maker Tesla Motors Inc to set up an Indian factory have failed to deliver resultsThe Palo Alto US-based company has been cool to Indiaamprsquos offer of land near a major port to facilitate exports and otherincentives

Transport minister Nitin Gadkari visited Tesla last year and proposed joint ventures between the carmaker and Indian automobile

companies to manufacture pollution-free vehicles especially in commercial and public transport Prime Minister Narendra Modivisited Teslaamprsquos California facility in 2015

The NDA government has been trying to woo Tesla to make India a manufacturing hub for exports to South and South-East Asiancountries

Gadkari said the government has tried its best to bring Tesla on board

ampldquoI have told them we will give you land at the ports but we havenamprsquot got any indication yetamprdquo he said

Queries emailed to Tesla on March 22 remained unanswered

Tesla chief executive Elon Musk said last month that the company is likely to introduce its products in India sometime in the summerof 2017 Teslaamprsquos much-anticipated Model 3 which is positioned as a mass-market affordable car will sell at $35000 in theUS Some Indians have also booked it by paying an advance of $1000

India has ambitious plans for a mass shift to electric transport by 2030 so that all vehicles on Indian roads by thenampmdashbothpersonal and commercialampmdashare powered by electricity

Experts say manufacturing in India is some time away for Tesla

ampldquoJust putting up a plant for exports doesnamprsquot make sense One needs to have a large domestic market as wellamprdquosaid Abdul Majeed partner and national auto practice leader PricewaterhouseCoopers ampldquoFrom a business standpoint itmakes sense for Tesla to address the product challenges build up market share in the US and Europe India is still some timeawayamprdquo

The government wants to see 6 million electric and hybrid vehicles on the roads by 2020 under the National Electric MobilityMission Plan (NEMMP) 2020 and Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles (FAME) Currently electricvehicle sales are low in India rising 375 to 22000 units in the year ended 31 March 2016 from 16000 in 2014-15 only 2000 ofthese were four-wheelers according to the lobby group Society of Manufacturers of Electric Vehicles

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This ride is high on style performance Hindustan Times (HT City)

One of the leading manufacturers of passenger cars Honda Cars India Ltd launched the all-new Honda WR-V recently

WR-V the latest addition to the Honda fleet comes with a sporty exterior and spacious interiors with the best in class fuel efficiencyThis is equipped with powerful performance and advanced safety features The car has been developed under the conceptampmdash Refresh for Urban India which is built around the urban active lifestyle High seating stance and ground clearance smartcompact exterior with spacious interior along with versatility and utility and pleasurable high quality interior and class leading fuelefficiency are the core concepts

While the WR-V provides a premium appeal with its striking road presence and bold looks the exclusive day-time-running LEDDRL and position lamps along with front grill and solid wing face accentuate its intense and stunning look

Speaking at the launch Yoichiro Ueno President and CEO Honda Cars India Ltd said ampldquoThe fast-evolving Indian market hasshown strong demand for compact vehicles that are stylish comfortable and have premium features With the launch of the HondaWR-V we would like to provide joy of comfortable driving for daily use in the city for the customers in India We are confident thatWR-V will help us to fortify our premium image in all segmentsamprdquo

He further added ampldquoWe are extremely thankful to our customers in India for their faith in the brandamprdquo

The brand positioning of the WR-V is WOW R-V which aims at the energetic and individualistic youngsters who aspire to reachnewer skies and love to break the monotony of life The WR-V comes with S and VX trims in both petrol and diesel options It hasbeen launched at a starting price of Rs775 lakh and going up to Rs999 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi)

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Workers protest Maruti convictions Sakshi Dayal The Indian Express (Web amp Print Edition)

Gurgaon Hundreds of factory workers staged a demonstration in Gurgaonamprsquos Manesar area Thursday evening to showsolidarity with those convicted in the Maruti case earlier this month Almost five years after violence broke out at the Maruti plant inManesar which left an HR manager dead and 90 injured Additional District and Sessions Judge R P Goyal had on March 10convicted 31 of the 148 accused factory workers in the case On March 18 he sentenced 13 of the 31 convicted to lifeimprisonment and four others to five years in jail The remaining 14 were released on the basis of the sentence undergone

The demonstration ampmdash which was also held to mark the martyrdom of freedom fighter Bhagat Singh ampmdash was staged toshow solidarity with the jailed workers and in protest against the judgment pronounced in the case The protest began at 3 pm with

workers gathering at the gates of their respective factories The group then marched to the Tau Devi Lal Park in Manesar where ameeting was held at 4 pm

At the meeting it was decided that a detailed course of action to turn this into a ampldquocontinuous movementamprdquo would bedecided in a gathering of the workersamprsquo unions on March 28 in Manesar In addition on March 31 workers will hold a day-longevent at Jantar Mantar to protest against the convictions ampldquoIn the long run all the unions will also come together to provideassistance financial and otherwise to the families of those convicted We will also stage demonstrations against the convictions allover India on April 4amprdquo said Khushi Ram a member of the Maruti Suzuki Workersamprsquo Union

Gurgaon Police PRO Manish Sehgal said ampldquoWe had already made prior arrangements to ensure law and order in anticipationof the demonstration and things went off smoothly About 350-400 police personnel including traffic police were deployed for thedemonstrationamprdquohttpindianexpresscomarticleindiaworkers-protest-maruti-convictions-4582939

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Which Honda to buy Jazz WR-V or City Deccan Chronicle (Web Edition)

Honda is known for its practical and reliable cars in the country The Japanese automaker introduced the City facelift in Februaryand also launched its first sub-4m crossover the WRV recently As the number of options increase it is easy for an interestedHonda customer to get confused between the Jazz WR-V and the City Even though the segments are different the three carshave a lot in common and their prices also overlap Lets try to figure out which Honda suits you the most

Prices of petrol variants (Ex-showroom Delhi)

Honda Jazz Vs WR-V Vs CityFirstly lets get some facts clear If you are looking for a Honda with an automatic transmission the WR-V doesnt offer oneYouamprsquoll have to choose between the Jazz and the City Although the Jazz offers CVT transmission with the petrol versions ofthe E and S variants the top-end VX variant misses it However if you want a fully loaded automatic Honda and dont mindreaching deep into your pockets you are in luck as the top-end ZX petrol variant of the City is only being offered with an automatictransmission

You might also be aware that the new WR-V comes with a sunroof and if this feature is on top of your list book the WR-V rightaway Not only is the WR-V the most affordable car in the Indian market to feature a sunroof it is also the only car under Rs 10 lakhto have it

Honda Jazz Vs WR-V Vs CityIf we talk about the drivetrain the three cars share the same 15-litre diesel engine which produces 100PS of power and 200Nm oftorque and is coupled to a six-speed manual transmission However if you want the car with the highest fuel efficiency pick theJazz since it has a mileage of 273kmpl ampndash the highest among the three

Coming to the petrol engine while the Jazz and the WR-V are powered by the same 12-litre iVTEC engine that churns out 90PS ofpower and 110Nm of torque the City has a 15-litre iVTEC engine If you want the most powerful Honda among the three go for theCity as its engine churns out 119PS of power and 145Nm of torquehttpwwwdeccanchroniclecombusinessautos230317which-honda-to-buy-jazz-wr-v-or-cityhtml

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Should you go the AMT way Kushan MitraThe Pioneer (Web amp Print Edition)

Automated Manual Transmissions are increasingly popular on small cars is it time to get rid of the clutch

When maruti launched the Celerio with an Automated Manual Transmission (AMT) transmission they could not have imagined thatthis halfway house transmission between a full-fledged automatic and a manual would become a huge hit So much so that Marutihas begun to offer AMt options on several other models including the Alto K10 and their new Ignis Other manufacturers have beenquick to follow suit - Tata was the first of the rest Mahindra joined up the AMT revolution and in the six months or so have Renaultand Hyundai

These manufacturers are now trying to integrate AMT options across their model range and are launching all their new modelsequipped with AMT options because consumers are voting for these cars with their money Take the rather successful Renault Kwidfor example According to Sumit Sawhney Managing Director Renault India an estimated 40 per cent of the 8-10 thousandKwidamprsquos sold every month are the AMT version And that such sales do not always fit stereotypes of amplsquoautomaticamprsquocustomers ampldquoThey are not all women or based in major metropolitan areasamprdquo he told this columnist recently

The success of AMT equipped cars seem to have taken automakers by surprise because automatics have never been popular inthe past for small cars But earlier automatics were three or four speed gearboxes that were expensive to purchase and consumedbetween 10-20 per cent more fuel than manual versions Despite the unquestionable convenience of automatic cars options werethin because Indian buyers saw no value While more expensive luxury cars came with no options but automatics because as onecarmakeramprsquos chief executive told me ampldquoautomatic gearboxes will protect the engines from over-enthusiastic driversBut

workers gathering at the gates of their respective factories The group then marched to the Tau Devi Lal Park in Manesar where ameeting was held at 4 pm

At the meeting it was decided that a detailed course of action to turn this into a ampldquocontinuous movementamprdquo would bedecided in a gathering of the workersamprsquo unions on March 28 in Manesar In addition on March 31 workers will hold a day-longevent at Jantar Mantar to protest against the convictions ampldquoIn the long run all the unions will also come together to provideassistance financial and otherwise to the families of those convicted We will also stage demonstrations against the convictions allover India on April 4amprdquo said Khushi Ram a member of the Maruti Suzuki Workersamprsquo Union

Gurgaon Police PRO Manish Sehgal said ampldquoWe had already made prior arrangements to ensure law and order in anticipationof the demonstration and things went off smoothly About 350-400 police personnel including traffic police were deployed for thedemonstrationamprdquohttpindianexpresscomarticleindiaworkers-protest-maruti-convictions-4582939

Top

Which Honda to buy Jazz WR-V or City Deccan Chronicle (Web Edition)

Honda is known for its practical and reliable cars in the country The Japanese automaker introduced the City facelift in Februaryand also launched its first sub-4m crossover the WRV recently As the number of options increase it is easy for an interestedHonda customer to get confused between the Jazz WR-V and the City Even though the segments are different the three carshave a lot in common and their prices also overlap Lets try to figure out which Honda suits you the most

Prices of petrol variants (Ex-showroom Delhi)

Honda Jazz Vs WR-V Vs CityFirstly lets get some facts clear If you are looking for a Honda with an automatic transmission the WR-V doesnt offer oneYouamprsquoll have to choose between the Jazz and the City Although the Jazz offers CVT transmission with the petrol versions ofthe E and S variants the top-end VX variant misses it However if you want a fully loaded automatic Honda and dont mindreaching deep into your pockets you are in luck as the top-end ZX petrol variant of the City is only being offered with an automatictransmission

You might also be aware that the new WR-V comes with a sunroof and if this feature is on top of your list book the WR-V rightaway Not only is the WR-V the most affordable car in the Indian market to feature a sunroof it is also the only car under Rs 10 lakhto have it

Honda Jazz Vs WR-V Vs CityIf we talk about the drivetrain the three cars share the same 15-litre diesel engine which produces 100PS of power and 200Nm oftorque and is coupled to a six-speed manual transmission However if you want the car with the highest fuel efficiency pick theJazz since it has a mileage of 273kmpl ampndash the highest among the three

Coming to the petrol engine while the Jazz and the WR-V are powered by the same 12-litre iVTEC engine that churns out 90PS ofpower and 110Nm of torque the City has a 15-litre iVTEC engine If you want the most powerful Honda among the three go for theCity as its engine churns out 119PS of power and 145Nm of torquehttpwwwdeccanchroniclecombusinessautos230317which-honda-to-buy-jazz-wr-v-or-cityhtml

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Should you go the AMT way Kushan MitraThe Pioneer (Web amp Print Edition)

Automated Manual Transmissions are increasingly popular on small cars is it time to get rid of the clutch

When maruti launched the Celerio with an Automated Manual Transmission (AMT) transmission they could not have imagined thatthis halfway house transmission between a full-fledged automatic and a manual would become a huge hit So much so that Marutihas begun to offer AMt options on several other models including the Alto K10 and their new Ignis Other manufacturers have beenquick to follow suit - Tata was the first of the rest Mahindra joined up the AMT revolution and in the six months or so have Renaultand Hyundai

These manufacturers are now trying to integrate AMT options across their model range and are launching all their new modelsequipped with AMT options because consumers are voting for these cars with their money Take the rather successful Renault Kwidfor example According to Sumit Sawhney Managing Director Renault India an estimated 40 per cent of the 8-10 thousandKwidamprsquos sold every month are the AMT version And that such sales do not always fit stereotypes of amplsquoautomaticamprsquocustomers ampldquoThey are not all women or based in major metropolitan areasamprdquo he told this columnist recently

The success of AMT equipped cars seem to have taken automakers by surprise because automatics have never been popular inthe past for small cars But earlier automatics were three or four speed gearboxes that were expensive to purchase and consumedbetween 10-20 per cent more fuel than manual versions Despite the unquestionable convenience of automatic cars options werethin because Indian buyers saw no value While more expensive luxury cars came with no options but automatics because as onecarmakeramprsquos chief executive told me ampldquoautomatic gearboxes will protect the engines from over-enthusiastic driversBut

that is another story

AMT gearboxes are an affordable way of removing the clutch pedal and constant gear changes from the driving equation Previouscolumns have explained how they work but to repeat an AMT car retains the same gearbox as the manual variant It is only theway the gears are changed that is different The clutch pedal might have been taken out of the equation but the clutch is still thereBut instead of of your left foot it is operated by a mechanical servo The caramprsquos electronic control unit calculates how hard theengine is working and how much pressure your right foot is putting on the accelerator calculates when to change gear up Braking isa bit simpler as determined more by the speed you are going at

It is very similar to the way a traditional automatic gearbox works but because the heavy mechanism of a traditional automatic isdispensed with the AMT is lighter and being less mechanically complicated it is cheaper to boot And while advanced automaticgearboxes now feature 10-forward gears like on the Ford F-150 amplsquotruckamprsquo the regular manual transmissions give goodfuel economy anyway And fuel economy on cars is also a function of the driver so the AMT variants could be a bit more thirstythan the most frugal drivers but on the whole AMT cars pretty much give the same fuel economy

BUt are they fun the drive Well there is a little amplsquoshift shockamprsquo - the jerk that one gets when changing gears roughly Butthis is barely palpable on petrol-engined AMT variants and engineers have been working to smoothen it out completely The petrolAMT variant of the new Ignis for example is extremely smooth But there is still some shift-shock on diesel AMT cars but againthere are far improved from early models The diesel Ignis AMT while not as smooth as the petrol gets the job done

And the popularity of AMT cars will mean that engineers will get them better and better And also the costs of AMT gearboxes couldcome down further The problem with some AMT cars is that carmakers do not offer their top-specification on AMT cars On theIgnis if you want the full deal including Apple CarPlay on the Alpha model you have to buy the manual Which is a bit of abummer

So if you are considering picking up a new small car such as the Ignis or the Kwid anytime soon should you look at buying theAMT variant Honestly it does make driving a lot easier Particularly in the start-stop traffic of the city So yes you should Justdonamprsquot forget how to drive amplsquostickamprsquo you never know when it will come in handyhttpwwwdailypioneercomvivacityshould-you-go-the-amt-wayhtml

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Luxury Cars

Lexus debut in India on Friday All about models features and prices Hindustan Times (Web Edition)

Lexus is finally coming to India on Friday The luxury brand of the Japanese giant Toyota Motor Company will enter India with twoluxury SUVs and a premium sedan which would be imported as completely built units initially until Toyota arranges to localiseassembly in the country

Lexus is entering with two hybrids ampndash SUV RX450h and ES300h and will set up its first showrooms in Mumbai Delhi andBengaluru According to some reports the company has also started offering test drives to potential customers

The SUV RX450h is powered by a 35-litre V6 petrol engine coupled to Toyotaamprsquos Hybrid system the one that drives thePrius mated to an eight-speed CVT gearbox to generate 312PS of combined power and 361Nm of torque

The SUV could be pitted against the Mercedes-Benz GLC and the BMW X3 However the all-wheel drive hybrid will only be incompetition with the Volvo XC90 which was a plug-in hybrid launched in India last year

The Lexus ES300h is based on the Camry a luxury blue-logo Toyota sedan that costs Rs 32 lakh in a Delhi showroom But thiscould cost more given itamprsquos a Lexus and will come with all the comforts of that par However ES300h could also be the firstLexus to be locally assembled and would qualify for a FAME subsidy slicing Rs 138 lakh off whatever the sticker price Lexusannounces

Being produced since 1989 the ES will borrow its motors from the Camry ampndash a 25-litre petrol engine coupled to an electricmotor and mated with the same six-speed CVT gearbox to generate 202PS of max power 336 Nm of max torque The newestluxury in town could come north of Rs 70 lakh and will fight it out with the recently upgraded Mercedes-Benz E-Class and the BMW5 series which will be updated later this year

Apart from these two the Lexus will also come up with a diesel SUV -- LX450d for the market that is facing uncertainties over bigdiesels machines The LX450d will be powered by a 45-litre twin-turbo V8 diesel engine that will roar out 272PS of max power with650Nm of top torque

Based on the Toyota Land Cruiser the LX450d will be offered in a five-seat configuration initially and will take on the likes of RangeRover Audi Q7 and the Mercedes GL club

Toyotaamprsquos plan to bring Lexus to India could work given the increasing appetite for big luxury SUVs and sedans in India Withprincipal leaders like BMW Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen already running successfully in India with their premium brands Lexuswill have a good playground to play inhttpwwwhindustantimescomautoslexus-debut-in-india-on-friday-all-about-models-features-and-pricesstory-ipCHfUAI10ZHUDKsOQdgQJhtml

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Commercial Vehicles

Eicher Trucks amp Buses introduces AMT in its commercial vehicles The Economic Times (Web Edition)

New Delhi Indian commercial vehicle manufacturer Eicher Trucks amp Buses has introduced AMT (Automated Manual Transmission)technology in its complete range of LMD and HD buses (from 9T to 16T) and Medium Duty haulage truck application in the firstphase and the same will be extended to other applications later on

This technology has been adapted based on the OptiDrive technology designed and developed by Wabco the company said in astatement

Vinod Aggarwal MD amp CEO VE Commercial Vehicles said ampldquoItamprsquos a matter of extreme pride for us to be one of thepioneers in introducing a break-through technology in the Indian CV industry Apart from fuel efficiency this technology will alsoimprove comfort safety and efficiency that are the most critical aspects of driving these daysamprdquo

Jacques Esculier Wabco Chairman amp CEO said ampldquoThe award-winning OptiDrive for trucks and buses enables improved fueleconomy and reduced emissions as Wabco supports the leadership mission of VE Commercial Vehicles to continuously improvecommercial transportation efficiency in India and other markets through technology safety and environmental careamprdquo

Esculier further added ampldquoOur unique capability to design develop and supply OptiDrive solutions in India for VE CommercialVehiclesamprsquo latest light medium and heavy duty bus and truck platform further differentiates Wabco In addition we willcontinue to support this major customer through a range of advanced vehicle safety and efficiency technologiesamprdquo

The new Pro series of AMT enabled vehicles will be manufactured in the Eicher Trucks and Buses facility located in PithampurMadhya Pradesh where Eicher produces its complete range of 49T to 40T commercial vehicleshttpautoeconomictimesindiatimescomnewsauto-technologyeicher-trucks-buses-introduces-amt-in-its-commercial-vehicles57794280

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Volvo Buses rolls out BS-IV compliant bus in Bengaluru The Economic Times (Web Edition)

Bangalore Indian commercial vehicle manufacturer Volvo Buses has rolled out the Volvo 8400 City Bus featuring aamplsquomade-in-Indiaamprsquo 8-litre engine and is compliant with UBS-II norms apart from BS-IV emission norms informed thecompany in a press statement

The bus is the first step towards Volvo Buses fulfilling an order for 100 numbers of the next generation city bus placed by theBengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) The new 8-litre engine has been manufactured by the Volvo Group JV inPithampur

Martin Lundstedt President and CEO of the Volvo Group said Volvo Buses has been at the forefront of introducing newtechnologies and concepts in urban transport in India Our privileged partnership with the BMTC has been integral to this journeyHaving delivered the first city bus in 2006 we are proud to note that the BMTC now has over 700 Volvo Buses in its fleet This orderfor the next generation of city buses is the start of the next phase of our shared drive to promote sustainable mobility

Ekroop Caur Managing Director BMTC stated Bengaluruamprsquos urban mobility needs are growing rapidly We are augmentingour fleet of premium buses to provide commuters a desirable alternative to personal vehicles that are leading causes of congestionand pollution

The locally manufactured Volvo D8C engineamprsquos application is not restricted to India amplsquoThe amplsquomade-in-Indiaamprsquo8-litre engine has performed very well during internal assessments We are encouraged to deploy it in other international marketsthat Volvo participates in shared Akash Passey Senior Vice President Business Region International Volvo Bus Corporation

The Volvo D8C engine coupled with 6-speed automatic transmission supplies a peak power of 330hp The doors are equipped withsensitive edge to prevent passenger injury during accidental door closurehttpautoeconomictimesindiatimescomnewscommercial-vehiclemhcvvolvo-buses-rolls-out-bs-iv-compliant-bus-in-bengaluru57788322Volvo Buses rolls out next generation city bus for BMTCThe Financial Expresshttpwwwfinancialexpresscomindustryvolvo-buses-rolls-out-next-generation-city-bus-for-bmtc599793

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Unmanned electric buses to ply in new Andhra capital IANSSee this story in The Economic Times (Web Edition)

Amaravati Unmanned electric buses will run on the roads of this upcoming city one of the nine planned in the residual AndhraPradesh after Telangana was carved out of it

Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday said that only electric buses and vehicles will be permitted to ply in the city toprevent pollution

Naidu held a meeting here with Foster and Partners and Hafeez Contractor -- the leading architects designing the governmentcomplex

Based on the suggestions received in the earlier meeting they came up with a broad plan

Mooting the idea of a vehicle-free zone they stressed the need to encourage alternative sustainable methods of transport provisionfor electric vehicles dedicated bicycle and pedestrians routes and use of canals for water taxis

Foster and Partners made a presentation highlighting the need for integrating green and blue spaces It said that the city wouldconsist of 51 per cent green 10 per cent water 14 per cent road and 25 per cent building footprint

They suggested that government complexes should be open to all cultural buildings should be integrated within green and blueareas city squares and urban squares should be inclusive and attractive

With regard to sustainable energy use Chris Bubb of Foster and Partners said that energy consumption demand should be reducedby 40-60 per cent

For sustainable water usage the representatives suggested that rainwater harvesting and storm water management should beintroduced

To promote Andhra Pradeshs culture heritage and arts the representatives said that the architectural heritage should berepresented in the arrangement and format of buildings and spaceshttpautoeconomictimesindiatimescomnewsaftermarketunmanned-electric-buses-to-ply-in-new-andhra-capital57785217

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VECV to push sales of AMT-powered trucks buses G BalachandarThe Hindu Business Line (Web amp Print Edition)

Chennai VE Commercial Vehicle (VECV) has introduced AMT (Automated Manual Transmission)-equipped range of medium dutytrucks and 9-16 tonne buses which it hopes will drive sales on higher fuel efficiency

Prices of these AMT-powered vehicles are expected to be 5-6 per cent higher than the conventional transmission vehicles

This new AMT technology will improve the fuel efficiency furthercontribute to comfort safety and overall productivity of our vehiclesaccording to Vinod Aggarwal MD amp CEO VE Commercial Vehicles VECV seeks to target the state transport undertakings (STUs)for AMT buses in the near term as it expects huge fuel savings and driver comfort will be attractive for STUs

The AMT-powered vehicles will be manufactured at the companyamprsquos manufacturing facility located in Pithampur MadhyaPradesh The AMT technology (OptiDriveamptrade) has been provided by Wabco a leading global player for safety and control partsin commercial vehicles ampldquoGradually we will introduce the technology across all rangesamprdquo said Aggarwal

The company expects about 10 per cent of the overall truck and bus market in India to move to AMT in the next two-three years onthe back of growing awareness on safety and overall cost of ownershiphttpwwwthehindubusinesslinecomtodays-papertp-newsvecv-to-push-sales-of-amtpowered-trucks-busesarticle9598665ece

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Construction amp Agri Machinery

23 Wheelers

Harley Davidson a threat to Donald Trump-Narendra Modi bonhomie The Economic Times

New Delhi Legendary American motorcycle Harley-Davidson could end up becoming a sticking point between US PresidentDonald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Peter Navarro director of White House National Trade Council said in a letter to the editor to The Wall Street Journal that if Indialowers the 100 per cent tariffs it imposes on the popular American Harley Davidson motorcycles it could result in more foreigninvestments in the country

If India agrees to lower its tariffs on Harley Davidson motorcycles Indian consumers will buy more Harleys and save less whileHarley will sell more Harleys and invest more he said He wrote the letter in response to the debate that his op-ed piece on March6 in the daily had generated

In his first speech to the Congress US president Donald Trump had raised the issue without naming India American companiesare taxed at one of the highest rates anywhere in the world My economic team is developing historic tax reform that will reduce thetax rates on our companies so they can compete and thrive anywhere and with anyone Trump had said in his speech

After meeting workers and officials of Harley-Davidson Trump said they werent even complaining when asked about theirinternational sales and that they had been so mistreated for so long that they had become used to it

They said that in the case of another country they tax their motorcycles at 100 per cent They werent asking for a change but Iam Trump said most likely referring to India

However India has not singled out Harley-Davidson for high tariff It imposes 100 per cent tariff on all motorcycles with enginesbigger than 800cc High tariffs on imports are imposed to encourage local manufacturing The US too imposes prohibitively hightariffs on several items exported from Indiahttpautoeconomictimesindiatimescomnewstwo-wheelersmotorcyclesharley-davidson-a-threat-to-donald-trump-narendra-modi-bonhomie57791919

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Mahindra to introduce exclusive dealerships for Mahindra Mojo The Economic Times

Bengaluru Mahindra Two Wheelers part of the $178-billion Mahindra Group today in a press release revealed the sketch of itsfirst Mojo Exclusive dealership which is scheduled to be inaugurated this month in Bengaluru The company also said that itsplanning to open more such Mojo dedicated dealerships across India

Naveen Malhotra Sr GM ampndash Sales Marketing amp Product Planning Mahindra Two Wheelers said ampldquoSince its launchMOJO has helped build a biking culture through its various initiatives From the vibrant MOJO Tribe chapters which is spread across30 Indian cities to the Trails of MOJO Tribe which successfully completed four Mega Trails last year ampndash Mountain CoastalJungle amp Desert Trail the brand has come a long way

We are delighted to come out with the first ever brand specific dealership which has been designed to provide a holistic experienceto all bike enthusiasts and also strengthen our presence in the market We are pleased to reveal the sketch of our first MOJOExclusive Dealership which will be launched in Bengaluru later this monthamprdquo

Currently the companyamprsquos portfolio includes Mahindra Centuro and Mahindra Mojo in motorcycles and two variants ofMahindra Gusto Mahindra Rodeo and Mahindra Duro DZ scooters

Mahindra Mojo has been the companyamprsquos most successful model and in the period between April 2016 ampndash Feb 2017 thecompany has sold 1227 units of its Mojohttpautoeconomictimesindiatimescomnewstwo-wheelersmotorcyclesmahindra-to-introduce-exclusive-dealerships-for-mahindra-mojo57788903

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Honda Motor makes India an export hub Read how The Economic Times

New Delhi Global automotive companies it appears are driving in the big pieces to complete the Make-in-India jigsaw

Honda Motor Company (HMC) which ended a 26-year two-wheeler joint venture to start out on its own in India has joined the list ofglobal automobile companies such as Ford Motor Renault and Suzuki in making the South Asian nation an export base To thatend HMC has started registering in the country intellectual property rights (IPR) of its technology for two-wheelers a move thatwould help retain India as the lead market for the parent company over the next decade

India is the fifth country beyond HMCamprsquos home base where the Japanese auto major has deputed a domain specialist toidentify potential design patents to protect the companyamprsquos patent leadership locally

HMC has 5000 patents worldwide for two-wheelers Starting January 2017 the company has registered and made applicable 400patents in India Recently the company has also applied for a patent on ampldquoLow Rolling Resistance Tyresamprdquo

Keita Muramatsu president and chief executive officer of Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India (HMSI) told ET ampldquoGloballyHonda owns over 5000 invented patents which is more than any two-wheeler maker in the world Of this already 400 patents areregistered in India We shall be adding more in the future to protect and enhance Honda technology product reliability and branddesirabilityamprdquo He added the move toward strengthening IPR in India will help check infringements both within and outside thecountry helping scale up the global sales of Made-in-India products

HMSI currently exports two-wheelers to about 27 countries in Latin America and SAARC However the companyamprsquos exportsat 255929 units until February this fiscal year constitute 55 of overall production

ampldquoCurrently because of regulations we cannot sell our products in some countries as we have to adjust to another

regionamprsquos emission norms But in the next three years with new norms coming in as per global standards our products willbecome very competitive A highlevel taskforce has already started work to lead Hondaamprsquos migration in to the BS VI era Thiswill open a big window of opportunity for us to become the export hub of the worldamprdquo said Muramatsu

Anand S vice-president (Technology Practice) Frost amp Sullivan explained that in some instances patents have geographicboundaries a factor that may be driving HMC toward registering IPRs in India But more importantly strengthening IPR here willhelp HMC gain technological edge over competitors and expand its footprint in one of the worldamprsquos largest two-wheelermarkets

ampldquoGiven the scale here it will also become viable for the company to ship Made-in-India models to other geographiesRegistering patents in India will help check infringements both in the domestic market and abroad and ensure thecompanyamprsquos products are technologically superior than those of its rivalsamprdquo said Anand

The Indian market has already emerged as the largest and the most important for the company in the last financial year With salesof 4283690 units India overtook Indonesia to become the largest twowheeler market for HMC globally in 2015-16

Company executives said maintaining the edge in technology would be the key to gaining volumes in India where its former partnerHero MotoCorp currently leads Muramatsu declined to share a timeline on HMSIamprsquos rise to the top in India ampldquoToday30 of Honda two-wheelers sold in the world come only from India In Indonesia this (our penetration) is almost 75 There is alot of potential to growamprdquohttpeconomictimesindiatimescomindustryautonewstwo-wheelersmotorcycleshonda-motor-makes-india-an-export-hub-read-howarticleshow57800364cms

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TVS Motor in line to achieve 18 market share in two years D GovardanFinancial Chronicle

Chennai Two-wheeler major TVS Motor Company says it is in line with its target to achieve 18 per cent market share in the Indiantwo-wheeler market in two years despite the blip in sales in the third and fourth quarters of this year from the demonetisation effectThe firm hopes to close this financial year with a 142 - 143 per cent market share

ampldquoWe hoped to close this fiscal with a market share of 15 per cent But the market was down from November last year toFebruary March is looking better and we are now confident that the growth will pick up pace from April Consequently we are likelyto end this fiscal with a market share of 142-143 per centamprdquo K N Radhakrishnan president amp CEO TVS Motor Companytold reporters after a guided tour of the companyamprsquos two plants at Hosur in western Tamil Nadu

According to Radhakrishnan the urban market has been reasonably doing well except for two months in November and Decemberand growth picked up from January onwards The rural market was affected ampldquoBut things are looking better nowamprdquo hesaid As for the companyamprsquos two-wheelers the urban market accounts for 60 per cent of the sales while the rural contributes40 per cent of the total sales

ampldquoThe Indian two-wheeler industry is likely to grow by 8-10 per cent next year (2017-18) and we hope to grow faster than theindustry We have to grow better than the industry in order to achieve our target of 18 per cent market share in two years and weare confident of achieving the sameamprdquo Radhakrishnan said With projected better monsoon and a pick-up in the ruraleconomy he hopes to clock better sales in 2017-18

The company is keen to strengthen its portfolio with new launches and upgrades of existing products to sustain customersamprsquointerest and achieve higher sales ampldquoWe will launch one scooter and one motorcycle in the year 2017-18amprdquo he saidwhile not specifying whether those will be upgrades of existing products or complete new products ampldquoWe have to keeplaunching new products and upgrades to fill the gaps across price segments and also to sustain better salesamprdquo he pointed out

For the year 2017-18 the company is lining up a capex of Rs 350 crore ampldquoThe investments will go into new products and newtechnology besides some capacity expansion for our own version of the BMW motorcycleamprdquo Radhakrishnan said Thecompany has already entered into a manufacturing tie-up with BMW and as per which it will manufacture BMW motorcycles (mostlybelow 500 cc engine capacity) which the latter will sell in the overseas market TVS too gets to launch its own version of amotorcycle (Akula) to be made on the BMW platform and the same will be rolled out during 2017-18

Meanwhile the company had quickly geared itself up for the production of BS-IV vehicles a norm that becomes mandatory fromApril 1 this year ampldquoAs part of our plans to gear up for the BS-IV norms we have completely transitioned to the production ofBS-IV vehicles from February this year There has been a nominal cost increase ranging from Rs 500 to Rs 1000 based onmodels After taxes the on-road prices of various models could go up by 15-2 per cent due to this transitionamprdquo he explained

As for its Indonesian operations where the company had set up a two-wheeler manufacturing facility in 2007 Radhakrishnan saidthe company has cut down the losses by half from $6 million last year to $3 million this year It hopes to break even by next yearWhile the company produces 3000 units per month it exports around 2500 of them to various countries ampldquoThe focus is goingto be on exports from there to other regions including the African markets as well as neighbouring countries like Philippinesamprdquohe saidhttpwwwmydigitalfccomcompaniestvs-motor-line-achieve-18-market-share-two-years-110

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India should lower tariffs on Harleys for foreign investmentacirceurotrade

PTISee this story in The Hindu Business Line

Washington If India lowers the 100 per cent tariffs it imposes on the popular American Harley Davidson motorcycles it could resultin more foreign investments in the country a top White House trade official has argued

ampldquoIf India agrees to lower its tariffs on Harley Davidson motorcycles Indian consumers will buy more Harleys and save lesswhile Harley will sell more Harleys and invest moreamprdquo Peter Navarro Director of White House National Trade Council said ina letter to the editor to The Wall Street Journal

ampldquoTruly fair and reciprocal trade between the US and its trading partners rather than the perpetual turn of the screw wereceive now will lead to a thousand similar kinds of adjustments as our bilateral trade deficits fall and savings and investmentpatterns adjustamprdquo Navarro added in the letter published yesterday

He wrote the letter in response to the debate that his op-ed piece on March 6 in the daily had generated

He had argued that if the US uses leverage as the worldamprsquos largest market to ampldquopersuadeamprdquo India to reduce itsampldquonotoriously high tariffsamprdquo America will surely sell more Harleys there

India imposes a 100-per cent import duty on the motor bikes popular for a style of customisation that gave rise to the choppermotorcycle style

US President Donald Trump had flagged the high tariff issue in his address to the joint session of the Congress during which hesaid he will raise the matter with New Delhi

The financial daily in an editorial a few day after the March 6 op-ed had slammed Navarro for arguing that trade deficits are soeconomically harmful that US should seek to eliminate them

ampldquoThis bad idea has been gaining adherents so perhaps itamprsquos time for a tutorial on trade and the wealth ofnationsamprdquo it said adding that the Trump administration should focus on policies that restore the economy to its 3 per centannual growth trend ampldquoIf growth is fast enough and incomes are rising no one will care about the trade deficitamprdquohttpwwwthehindubusinesslinecomcompaniesindia-should-lower-tariffs-on-harleys-for-foreign-investmentarticle9597717eceamplsquoIndia should lower tariffs on Harleys for fgn invtamprsquoThe Pioneerhttpwwwdailypioneercombusinessindia-should-lower-tariffs-on-harleys-for-fgn-invthtml

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Make your riding experience fun with this mid-class streetfighter Hindustan Times (htcity)

If you are a bike enthusiast hereamprsquos good news for you India Yamaha Motor Pvt Ltd has developed a new FZ 25 modelkeeping in mind the concept of a powerful new mid-class streetfighter for the Next FZ World

Mounting a 249cc air-cooled 4-stroke SOHC 2-valve single-cylinder fuel-injected engine the FZ25 was introduced in India inJanuary 2017 Besides the performance their macho exterior design and styling that appeals to the youngsters has spurredcumulative sales to over one million units Be it for men in 20s and early 30s or customers stepping up from the deluxe to premiumsegment FZ 25 is the right choice

Along with its 250cc class engine displacement it offers an array of new features such as the LED headlight an LCD instrumentcluster with a superior look a mudguard that moves with the swing arm wheels with a spoke design and racing style foot pegs (rearsets) adding to its presence as the top-end model of the FZ series Roy Kurian Vice President sales and marketing Yamaha MotorIndia Sales Pvt Ltd said ampldquoThe MOUNTING A 249CC AIRCOOLED 4-STROKE SOHC 2-VALVE SINGLECYLINDERFUELINJECTED ENGINE THE FZ25 WAS INTRODUCED IN THE INDIAN IN JANUARY 2017 bike has been personalized forstreet smart new age macho riders with aspiration to move towards a more powerful bike While the bike has been engineered fornew age biking enthusiasts its superior design and comfort makes it perfect for daily useamprdquo

In addition to its revving character true to its FZ Series DNA the FZ 25 has strong brakes with controllability a sporty riding positionand a vibrant exhaust note

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Kawasaki to launch Z900 in India on March 25 Deccan Chronicle

Kawasakis most popular motorcycle in the Indian market the Z800 is soon going to be replaced by the Z900 The Japanese bikemaker will launch the new Z900 on March 25 2017 Kawasaki India has sent out invitations for an official ride weekend mentioningimportant models will be launched at the event Through our sources we have found out that one of the important models is theZ900 It was unveiled at the Intermot motorcycle show in Germany last year and will be imported in the country as CBU fromThailand Kawasaki is also likely to launch the new Kawasaki Ninja 650 and Z650 at the same event

Coming back to the Kawasaki Z800 the bike has received a complete design overhaul based on the Kawasaki Z100 The bike

sports sharper and sportier lines with an edgy looking headlamp while the contrast green finish on the trellis frame looks cool Thenew frame has been instrumental in the Kawasaki Z900 shedding 20kg in comparison to its predecessor Kawasaki engineers alsoclaim that handling of the bike has also improved thanks to the new chassis and loss of weight

The new 948cc inline four-cylinder motor is based on the Z1000amprsquos engine and it churns out 125PS of power and around99Nm of peak torque The engine is coupled to a six-speed gearbox while the gear ratios have been revised to improved low andmid-range performance of the motor The new motorcycle also features slipper clutch as standard fitment Suspension duties arehandled by 41mm inverted front forks and horizontally mounted monoshock at the rear Braking is done by disc brakes at both endswhile Nissin ABS is standard We expect the new Kawasaki Z900 to carry a premium of Rs 1 lakh over its predecessor and likely tobe priced between Rs 9 lakh and 10 lakh

Talking about the new Kawasaki Ninja 650 the fairing design has been made sharper and the new motorcycle gets twin splitheadlamps similar to the Ninja ZX-10R which makes it look aggressive Among the most important changes on the 2017 KawasakiNinja 650 is the adoption of a new multi-tubular aluminium chassis and new swingarm According to the Japanese bikemaker thenew trellis frame weighs just 15kg and also has improved the handling dynamics of the sports tourer The power figureshavenamprsquot increased but the parallel-twin motor is now Euro 4-compliant and Kawasaki engineers have improved the mid-rangeperformance of the bike too Braking hardware has also been improved as it gets revised calipers from Nissin and Bosch 91 ABSsystem

Kawasaki has redesigned the Z650 and we must admit that the new motorcycle looks much better than the Kawasaki ER-6n Thechiseled tank -- which now gets similar mirror-paint finish like the Ninja H2 -- tank extensions contrast colour on the frame andsharper-looking headlight are all enticing to look at However the engine is the same unit as seen on the new Kawasaki Ninja 650and the cycle parts are also identicalhttpwwwdeccanchroniclecombusinessautos230317kawasaki-to-launch-z900-in-india-on-march-25html

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E-Bikes

OK Play forays into 2-wheeler Inc launches range of e-scooters amp e-bikes The Economic Times

New Delhi OK Play has forayed into the two-wheeler industry by launching a range of e-scooters and e-bikes in India The modelslaunched are E Letriko E Bravo M-Ezee Funk E Self E and E Trend said the company in a statement

During the launch the company also said that it expects 30 conversion of this two wheeler industry into e-vehicles and it plans tocapture 10 of this market in the next 2-3 years

OK Play claims a range of 80 kms on a single charge with an average speed of 40 kms per hour

OK Play Indiaamprsquos Managing Director Rajan Handa said With government efforts like FAME (faster adoption andmanufacturing of hybrid and electric vehicles in India) and NEMMP (national electric mobility mission plan) the electric vehiclemarket including two wheelers has been growing rapidly With the governmentamprsquos aim to make India an E-mobility nation by2030 the launch of our Electric Two Wheelers will be our humble contribution in providing pollution free vehicle transport solutions

Rajan Handa said ampldquoThe next generation OK Play E-Bike amp E-Scooters have multiple advantages Apart from beinglightweight OK Play E-Two Wheelers are made from the highest quality plastic which is completely safe rugged and sturdilydesigned for the latest generation with easy to grip handles available in a range of vibrant colours These two wheelers can also beeasily charged at homeamprdquo

ampldquoPresently the Indian two wheeler market contributes to 80 of the total Automobile Industry and the top 10 cities such asMaharashtra Tamil Nadu UP Gujarat Karnataka Rajasthan Madhya Pradesh Kerala Delhi and Andhra Pradesh contributes to80 of this Two Wheeler industry added Handa

Sharing the marketing plans Handa said ampldquoOK Play E-Two Wheelers will be manufactured in the state of the art manufacturingplant located at Sohna Kurukshertra Surat Ahmednagar Ranipet Kolkata Guwahati and in Cuttack These plants are with thecapacity of producing thousand E-Two Wheelers per plant per shift with a total production of approximately 96000 vehicles peryearhttpautoeconomictimesindiatimescomnewstwo-wheelersscooters-mopedsok-play-forays-into-2-wheeler-inc-launches-range-of-e-scooters-e-bikes57788584

Top

Components

Indian automotive aftermarket likely to reach Rs 75k cr ACMA The Economic Times

New Delhi The Indian automotive aftermarket stands at Rs 56098 crore in 2016-17 and is likely to reach Rs 75705 crore by

2019-20 according to a research study conducted by Automotive Component Manufacturers Association of India (ACMA)

Vinnie Mehta Director General ACMA said ampldquoThe Indian automotive aftermarket stood at Rs 56098 crore in 2016-17 with atotal vehicle parc of 2287 million across the country The Indian automotive aftermarket is expected to reach Rs 75705 crore by2019-20 exhibiting a CAGR of 105amprdquo

The study - amplsquoIndian Automotive Aftermarket The Road Aheadamprsquo further says in the passenger vehicle segment thegenuine OE spares account for around 40 of the total components consumption while the remaining 60 is split evenly betweenIAM (Independent After Market) branded parts and U-parts (Parts from Unorganised segment)

Also the IAM branded parts consumption is highest in the CV segment estimated at 50 of the total consumption while the tractorsegment exhibits the highest consumption of U-parts at 40

Another key finding is Maharashtra shows the highest number of registered 2 wheelers 3 wheelers and commercial vehicles TheNCR (Northern Capital Region) region shows the highest population of passenger cars with Maharashtra ranking second The NCRregion and Greater Chennai have the highest population of 2 wheelers at 61million and 51 million respectively

ACMA study also mentioned that Greater Mumbai has the highest number of 3 wheeler registrations at 365500 vehicles while thehighest commercial vehicle registrations are noted in the NCR region Greater Hyderabad Greater Mumbai and Bengaluru

Further Bhatinda and Ferozpur have the highest tractor populations at 72 900 and 71000 units respectively

Of the total Indian aftermarket 2 and 3 wheeler segments accounts for around Rs 12038 crore while the passenger car segmentaccounts for around Rs 18970 crore commercial vehicle for around Rs 19 748 crore and tractor for Rs 5342 crore

Gujarat features in the top 5 states for replacement market across all vehicle segments while Maharashtra features in the top 5across all vehicle segments except for the tractor segment

The study also talked about fake auto components The penetration of counterfeit auto components has drastically reduced from36 2010- 11 to 5 in 2016-17 however their place has been taken up by U-partshttpautoeconomictimesindiatimescomnewsaftermarketindian-automotive-aftermarket-likely-to-reach-rs-75k-cr-acma57790023Auto parts aftermarket size to touch Rs 75705 cr by FY20Asian Agehttpwwwasianagecombusinesscompanies230317auto-parts-aftermarket-size-to-touch-rs-75705-cr-by-fy20html

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Oerlikon Graziano India targets Rs 1500 crore revenue by CY2019 Shobha MathurThe Economic Times

New Delhi Oerlikon Graziano India the maker of drivetrain systems for off-highway and niche passenger cars is keeping high hopeon advantage India

Predominantly an export oriented firm with small exposure in the domestic market Oerlikon is eyeing 20 percent growth in CY 2017According to the company last year its third-party sales that form a major 65 percent constituent of its business grew 23 percent

Third party sales for the company are generated from external customers mainly the domestic market and exports The balanceaccrues from semi-finished product supplied to Oerlikon Group companies in Europe and the US where they are provided to endcustomers after value addition

After a not very successful innings in the country that has seen Oerlikon Graziano concentrating mainly as a sourcing hub for theglobal market it is now beefing up its India story over a 5 year period starting 2015 It plans to double its topline to Rs 1500 crore byCY 2019 of which Rs 1000 crore would be contributed by third party sales

In CY 2015 its third party turnover stood at Rs 500 crore in CY 2016 it pitched in with Rs 640 crore and in CY 2017 is expected tocontribute Rs 770 crore out of the total revenue of Rs 1200 crore Sandeep Khullar director and Head of sales and marketing IndiaGraziano Trasmissioni India told ET Auto

ampldquoWe are well on the way to achieving it on the back of the new businesses that we have wonamprdquo he adds The companyhas bagged business with leading global OEMs in the electric vehicle space In addition it has added to its kitty a new businessfrom commercial vehicle maker Ashok Leyland end 2015 and is also expanding its 4 year existing orders with a tractor manufacturerin Turkey

ampldquoThe global business from electric vehicle manufacturers that we bagged in 2015 and 2016 has an annual potential of Rs 150crore We are supplying Ashok Leyland synchroniser parts for their 9-speed gear box from 2015 onwards for their heavycommercial vehicles worth Rs 35 crore each year In addition from the last 4 years we have a tractor business with Turk Traktorsof Turkey that is a joint venture between Case New Holland tractors and a local tractor company in Turkey We have been supplyingthem synchronizers and gears It is a big business as in 2016 we picked up an order for many more components as wellamprdquoelaborates Khullar

The component maker maintains that its growth of 23 percent witnessed last year is better than other industries that have not evenseen a double digit growth in view of the slowdown in the auto industry Headquartered in Italy the company caters to the

construction equipment agricultural automotive commercial vehicle passenger car utility vehicle and golf cart segments Itcurrently makes transaxles at its latest Sanand plant in Gujarat that it exports to leading golf cart manufacturers in the world

Historically a company focused on the agricultural market Oerlikon Graziano India is changing with times It is now shifting its focusto the automotive market where it sees growth potential including electric vehicles (EV) and commercial vehicles (CV) with plans tofurther boost this business It is a supplier of synchronisers and shifting solutions for CVs and complete transmissions or theircomponents for EVs for those keen to assemble them in-house

Globally Oerlikon possesses the capability to design test validate and manufacture transmissions for EVs While the companysupplies components for the EV segment from India it does not possess the wherewithal for undertaking designing and validationhere as this facility is available in Europe

Electric vehicles need a gear box that boosts their electric motor and delivers power to the wheel and while Oerlikon provides thedifferential assemblies from India globally it has a company in UK that specializes in software development and integration ofelectric controls with the vehicle

The differential assemblies are made at Sanand that went on stream end 2014 and are supplied to EV makers in North AmericaThe facility set up on 35 acres of land has at present used only 15 percent of its infrastructure Hence it has further scope forexpansion and leveraging this option Oerlikon is building a modular facility there with four modules

While 2 modules are operational the balance two will be functional by 2018 It has already invested Rs 150 crore in the plant and isbullish of investing a similar amount for its expansion over the next 2-3 years

The Gujarat plant also makes axles for construction equipment electric transaxles for golf carts for Club Car and CVTs for CaseNew Holland in Mexico

The Indian arm of the company added Rs 200 crore worth business to its kitty in 2016-17 and is optimistic of continuing with thislucrative run in the current year also Its other plants are located at Greater Noida and Belgaum in Karnataka but since they haveexhausted their capacities only the Sanand plant can be expanded over the next 5-6 years

In terms of the future growth trajectory Khullar says that Oerlikon Graziano will also add the gear box portfolio for the constructionequipment and harvester segment in India Clearly the export portfolio will continue to play a more important role for Oerlikon in thetimes to come as wellhttpautoeconomictimesindiatimescomnewsauto-componentsoerlikon-graziano-india-targets-rs-1500-crore-revenue-by-cy201957794650

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ACMA Automechanika underlines need for safety and tilt towards electrics Shobha MathurThe Economic Times

New Delhi Safety innovationcomfort and rideability products reigned the third edition of the ACMA Automechanika thecountryamprsquos largest automotive aftermarket exhibition that is being held between 21-24 March at Pragati Maidan in New DelhiWith 550 exhibitors up from 280 in the first edition it has drawn 287 Indian companies and 252 foreign participants across 17countries

On a walk around the trade fair ET Auto spoke to several manufacturers across diverse segments to gauge their general mood andwhat was clicking at the exhibition

Most of the component manufacturers were focusing on getting on board new distribution houses to market their products establishcollaborations for growing their business or export their products as well as acquire new customers be it an OEM workshop orgarage owners Interestingly many of them were also exhibiting products to cater to the electric vehicle segment that is pitted togrow to over 5 million by 2020

The US-based Delphi had on display their entire product range spawning 11 product lines across 4 different categories Theseincluded their steering suspension and brake parts that form critical safety components in a vehicle

Faisal Martin country director-India and sub- continent Delphi Product and Service Solutions India said the companyamprsquosfocus was to enhance its brakes portfolio encompassing brake pads brake fluids and disc brakes in the aftermarket especially inthe light of tightening safety regulations in the country

With changing times the anti-lock braking system that is set to become mandatory in the country across vehicle segments inphases would form part of the companyamprsquos future strategy as well The company is also investing in suspension and steeringparts that go towards improving the drive quality

Last year it launched about 250 such parts with more to follow this year Globally Delphi is strong in steering and brake parts andnow it plans to offer the entire gamut of product offerings in these categories to Indian consumers that would cover almost 85percent of the passenger car parc going forward

Globally Delphi is also undertaking a lot of work in digitization and digitalization and Martin says even trade is aligning with thisupcoming trend in India both in terms of transactions as well as connected technologies

The company was happy with the response that they had received at the event in terms of business enquiries over the last 2 days

Oerlikon that makes drive systems had on display transmissions synchronisers for gear boxes as well as gear boxes for electric

cars and differential assemblies that also form part of the gear box that boosts torque to the wheel

These form functional parts in a vehicle and help reduce noise and increase the comfort and driveability The company has set up aseparate group company for driving servicing and tapping the aftermarket globally and in India

Sandeep Khullar director head of sales and marketing India of Graziano Transmissioni India says that the company is developingIndia as a hub for reverse engineering and a production base for its global requirements for both the service and aftermarket

Hence the significance of participating in the ACMA Automechanika to woo customers and distributors Khullar maintains thatglobally a recent trend has seen cars moving towards electrification due to more stringent emission norms as well as the need toreduce noise and improve comfort

ampldquoA paradigm shift is happening in the product profile and amongst players in the electric space More conventional carmakers are entering the electric segment globallyamprdquo This necessitates tweaks in components to meet electric vehiclerequirements But he admits there is a time lag of 10 years for this trend to reach India

ZF that is a leader in driveline components chassis parts across different brands is focusing on safety quality and longevity ofproducts at the exhibition and has received a positive response at the ACMA Automechanika which officials feel has become moreprofessional and sophisticated in its third edition

Andre Scholle head of independent aftermarket Asia Pacific pointed out that the latest trend in India was that the car owner wasfocusing more on maintenance than simply breakdown maintenance as part of upping the safety quotient in the car Thisnecessitated preventive servicing and the new crop of car models were becoming more advanced Hence their longevity wasincreasing and therefore repair in a vehicle was also moving toward a better maintenance

The company plans to now focus on chassis parts brake parts and steering parts in India in line with the changing mindset andbehavior of repairs required The car range would also widen calling for a greater variety of replacement components

In addition Scholle says a new trend is emerging that would see more electric cars This would drive a shift in the aftermarkettowards new technology products like artificial intelligence and autonomous driving as well as more emphasis on safety

Jamna Auto Industries that makes suspension parts like leaf and parabolic springs as well as axles for the commercial vehiclesegment that form both a comfort and safety critical part was scouting for distributors for both India and for the global markets at thefair Pankaj Gupta CFO of the company remarked that there was a big aftermarket in both India and overseas and Jamna Auto waslooking to grow its presence in it The aftermarket constitutes about 15-18 percent of its business currently

The company is looking to expand its export base to CIS countries Middle East and the Americas and has received a lot ofenquiries at its stall

Gupta says that the trend is now moving towards advanced parabolic spring technology internationally that provides a better driveand increases the life of the vehicle In India Jamna is one of the largest providers of suspension parts for CVs with parabolicsconstituting 16 percent of its product line Going forward it plans to focus on this technology that is also set to gather steam in India

Also on display were its lift axles for specialty vehicles to reduce the wear and tear of the CVs

Even lights are now constituting a safety product and Ramashankar Pandey managing director of Hella India Lighting remarked thatthe company had ventured into safety lighting since 2012 Hella had on display safety lighting products for trucks like LED taillightsthat ensure adequate braking time in case of a collision

Among other safety lights on display were signaling single LED lights and lights to prevent glare These have narrow low and farbeams that provide bright lights without blinding the oncoming vehicle

The driver of this edition of ACMA Automechanika were predominantly parts and components repair and maintenance as well aselectronics that are pitted to see a huge growth potential in India going forward with vehicles becoming more tech savvy

Among the other spotlights at the show were accessories and customizing management and digital solutions as well as car washcare and reconditioning a new product zone displaying the latest specialty products auto components and innovative aftermarketaccessories from the shop floor

Many product launches will be witnessed over the 4 days by various companies across product lines

Clearly the focus is on new generation and high technology products as well as vehicle maintenance to keep pace with the evolvingtechnologies in the vehicle segment Taking a cue from the Governments focus on digital India the exhibition found resonation instakeholders who are slowly moving towards digital transactions in the aftermarket after demonetisation

ampldquoAs the average age of a car grows the business in the aftermarket will also grow attracting more companies includinginternational ones to Indiaamprdquo says Raj Manek executive director and Board member of Messe Frankfurt Asia

Today among the BRIC countries while Brazil and Africa are facing a decline in their automotive industry due to volatilities in theireconomies China is in the midst of changing its manufacturing base from outputting large volumes to quality that has slowed downits auto industry growth In this scenario India offers a large opportunity in the automotive aftermarket that is pegged to grow to $13billion by 2020 from the current $8 billion

ampldquoACMA Automechanika New Delhi features today what the industry will need tomorrow in terms of competitive aftermarketproducts and technical expertise which we are sure will drive up the exhibitor and visitor quality from its previous editionsamprdquoadds Manek

Interestingly officials maintain that in the fourth edition of the exhibition they would be keen to add batteries and the tyre segmentwhich has till now been present in a very small scale due to lack of space and the high demand from the existing exhibits

At the inauguration Rattan Kapur president of ACMA had remarked that the industry body was for the first time launching theamplsquoCMA Safer Drivesamprsquo pavilion for sensitizing the public towards safety rules and usage of genuine parts underlying theimportance the exhibition was giving to safety and subsequent campaigns to reduce sub- standard parts

While counterfeits have now reduced from over 32 percent of the aftermarket to almost 5 percent according to a recent study byACMA a new challenge has cropped up in the form of the unorganized sector that is threatening to take its placehttpautoeconomictimesindiatimescomnewsauto-componentsacma-automechanika-underlines-need-for-safety-and-tilt-towards-electrics57785102

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ZF launches its connectivity solution Openmatics in India The Economic Times

New Delhi Automotive parts supplier ZF Aftermarket has launched its telematics platform Openmatics in India for vehicleapplications at the ACMA Automechanika New Delhi informed the company in a press statement

Talking about the product ZF said Openmatics is an onboard unit in the vehicle which records the data for all the desiredtelematics applications Outsourced servers take over the data conversion and storage The users access the data via a web portalfor instance on the computer tablet PC or via a smartphone The different telematics services are offered as modular softwareapplications ie apps so that the fleet andor vehicle operators can freely select and combine them as desired

The Openmatics Dashboard offers customers the scope to develop new ideas that enhance customer service Faster processing ofvehicle returns at rental car companies is one potential option The app helps the rental company to see which vehicles havealready been fully refueled as they enter the parking garage These vehicles are then directed to a quick checkout added thecompany

There exists an economic aspect for Openmatics The users pay only for those telematics functions they use ampndash nothing moreand nothing less

Vijay Khorgade General Manager and Head of ZF Services India said ampldquoIntelligent connectivity is coming of age in India It isalso a critical need given the constant pressure on the fleet operators to optimize performance

ZFamprsquos Openmatics platform is a proven technology which will help reduce the fleet management service providers downtimeimprove efficiency and overall customer experience We are extremely happy to share that there is a dedicated team in India tosupport on requirement of Openmaticsamprdquohttpautoeconomictimesindiatimescomnewsauto-technologyzf-launches-its-connectivity-solution-openmatics-in-india57788936

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ZF gears up for new mobility solutions Murali GopalanThe Hindu Business Line

Stefan Sommer grins when asked if his company will contemplate making a car in the near future

ampldquoWe have skills in safety systems chassis and driveline systems but if you look at a complete car whether is the interiors orbody shell it requires a lot of competenciesamprdquo says the Chief Executive Officer of ZF the worldamprsquos leading autocomponent manufacturer headquartered in Germany

Yet Sommer admits there is an exciting world of mobility emerging where ancillary suppliers like ZF can play a big role in providingsolutions And even while the Apple and Google are planning to throw down the gauntlet to established automobile manufacturersthe ZF chief would rather take a more pragmatic approach

New thought process

ampldquoWe are thinking about serving mobility of the last mile which could be a two-wheeler or any new concept but not somethinglike a caramprdquo says Sommer ampldquoIf this means two-wheelers people movers or delivery robots carrying parcels as mobilitysolutions of the future we will be open to such ideasamprdquo

It is precisely for this reason that ZF has already formed think-tanks within the company to come up with ideas on safety and lastmile connectivity which will involve developing appropriate solutions Manpower resources for this new thought process are drawnfrom within the company along with some fresh hires

The idea is to create a new environment for this group and release them from the old processes by ampldquogiving them the space tocreate and follow up on ideasamprdquo To that extent ZF is truly gearing up for a completely new world of mobility ampldquoWe areseeing that mobility needs are changing and a lot of urban areas will be emission free in the futureamprdquo says Sommer

The solutions here could vary depending on distances across cities All this will translate into a lot of opportunities that puts inperspective the role of the think-tanks at ZF who will constantly throw up new ideas in supporting these mobility needs with new

Interestingly officials maintain that in the fourth edition of the exhibition they would be keen to add batteries and the tyre segmentwhich has till now been present in a very small scale due to lack of space and the high demand from the existing exhibits

At the inauguration Rattan Kapur president of ACMA had remarked that the industry body was for the first time launching theamplsquoCMA Safer Drivesamprsquo pavilion for sensitizing the public towards safety rules and usage of genuine parts underlying theimportance the exhibition was giving to safety and subsequent campaigns to reduce sub- standard parts

While counterfeits have now reduced from over 32 percent of the aftermarket to almost 5 percent according to a recent study byACMA a new challenge has cropped up in the form of the unorganized sector that is threatening to take its placehttpautoeconomictimesindiatimescomnewsauto-componentsacma-automechanika-underlines-need-for-safety-and-tilt-towards-electrics57785102

Top

ZF launches its connectivity solution Openmatics in India The Economic Times

New Delhi Automotive parts supplier ZF Aftermarket has launched its telematics platform Openmatics in India for vehicleapplications at the ACMA Automechanika New Delhi informed the company in a press statement

Talking about the product ZF said Openmatics is an onboard unit in the vehicle which records the data for all the desiredtelematics applications Outsourced servers take over the data conversion and storage The users access the data via a web portalfor instance on the computer tablet PC or via a smartphone The different telematics services are offered as modular softwareapplications ie apps so that the fleet andor vehicle operators can freely select and combine them as desired

The Openmatics Dashboard offers customers the scope to develop new ideas that enhance customer service Faster processing ofvehicle returns at rental car companies is one potential option The app helps the rental company to see which vehicles havealready been fully refueled as they enter the parking garage These vehicles are then directed to a quick checkout added thecompany

There exists an economic aspect for Openmatics The users pay only for those telematics functions they use ampndash nothing moreand nothing less

Vijay Khorgade General Manager and Head of ZF Services India said ampldquoIntelligent connectivity is coming of age in India It isalso a critical need given the constant pressure on the fleet operators to optimize performance

ZFamprsquos Openmatics platform is a proven technology which will help reduce the fleet management service providers downtimeimprove efficiency and overall customer experience We are extremely happy to share that there is a dedicated team in India tosupport on requirement of Openmaticsamprdquohttpautoeconomictimesindiatimescomnewsauto-technologyzf-launches-its-connectivity-solution-openmatics-in-india57788936

Top

ZF gears up for new mobility solutions Murali GopalanThe Hindu Business Line

Stefan Sommer grins when asked if his company will contemplate making a car in the near future

ampldquoWe have skills in safety systems chassis and driveline systems but if you look at a complete car whether is the interiors orbody shell it requires a lot of competenciesamprdquo says the Chief Executive Officer of ZF the worldamprsquos leading autocomponent manufacturer headquartered in Germany

Yet Sommer admits there is an exciting world of mobility emerging where ancillary suppliers like ZF can play a big role in providingsolutions And even while the Apple and Google are planning to throw down the gauntlet to established automobile manufacturersthe ZF chief would rather take a more pragmatic approach

New thought process

ampldquoWe are thinking about serving mobility of the last mile which could be a two-wheeler or any new concept but not somethinglike a caramprdquo says Sommer ampldquoIf this means two-wheelers people movers or delivery robots carrying parcels as mobilitysolutions of the future we will be open to such ideasamprdquo

It is precisely for this reason that ZF has already formed think-tanks within the company to come up with ideas on safety and lastmile connectivity which will involve developing appropriate solutions Manpower resources for this new thought process are drawnfrom within the company along with some fresh hires

The idea is to create a new environment for this group and release them from the old processes by ampldquogiving them the space tocreate and follow up on ideasamprdquo To that extent ZF is truly gearing up for a completely new world of mobility ampldquoWe areseeing that mobility needs are changing and a lot of urban areas will be emission free in the futureamprdquo says Sommer

The solutions here could vary depending on distances across cities All this will translate into a lot of opportunities that puts inperspective the role of the think-tanks at ZF who will constantly throw up new ideas in supporting these mobility needs with new

products

ampldquoOf course needs will vary across the world right from North America India and China to Japan and Europeamprdquo saysthe ZF chief ampldquoTo have the right solutions for these regions we need to be stronger in the region and have betterunderstanding in the processamprdquo

Yet Sommer is categorical that the core of the company will remain intact and the idea is only to focus on further developmentampldquoWe will stay true to our core qualities in mechanical engineering which we are known for and appreciated by our customersWe will add to this the digital world and new competenciesamprdquo he says

Eventually the idea is to be versatile enough to be able to meet future challenges On one side is the mechanical world that is aboutplants As Sommer says they cannot be as flexible as new start-up companies or software solutions with ampldquoyoung guysworking in a flexible environmentamprdquo In a plant every part needs to be in shape and the machines well greased and in goodworking condition

This is a completely different world and the big challenge is to ampldquobalance these two interfacesamprdquo within the companyampldquoTo that extent it is more an addition rather than a transformation We will still stay as a company that delivers mechanicalproducts which we call intelligent mechanical products that are ready for the future worldamprdquo reiterates Sommer

At on end the priority is to have fresh thinkers and ampldquoflexible digital environmentsamprdquo so that they feel at home Thesepeople will then need to be bridged into the mechanical world to make intelligent mechanical products which ampldquosee think andactamprdquo

ampldquoWe need all three because if we only amplsquoseeamprsquo or amplsquothinkamprsquo you cannot steer a car around the cornerAt the end you need the amplsquoactamprsquo where you need the right steering systems to turn and drive the car or brake It is acombination of all threeamprdquo says Sommer

India operations

ZF had recently set up a new division for electro-mobility keeping in line with future trends where car-makers across the world aregoing flat out in their efforts to go electric And even while India has little going in this department right now ZF believes things couldchange given the ambitious deadline for Bharat Stage VI norms in 2020

ampldquoWe could contribute to this with our technologies which include automated transmission as well as intelligent electrificationin some areas to achieve those aggressive targetsamprdquo says Sommer

The ZF chief who was in India for the inauguration of the technical centre in Hyderabad is extremely upbeat on the potential hereampldquoWe need fruitful ideas and we can bring that from India to the worldamprdquo he says ampldquoWhen we have the Hyderabadtech centre fully running and give people the freedom to think about their products who knows what will come out of itamprdquo

The tech centre will also be the location ampldquowhich we will grow very aggressively every yearamprdquo in software andmechanical engineering competencies to support ZF engineering centres across the world Hyderabad to that extent marksampldquothe switch of the ignitionamprdquo where aggressive growth plans are envisaged

The world is of course changing with new geopolitical realities and a sweeping wave of populism across the US and EuropeSommer admits that scenarios like Brexit or weakening the NAFTA region are not exactly positive signs but all is not lost yetampldquoThere are a lot of dark clouds right now but there is no rain from them yet So long as they give a shadow it is fine but if itstarts to rain then we will need some umbrellasamprdquo he declareshttpwwwthehindubusinesslinecomtodays-papertp-otherstp-automobilezf-gears-up-for-new-mobility-solutionsarticle9598612ece

Top

Allied Industries

India invests in synthetic rubber PTISee this story in The Economic Times

Singapore Indian companies are investing in synthetic rubber building on the recently added capacity of about 270000 tonnes ayear industry officials said here on Thursday

Tyre manufacturers are also calling on them to start producing Solutions Styrene Butadiene Rubber (SSBR) which is required toproduce high performance tyre strong demand for which is projected in the coming years

At the end of 2016 demand for synthetic rubber (SR) in India was 580000ty driven by strong tyre demand from the automobilesector said Juan Ramon Salinas managing director and chief executive officer of the International Institute of Synthetic RubberProducers

Comparatively domestic SR production was 480000ty

Indian would likely become self-sufficient in 2018 reaching around 650000 ty he told the World Rubber Summit 2017 being heldhere

New investments in products are planned which will enhance SR product portfolio added Amardeep Singh head of IndianSynthetic Rubber (ISRPL)

In 2014 ISRPL began a 120000 ty Emulsion Styrene Butadiene Rubber (ESBR) which is specifically used for making tires

In 2015 the Reliance Group started a 150000 ESBR plant The combined output from the two companies approximately covers270000 ty ESBR demand ESBR is mainly used in tires

Singh estimates strong tire demand growth from the automobile manufacturers is expected in the coming years

But market sources said more investments are needed in SR capacity as India backed by the strong economic growth is set tobecome the worlds largest automobile market in the coming years

This include SSBR which is among the advanced products in the SR range to compliment Natural Rubber used in making tyresthey said

Indian oil companies are already investing in downstream products to meet the feedstock requirement They are adding morebutadiene and styrene capacity the officials saidhttpautoeconomictimesindiatimescomnewsraw-materialindia-invests-in-synthetic-rubber57791104

Top

Bridgestone India to supply tyres for Honda WR-V The Economic Times

Bangalore Tyre manufacturer Bridgestone India is going to supply its ECOPIA EP150 OE for newly launched all new Honda WR-Vsaid the company in a media release

Katsuyuki Yamamura Director of Consumer Products Bridgestone India said ampldquoWe are proud to be associated withHondaamprsquos newly launched premium Sports Lifestyle Vehicle the WR-V which has been launched globally first in the Indianmarket WR-V showcases best in class fuel efficiency which resonates with our environmental friendly tyre range - ECOPIA

Honda WR-V has been launched with prices ranging between Rs 775 lakh - Rs 899 lakh for petrol variants and Rs 899 lakh - 999lakh for the diesel variants Honda Cars India is the first global market to get the WR-V

EP150 tyres helps in achieving better rolling resistance without compromising wear life wet handling and durability Ecopia is a lowrolling resistance tyre which improves fuel consumption which saves fuel cost upto 7 and also contributes to the reduction of CO2emissionamprdquo added Yamamura

ECOPIA EP150 tyres utilizes unique compounds and cutting-edge technology in tread design to strike a balance between fuelefficiency safety and durability These tyres have been engineered for the cost-conscious and eco-conscious driver claimsBridgestone India

Some of the new features of the tyres are - Rib-linked blocks which uniforms ground contact when braking and enhances brakingeven in wet condition Optimized 3D block shape which pushes water aside for smooth rolling and ECOPIA compound whichimproves rolling resistancehttpautoeconomictimesindiatimescomnewstyresbridgestone-india-to-supply-tyres-for-honda-wr-v57789248

Top

India invests in synthetic rubber PTISee this story in The Economic Times

Singapore Indian companies are investing in synthetic rubber building on the recently added capacity of about 270000 tonnes ayear industry officials said here today

Tyre manufacturers are also calling on them to start producing Solutions Styrene Butadiene Rubber (SSBR) which is required toproduce high performance tyre strong demand for which is projected in the coming years

At the end of 2016 demand for synthetic rubber (SR) in India was 580000ty driven by strong tyre demand from the automobilesector said Juan Ramon Salinas managing director and chief executive officer of the International Institute of Synthetic RubberProducers

Comparatively domestic SR production was 480000ty

Indian would likely become self-sufficient in 2018 reaching around 650000 ty he told the World Rubber Summit 2017 being heldhere

New investments in products are planned which will enhance SR product portfolio added Amardeep Singh head of IndianSynthetic Rubber Pvt Ltd (ISRPL)

In 2014 ISRPL began a 120000 ty Emulsion Styrene Butadiene Rubber (ESBR) which is specifically used for making tires

In 2015 the Reliance Group started a 150000 ESBR plant The combined output from the two companies approximately covers270000 ty ESBR demand ESBR is mainly used in tires

Singh estimates strong tire demand growth from the automobile manufacturers is expected in the coming years

But market sources said more investments are needed in SR capacity as India backed by the strong economic growth is set tobecome the worlds largest automobile market in the coming years

This include SSBR which is among the advanced products in the SR range to compliment Natural Rubber used in making tyresthey said

Indian oil companies are already investing in downstream products to meet the feedstock requirement They are adding morebutadiene and styrene capacity the officials saidhttpeconomictimesindiatimescomindustryautonewstyresindia-invests-in-synthetic-rubberarticleshow57788894cms

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Pioneer launches new enclosed car subwoofers The Hindu Business Line

In-car entertainment systems maker Pioneer India Electronics announced the launch of its new enclosed subwoofers TS-WX306T ampTS-WX306B in tube type and box type enclosures

TX-WX306B box subwoofer and its cylindrical TS-WX306T counterpart are not only more affordable but also share a refreshinglynew grille design which is equally functional by protecting the onboard speaker driver Pioneer said in a press release Both theenclosures share the same driver unit with a maximum wattage of 1300 watts and RMS of 350 watts Pioneer has used new Voicecoil cooling system (VCCS) technology in this driver unit With VCCS the heat dissipation mechanism of the unit is made moreefficient according to the company With this type of heat dissipation the unit becomes durable and can handle high powerAnother benefit of VCCS is that it helps in reducing the overall weight of the enclosures which in turn will least affect thecaramprsquos fuel efficiency Pioneer claimed

The latest subwoofers have been designed after extensive India-focused research the release said Boasting 1300W of audiooutput that produces a fantastic undistorted sound they also bring a classier appearance that suits all car models according toPioneerhttpwwwthehindubusinesslinecomtodays-papertp-otherstp-automobilepioneer-launches-new-enclosed-car-subwoofersarticle9598619ece

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SC to take call on BS III stocks today The Hindu Business Line

With less than a week to go before Bharat Stage IV emission norms become a reality the Supreme Court is expected to take a callon Friday on the inventory pileup of BS III vehicles There are an estimated five lakh plus two-wheeler stocks piled up at dealershipsand over 50000 heavy trucks If the apex court decides that April 1 will only see registration of BS IV vehicles then their will involvea considerable write-off

Some manufacturers already said that they ready with BS IV-compliant vehicles On the other hand there are manufacturessaddled with BS III stocks who insist that the date of manufacture be taken as the criterion to herald new emission norms as hasbeen the case in the past It is now up to the apex court to take a call which could have some implications for a section of industryhttpwwwthehindubusinesslinecomspecialsauto-focussc-to-take-call-on-bs-iii-stocks-todayarticle9598509ece

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Emissions Environment

Finance amp Insurance

Oil Lubricants amp Alternative Fuels

News Magazines

Lexus LX450d to be priced at Rs 23 crore

Autocar India

Toyotas luxury brand Lexus will finally launch in India later today The carmaker has planned its initial assault with three vehiclesampndash the ES300h hybrid sedan the RX450h mid-size SUV and the range-topping full size seven-seat LX SUV which will be soldas LX450d and LX570 petrol models

We can confirm that the LX SUV range will be priced from Rs 23 crore (ex-showroom Mumbai) for the diesel-powered LX450dmodel The Lexus LX450d comes with a twin-turbo 45-litre V8 diesel engine good for 269hp and a massive 650Nm of torque Thesecond model in the LX range the LX570 petrol is likely to be priced slightly higher The on-road pricing for the LX450d SUV islikely to be close to Rs 29 crore in Mumbai Lexus will also launch the RX450h SUV and the ES300h sedan in India

Lexus India range confirmed pricing (ex-showroom Mumbai)Lexus LX450d SUV Rs 23 crore

Lexus will initially bring all its models in India as fully-imported units Going by the steep Rs 23 crore pricing for the Lexus LX450dit will be safe to expect other models also to be priced on the higher side

Lexus India range tentative pricing (ex-showroom)Lexus RX450h SUV Rs 117 croreLexus LX570d SUV Rs 250 croreLexus ES300h sedan Rs 75 lakhhttpwwwautocarindiacomauto-newsscoop-lexus-lx450d-to-be-priced-at-rs-23-crore-404510aspx

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Lamborghini Huracan Performante India launch on April 7 Autocar India

Lamborghini is set to launch the Huracan Performante in India on April 7 2017

Revealed recently at the Geneva motor show the Performante will sit atop the Huracan line-up and is currently the most powerfuliteration of the mid-engined Italian supercar The 52-litre V10 has been tuned to now develop 640hp and 600Nm of torque ampndash30hp and 40Nm more than the standard AWD coupe ampndash and comes with a tweaked seven-speed dual-clutch automaticgearbox paired with a Haldex permanent four-wheel-drive system

The design of the Performante heavily reflects that of the Lamborghini Super Trofeo racer The car gets redesigned bumpers at thefront and rear and a large rear wing to help improve downforce

The Performante features a new ultra-lightweight forged carbonfibre composite material which has been patented by Lamborghiniand allows complex moulded shapes to be made in one piece Use of the new material is focused on active aerodynamic elementssuch as the flaps on the rear wing and inside the front spoiler The flaps are electrically actuated to help save weight

The car rides on 20-inch alloy wheels wrapped in specially developed Pirelli P Zero Corsa tyreshttpwwwautocarindiacomauto-newslamborghini-huracan-performante-india-launch-on-april-7-404505aspx

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FAME India scheme will extend by up to 6 months Autocar India

Hereamprsquos some good news for the electric and hybrid vehiclestechnologies industry and those planning to enter it FAME Indiascheme ampndash the governmentamprsquos flagship programme to promote the electric and hybrid vehicles industry in the countryampndash has received a formal extension from the concerned ministries (finance power and heavy industries) The scheme couldextend by three-six months A notification to this effect is expected soon Phase I of the scheme that was introduced on April 12015 ends on March 31 2017

In a PTI report of March 21 Babul Supriyo Minister of State for Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises was quoted as saying in awritten reply to the Lok Sabha that the department of heavy industry has provided demand incentives of Rs 12777 crore forpurchase of 111897 electrichybrid vehicles under the scheme till now

The FAME India scheme is also set to see the expansion of its purview In the modified version the scheme will include incentivesfor electric buses and could also extend to intra-city commercial vehicles including three-wheelers and taxis The intent of thegovernment is to include those segments of vehicles that will make a significant positive impact on the environment and the fuel billof the country by going electric That means if you are planning to buy an electric cartwo-wheeler donamprsquot expect any furtherincentive but significant benefits could be on the way for a new set of people who are in the business of moving people or goodsmainly within city limitshttpwwwautocarindiacomauto-newsfame-india-scheme-will-extend-by-up-to-6-months-404501aspx

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2017 Renault Kwid Climber A closer look

Autocar India

At the Auto Expo last year Renault revealed two concepts based on the Kwid ampndash the more adventurous Climber and thesportier Racer Thanks to an enthusiastic response Renault has brought the Climber to life as a special edition of the 10-litre KwidHowever itamprsquos been toned down from the original concept

The Kwid Climber comes in three shades ampndash including a new electric blue shade pictured here ampndash with signature orangehighlights across the exterior and interior It is also the first variant of the car to sport alloy wheels The most notable change to theClimber up front is the inclusion of a faux silver skid plate with orange inserts to give it a more rugged appeal The fog lamphousings have also been tweaked with beefier looking plastic inserts

Unlike the standard caramprsquos silver-finished wing mirror housings and chequered door cladding the Climber gets orange-finisheddoor mirrors and regular black cladding The roof rails also come finished with orange inserts while the front fender-mounted turnsignals now come finished in orange Changes to the rear mirrors the changes to the front with the insertion of a faux skid platewith orange inserts on the bumper

The Climber is based on the top Kwid 10 RxT(O) trim and carries forward all the equipment from the latter inside the cabin

The Climber is powered by a 68hp 999cc three-cylinder engine paired to either a five-speed manual or AMT gearbox

The Climber is priced at Rs 430 lakh for the manual and Rs 460 lakh for the AMT (both prices ex-showroom Delhi) making thetwo variants about Rs 25000 more expensive than the standard top-trim modelhttpwwwautocarindiacomauto-news2017-renault-kwid-climber-a-closer-look-404499aspx0

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No more exclusively electric cars from Mahindra Autocar India

amplsquoBorn Electricamprsquo is a term Mahindra has given its cars that have been designed with electricity as the propulsion modeFor now Mahindra informed us the plan is to have only one amplsquoborn electricamprsquo car that showcases Mahindraamprsquoselectric powertrains This makes sense as development costs for all new vehicles are extremely high and in the future platformswith multiple powertrain options will be the way to go The e2o Plus is the current born electric car and will carry on being updatedas usual An immediate update will be regarding safety The company told us that the body structure was already crashworthy andwill only need the addition of airbags and ABS to comply with the safety norms coming in later this year The previous two-doorversion of the e2o is now no longer available for the domestic market and Mahindra will make these cars in very limited quantitiesfor certain export markets only

A big challenge for Mahindra is that none of its mainstream models were conceived with electric power in mind and are just tooheavy for effective electrification and require a lot of lightweighting and packaging work However with the electric powertrainexpertise increasing in-house future Mahindra vehicles and platforms will be designed from the outset with the option of electricpower This will enable quicker launch of electric versions and the vehicles themselves will have better performance and rangeunder electric power Additionally with platforms being compatible with different propulsion systems Mahindra will be immune topossible changes in the market conditions

Being the only EV maker in India Mahindra Electric has good reason to be bullish about the future but sadly not much hastranspired commercially so far and competitors are waiting in the wings Multinationals like the Nissan Group have publicly statedtheir intentions to have low-cost EVs in India Tesla is aiming to have its EVs selling in India as early as this year and home-grownTata has electric vehicle development underway Mahindra does have over 260 million kilometres of EV running across India andtwo good building blocks in the form of the Formula electric race team and Pininfarina But the company must now bring it alltogether quickly if it wants to be the leading player in the field of electrification and electric vehicleshttpwwwautocarindiacomauto-newsno-more-exclusively-electric-cars-from-mahindra-404472aspx

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Royal Enfield Continental GT 750 final version spied in UK Autocar India

The Royal Enfield Continental GT 750 may be imminently close to production (and market introduction) We reported the spying oftest mules of this motorcycle in the United Kingdom back in July 2016 but now according to British motorcycle magazine MCN afinal-looking version of the same has been seen making test rounds

The Continental GT 750 is powered by a 750cc air-cooled parallel-twin with a two-into-two exhaust It maintains the cafeacute-racer styleof the Continental GT series modified suitably to accommodate the larger engine While the original test mule seemed to be fittedwith carburettors the latest one is likely to be fuel-injected considering that the final bike ampndash when launched in India and theUK ampndash will have to comply with the more stringent BS-IV and Euro-IV norms respectively

The spy pictures reveal a few other changes as compared to the current 535cc Continental GT such as the more traditionalstalk-mounted mirrors and a longer wheelbase

When this engine (and motorcycle) makes it into production it will mark Royal Enfieldamprsquos departure from 46 years of makingonly single-cylinder engines as well as its re-entry into the middleweight motorcycle segment When launched probably this year

the Continental GT 750 will go head-to-head with the Harley-Davidson Street 750 though it is likely to be priced more aggressivelyhttpwwwautocarindiacomauto-newsroyal-enfield-continental-gt-750-final-version-spied-in-uk-404493aspx

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Tata Tigor vs rivals Specifications comparison Autocar India

The compact sedan segment is one of the more crowded segments in the Indian car market Automakers present in the segmenthave grown from just Tata who pioneered it to now include Maruti Hyundai Ford Volkswagen Honda and in the future possiblyChevrolet as well Now with the upcoming launch of the Tigor Tataamprsquos all-new compact sedan we take a look at how itcompares to its competition on paper

DimensionsIn terms of length the Dzire Aspire Xcent and Ameo all measure an identical 3995mm with the Tigor coming a close second at3992mm At 3990mm its the Amaze thats the smallest here The Dzire and Aspire are also the widest cars here at 1695mm withthe Xcent being the narrowest car in comparison at 1660mm The Ameo is the shortest in terms of height at 1483mm while theDzire stands the tallest of the lot at 1555mm

In terms of wheelbase the Aspire is the largest at 2491mm while the Amaze is the smallest at 2405mm The Tigor measures in at2450mm The largest boot in the segment belongs to the Tiago at 419 litres with the Dzireamprsquos capacity the least at 316 litres

Petrol enginesAll six compact sedans make use of 12-litre petrol engines with the difference in displacement down to just 1 or 2cc However thebig difference is with the units of the Tigor and Ameo which feature a three-cylinder layout unlike the remainders four-cylinder unitsIn terms of output the Ameo is the least powerful at 75hp followed by the Xcent at 83hp The Tigor edges out the Dzire in terms ofpower with its three-cylinder unit developing 85hp as against 843hp The Amaze though is the most powerful at 90hp The Dzirehas the torquiest motor here at 115Nm with the Amaze and Ameo the least powerful

All motors come paired with a five-speed manual gearbox as standard with the Amaze Dzire and Xcent getting an automaticgearbox option The Aspire on the other hand is available with a second 112hp 15-litre four-cylinder petrol engine that comespaired with a six-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox as standard

Diesel enginesThe Tigor has the smallest and least powerful diesel engine here It is powered by a 105-litre three-cylinder unit that develops 70hpand 140Nm of torque The Xcent too is powered by a three-cylinder diesel engine but at 11 litre it is larger than the Tigors anddevelops 72hp and 180Nm of torque Of the four-cylinder units itamprsquos the Ameo that leads the pack developing 110hp and250Nm of torque from a 15-litre diesel engine The Amaze and Aspire both develop an identical 100hp from their 15-litrefour-cylinder units with the Aspire edging out the Amaze in terms of torque by 15Nm The Dzire makes use of a Fiat sourced13-litre four-cylinder unit good for 75hp and 190Nm of torque All cars come equipped with a five-speed manual gearbox

In the diesel segment the Dzire and Ameo get a leg up over their rivals by offering the option of automatic gearboxes The Dzire isavailable with the option of a five-speed AMT gearbox while the Ameo comes with a high-tech seven-speed dual-clutch automaticgearbox

While from the comparison on paper the Tigor stands near equal to the segment it will not be positioned alongside the rest Tataplans to position the model under its Zest compact sedan placing the Tigor half a segment lower than the rest of the competition Adirect rival will only come in the form of Chevroletamprsquos first compact sedan the Beat Essentia which is expected to launchsometime later this yearhttpwwwautocarindiacomauto-newstata-tigor-vs-rivals-specifications-comparison-404497aspx0

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2016 Renault Kwid long term review final report Autocar India

I think itamprsquos fair to say the Renault Kwid made as much of an impact in our long-term fleet as the original Tata Nano Everyonewas curious about it and everyone wanted to inspect it closely Everyone had questions about it And by everyone I mean everyoneampndash friends family acquaintances and even those at traffic lights and parking lots I was once even flagged down by a trafficpoliceman who wanted to know more about the amplsquochota Dusteramprsquo The shiny red Renault Kwid joined our fleet back inMay 2016 and Iamprsquove been its chief custodian Its size was just right for my intra-city commute

I really like the way the Kwid looks that mini-SUV stance gives it a dash of personality not seen on its rivals And I still really like thefunctional interior My family members were impressed by the Kwidamprsquos ability to comfortably seat four and even relativesflying in from out of town were amazed at how much luggage the little caramprsquos boot could hold The 300-litre boot was put togood use on multiple airport runs However my grandmother did find the seats a touch low and found ingress a bit of a pain

Also the Kwid isnamprsquot the car Iamprsquod recommend if you are a family of five the rear seat is a squeeze for three I howeverwas quite content with the driveramprsquos seat The chunky steering wheel feels great to hold and the digital speedometer remindedme of the old Honda Civic one of my favourite cars back in the day Of course the highlight of the cabin is the touchscreeninfotainment system Itamprsquos positioned at just the right height and the physical buttons for volume control are also easy toreach so colleagues used to more premium cars didnamprsquot really miss steering-mounted audio buttons The user interface is

pretty simple even my niece who is barely two years old managed to locate the radio icon on the screen and fiddle with it Thesatellite navigation too was helpful the few times I used it However pairing my phone to the audio system via Bluetooth was a biterratic but after a few tries it was good to go The standard twin speakers in the dash arenamprsquot all that nice and Iamprsquodrecommend upgrading to a proper four-speaker system Given how good the interface is Renault could have done a lot more interms of sound quality It would also do the company well to find a permanent solution for the upper glovebox lid it keeps poppingopen and feels flimsy Unfortunately our Kwid was part of the initial batch of cars that got small and fragile wing mirrors The latestones however come with sturdier and wider units

Coming back to what I liked about the Kwid itamprsquos time to talk about ride quality The suspension is superb and absorbed mostsurface imperfections with ease quite an accomplishment for a car running on small 13-inch wheels The light steering also made iteasy to navigate the narrow by-lanes but I also noticed that the number of rotations lock-to-lock are slightly more than the powersteering-equipped Alto

Living with the Kwid I was privy to its merits and quirks and I have a list Leading this has got to be the engine While I could dealwith the 08-litre three-cylinder engineamprsquos noise and given my urban commute wasnamprsquot that affected by the lack ofgrunt on the highway it was the jerky low-speed power delivery that was bothersome And whatamprsquos frustrating is the fact thatthe 10-litre Kwid we got for testing is free from this low-speed hiccup However where our Kwid did deliver was fuel economy Inthe last few months it averaged between 12-135kpl which is rather good in my first-second-first gear crawl in heavy Mumbai trafficOne thing though the distance-to-empty figure disappears under 80km ironic because thatamprsquos when you need it the most

Over time the Kwidamprsquos clutch became a bit harder and thatamprsquos not something you expect in a car this new Also theeffectiveness of the brakes seemed to be on a decline in just the short 7000km that we covered And remember the car lacks ABSso driving in the rains called for extra caution you donamprsquot realise its importance until you drive a car with no ABS and slightlyweak brakes

The Kwid is on its way back home now Itamprsquos a car that Iamprsquove liked for various reasons but it isnamprsquot one that I wouldrecommend wholeheartedly Itamprsquos all down to the 08 engine which feels a bit rough around the edges Having spent time withthis version and driven the 10-litre car briefly I believe the latter is the one to go for The good news is Iamprsquoll be able to justifymy choice because the Kwid 10 will soon be taking the place of the 08 in our long-term fleethttpwwwautocarindiacomauto-reviews2016-renault-kwid-long-term-review-final-report-4045080aspx

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International News

Higher investments sales drop to weigh on Ford Q1 earnings ReutersSee this story in The Economic Times

Detroit Ford Motor Co said on Thursday it expects lower earnings per share in the first quarter and lower pretax profit in 2017 dueto higher spending on commodities warranties and investments and a drop in sales volumes especially fleet sales

Ford shares were down nearly 1 percent at $1166 in late morning trading after the announcement which preceded an investorpresentation by the companys chief financial officer Bob Shanks

The presentation comes as the US auto industry continues to see cars lose market share to trucks and SUVs as low fuel priceshave encouraged consumers to opt for larger vehicles that have become more fuel efficient in recent years

We think we can do more with trucks we think we can do more with utility vehicles we can do more with performance and wevegot plans in place to do that Shanks said We think this can lead to an even stronger position for us in the years ahead

Ford said US auto industry sales in 2017 should dip slightly to 177 million units down from a record of 179 million in 2016 Thecompany said sales should hit 175 million in 2018

After a strong run in sales since emerging from the Great Recession earlier this decade investors are watching to see whether thecurrent boom cycle is losing steam

Ford said it expects auto sales in China the worlds largest car market to dip to 272 million this year from 275 million in 2016

We believe Fords announcement today is the initial confirmation of our investment thesis that pricing is deteriorating in NorthAmerica and in select international markets particularly China Buckingham Research Group analyst Joseph Amaturo wrote in aclient note

This will cause earnings and cash flow for Ford and GM to deteriorate and fall short of investor expectations and more importantlycompany guidance he wrote

CFO Shanks said despite the expected dip in industry sales were very comfortable that our overall business will improve

Ford said it expects to earn between 30 cents and 35 cents per share in the first quarter Analysts on average have expectedearnings per share of 47 cents according to Thomson Reuters IBES

The company said its pretax profit forecast for 2017 was unchanged at $9 billion against $104 billion in 2016 driven by our

planned investments in emerging opportunities and to improve in 2018

The company also maintained its forecast for a pretax profit of about $15 billion for Ford Credit its financial services arm in 2017and said that profit would improve in 2018

Analysts expect Ford to post pretax profit of $92 billion

Ford said as of February it had 79 days of gross supply of vehicles on hand down from 84 days of inventory a year earlierhttpautoeconomictimesindiatimescomnewsindustryhigher-investments-sales-drop-to-weigh-on-ford-q1-earnings57798248

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Volkswagens Seat returns to profit to launch third SUV in 2018 ReutersSee this story in The Economic Times

Berlin Volkswagens Spanish division Seat reported on Thursday its first annual operating profit since 2007 and announced plans tolaunch a third sport-utility vehicle (SUV) in as many years in 2018 to try to build on its recovery

Seat said it made an operating profit of 143 million euros ($154 million) last year compared with a 7 million euro loss in 2015 helpedby selling more models with higher specifications and integrating its RampD operations with parent Volkswagen (VW)

Seat is now preparing itself for development and growth chief executive Luca de Meo said in an emailed statement

The 2018 SUV which follows the launch of the Ateca crossover in 2016 and its smaller sibling Arona later this year will boostbrand image and will have a very big effect on our ability to generate margins the CEO said

This car will bring new customers to us

Seats third SUV model will be built at VWs main Wolfsburg factory and use the German groups cost-saving MQB modular platformthat underpins VWs top-selling Tiguan SUV

VW which bought Seat in 1986 to increase its exposure to the then fast-growing Spanish market has long battled to reverse lossescaused by under-utilised capacity at Seats factory in Martorell near Barcelonahttpautoeconomictimesindiatimescomnewspassenger-vehicleuvvolkswagens-seat-returns-to-profit-to-launch-third-suv-in-201857797868

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Ford cuts water usage in its plants in Asia Pacific The Economic Times

Shanghai American carmaker Ford Motor Company has used 15 percent less water in 2016 to produce each vehicle in itsmanufacturing plants in Asia Pacific informed the company in a media release

Overall the company has halved its water usage per vehicle in the region over the past seven years

ampldquoJust as people are changing their mindset and behavior Ford is tooamprdquo says Cynthia Williams director SustainabilityEnvironment amp Safety Engineering Ford Asia Pacific ampldquoWeamprsquore doing our part to conserve water in our plants andsupport the local communities where we do business to make the most of this precious resourceamprdquo

In India more than 81 percent of adults well over the global average say they have changed their behavior as a result of waterconcerns according to research conducted for Ford Motor Company as part of the Ford 2017 Trend Report

By 2020 Ford has targeted a water usage reduction of 72 percent when compared to 2000 That roughly means for every onegallon of water Ford used in manufacturing in 2000 it aims to use about one liter by 2020

In India Fordamprsquos plants in Chennai have achieved zero liquid discharge and have also installed equipment to harvest rainwater to further reduce the use of drinking water 3000 cubic meters of rainwater was harvested for use in 2016

At Fordamprsquos Sanand Vehicle Assembly and Engine Plant 100 percent of treated water is recycled and reused within the plantproperty added the automakerhttpautoeconomictimesindiatimescomnewsindustryford-cuts-water-usage-in-its-plants-in-asia-pacific57793653

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Turkish automotive production and exports to rise in 2017 ReutersSee this story in The Economic Times

Istanbul Turkeys automotive association said on Thursday it expected production to rise to 165 million vehicles in 2017 from 149

million in 2016 and forecast a rise in exports to $27 billion from $242 billion last year

Speaking at a conference in Istanbul the head of the association Kudret Onen said that the commercial vehicle market in Turkeyhad shrunk 12 percent in 2016 and added that he expected the slow trend to continue in 2017httpautoeconomictimesindiatimescomnewsindustryturkish-automotive-production-and-exports-to-rise-in-201757794001

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US aluminium wheel maker Superior Industries offers $715 mn for Uniwheels ReutersSee this story in The Economic Times

Warsaw US aluminium wheel maker Superior Industries has launched an offer to buy Uniwheels for around $715 million afterwinning the support of the Warsaw-listed companys biggest shareholder

Superior Industries said on Thursday it had agreed to buy the 613 stake in Uniwheels held by Uniwheels Holding Malta for 22650zlotys per share and was offering 23583 zlotys each for the remaining shares - below the current stock price

Uniwheels shares which surged 74 percent last year and have risen around another 17 percent this year were down 48 percent to2436 zlotys at 0945 GMT

Superior Industries the largest supplier of aluminium wheels for light vehicles in North America said the deal would create one ofthe worlds largest suppliers of such wheels to the automotive industry

Germany-headquartered Uniwheels supplies aluminium wheels to carmakers including BMW Mercedes PSA and Volkswagen

Uniwheels shareholders can subscribe to sell their shares between April 12 and May 25 The settlement of the tender offer is dueon May 30

Uniwheels shares debuted on the Warsaw stock exchange in May 2015 at 105 zlotys apiece in one of the bourses biggest shareofferings of recent yearshttpautoeconomictimesindiatimescomnewsindustryus-aluminium-wheel-maker-superior-industries-offers-715-mn-for-uniwheels57792575

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Porsche celebrates record year with 911 bonus payout AFPSee this story in The Economic Times

Frankfurt AM MAIN German carmaker Porsche said Wednesday it would celebrate a record year with a one-off payment to workersof up to exactly 9111 euros a nod to the its iconic 911 sports car

Despite the dieselgate scandal weighing on parent Volkswagen 21000 employees will each receive the bonus worth up to$9830 to mark the most successful year in the companys history the Stuttgart-based firm said in a statement

Porsche increased its net profit 14 percent to 39 billion euros in 2016 selling 237778 vehicles and increasing its profit margin

The firm wanted to thank workers for a dramatic emotional and above all successful year chief executive Oliver Blume saidpointing to a slew of new models that appeared in showrooms

But bosses had to limit the bonus increase as Volkswagen continues to struggle with the impact of its 2015 admission that itinstalled software designed to cheat regulatory emissions tests in 11 million cars worldwide -- including some Porsche models

No-one else in the Volkswagen family is getting a bonus even close to what our Porsche workers have works council chief UweHueck said in the statement

Competitor Daimler has said that some 130000 workers at its Mercedes-Benz flagship will receive bonuses of 5400 euros each for2016httpautoeconomictimesindiatimescomnewsindustryporsche-celebrates-record-year-with-911-bonus-payout57792692

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Chinas Chery files trademark complaint against Mercedes-Benz over green car brand ReutersSee this story in The Economic Times

Beijing Chinese automaker Chery Automobile has filed a complaint with the countrys trademark regulator over Mercedes-Benzsuse of the EQ name for a line of green-energy vehicles throwing up a potential road block for the Daimler unit in the worldslargest electric car market

A Chery spokeswoman told Reuters on Thursday that the automaker had filed a complaint with the Trademark Office of the State

Administration for Industry and Commerce which it hopes will bar Mercedes from using the name in China

She said Chery has used the name eQ for its two-door battery electric car for two years

Mercedes showed off a concept car for its forthcoming line of electric vehicles last year saying it would build its first EQ car in aGerman factory by the end of the decade The automaker said last year it could make EQ in China but did not give a launch date

A Mercedes spokeswoman declined to immediately comment on Thursday

A ruling in Cherys favour would be a blow to Mercedes in a key market for new-energy vehicles as more electric cars are sold inChina than the rest of the world combined thanks in part to government initiatives targeting air pollution

If it entered the Chinese market it would impact our trademark rights the Chery spokeswoman said

Mercedes Benz EQ and our (eQ) are extremely similar Their product is also an electric car

Chinas central government aggressively promotes green cars to fight intense urban smog and is urging its domestic industry to leapforward in automotive technologyhttpautoeconomictimesindiatimescomnewsindustrychinas-chery-files-trademark-complaint-against-mercedes-benz-over-green-car-brand57791280

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2017 Porsche Macan adds four-cylinder engine lowers US price APSee this story in The Times of India

The Macan Porsches smallest SUV is more affordable and more fuel efficient for 2017 and is stocked with more standardequipment including a rearview camera

The new base model called simply the 2017 Macan has the Macans first four-cylinder engine and carries a starting retail priceincluding destination charge of $48850 Thats $4745 less than the starting retail price of the 2016 Macan which came only withV-6s

There is less power in the new base Macan than in last years base model and less power than in the other four 2017 Macans withsix-cylinder engines

But the 2-liter four cylinder is turbocharged and the 252 horsepower and 273 foot-pounds of torque generated provide plenty of getup and go and strong cruising speed in typical Porsche fashion In fact if the test vehicle was any indication drivers need to keep aclose eye on the speedometer because this new Macan easily gets to 85 miles an hour on highways without the driver realizing it

The special blended character of this Porsche - part SUV and all sports car - remains intact This new Macan at just over 15 feet inlength feels like a higher-riding but still tenacious road-hugging Porsche agile and responsive

The smaller engine is lighter weight than the 3-liter and 36-liter sixes so the base Macan with no options weighs just 3902 pounds- 210 pounds less than a Macan with a V-6

The lower weight and fuel efficient four cylinder produced better fuel economy ratings from the US government 20 miles per gallonin city driving and 25 mpg at legal highway speeds That compares with the 1723-mpg ratings that the 2015 2016 and 2017Macans received

The gas tank is sizable at 198 gallons and the Macan four-cylinder engine uses premium fuel But for the first time the Macanstravel range on a single tank of gasoline tops 400 miles Even the test Macan which was driven in a sporty manner and averaged207 mpg could go more than 400 miles without a fill-up

Consumer Reports magazine predicts Macan reliability should be average and Porsche tied with Lexus at the top of JD Powerand Associates 2017 Vehicle Dependability Study released last month

Introduced for the 2015 model year the five-seat Macan with standard active all-wheel drive already is a best-seller at PorscheDuring calendar 2016 US Macan sales of 19332 surpassed that of any other Porsche Through February US sales were up anadditional 42 percent from the first two months of 2016

Badge-conscious luxury buyers can enjoy the Macan with all manner of optional luxury trappings though prices quickly rise As anexample a base 2017 Macan with $3120 Carmine Red special paint $5400 wheels leather Red Garnet interior and Burmesterpremium surround sound system is priced at more than $69000

After just a bit of turbo lag power in the test SUV came smoothly and forcefully through the seven-speed PDK automatictransmission and the engine sounded powerfulBrakes had strong stopping power and steering reacted quickly to even slight inputs from the driver

The array of 19 buttons clustered around the Macan gearshifter in the center console is an impressive presentation yet easy tounderstand

The upgrade for only $260 to standard interior with luxor beige Alcantara seats is a bargain for a rich-looking interior

Critics have complained the Macans maximum of 53 cubic feet of cargo space is small but the test Macan carted three desk chairs

and seven boxes of supplies just fineEarly in March Porsche announced a US safety recall of 17871 Macans built from 2014 to Oct 20 2015

The vehicles detection mats in the front passenger seats could fail meaning front-passenger frontal airbags might not deploy duringcrasheshttptimesofindiaindiatimescomautocars2017-porsche-macan-adds-four-cylinder-engine-lowers-us-pricearticleshow57795933cms

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France not ruling out reducing Renault stake but must be at right price -Sapin ReutersSee this story in The Economic Times

Paris French finance minister Michel Sapin on Thursday did not rule out France reducing its stake in Renault but added any salewould have to take place at the best possible market conditions

France has increased its stake in Renault in recent years currently holding just under 20 percent of the companys share capitalbut Sapin told BFM radio station that the state had not raised its holding in the company for eternity

Asked about a future possible sale or reduction of that stake Sapin replied I look at what was the price at the moment when webought it and where the price is now and I dont want to make French people lose money

There will be moments when we need to move to buy or recapitalise which is what we did with EDF and Areva and then there areother stakes which could be put on the market but it would have to be done in the best possible conditions in order to protect theinterest of the state he added Renault shares are down by around 6 percent so far in 2017httpautoeconomictimesindiatimescomnewsindustryfrance-not-ruling-out-reducing-renault-stake-but-must-be-at-right-price-sapin57790161

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Audis global sales decline marginally in Feb 2017 The Economic Times

New Delhi AUDI AG in a press release said that the company has delivered around 125100 automobiles in February 2017Globally the company sold a total of 125100 units in February 2017 as compared to 126467 units February 2016 reporting adecline of 11 Sales in USA and Europe reported growth However Audis sales in China and Brazil declined last month

Audis sales in North America grew 161 due to the strong demand for the Audi A4 and the Q7 in particular once again translatedinto double-digit growth

Germany based auto-makers sales in Europe increased by 19 and in China Audi is currently holding intensive talks with its localpartners in order to position the joint cooperation suitably for the planned next stage of growth In this phase the Chinese dealersare managing their business cautiously and reported 58 percent fewer deliveries in the past month than a year ago Global sales inFebruary were thus 11 percent below the record-breaking figure from 2016

ampldquoWe see huge opportunities for the future in China as the worldamprsquos leading market for sales digitization ande-mobilityamprdquo says Dietmar Voggenreiter Board member for Sales and Marketing at AUDI AG ampldquoWe are preparing ourbusiness model for these opportunities and intend to take far-reaching sustainable decisions with our partners In so doing we aretaking a challenging yet important stepamprdquo

In January Audi decided with its joint venture partner FAW to intensify the joint collaboration in China as part of a strategic growthplan The agreement envisages among other things extending the locally produced portfolio with further electrified modelscompany said in the release In the second step the operational implementation of the future agenda is now to be defined with theChinese dealers Furthermore Audi is looking at future collaboration with SAIC in a potential second joint venture in order to openup further market potential

ampldquoThis phase of far-reaching strategic structural decisions will still take some time The top priority for us is to further developthe Chinese business profitably for all partnersamprdquo says Voggenreiter Meanwhile the Chinese dealers reported 32155delivered automobiles for the month of February 58 percent less than one year ago following a sharp drop in sales in Januarycompared with 2016

Audi sales grew in Europe where around 66400 deliveries in February exceeded the 2016 figure by 19 percent The brandachieved substantial gains especially in southern Europe In Spain sales rose by another 71 percent to 4949 units and in Italyeven by 299 percent to 6125 customers in the month With the new Q2 Audi is successfully attracting an above-average numberof new customers in both markets Italy is currently the largest export market for the city SUV

Across all models the constant growth over the past few months for Audi was also maintained in the German domestic market(+18 to 29017 cars) in February In the United Kingdom by contrast the local generation changeover for the right-hand-driveversions of the Audi 5 and the A5 Sportback left its mark 5203 units sold in the United Kingdom was 28 percent below theprevious yearamprsquos figure Business in Europe continued to be dampened by the market weakness in Russia down 229 percentto 1350 automobiles in February

Audi Q7 SUV saw sales rise in February by 498 percent to 2477 units Across all Q models Audiamprsquos SUV sales increased

last month by 358 percent to 6874 US customers Sales of the A4 also increased further in February to counter the marketdownturn in the sedan segment with the model achieving a 301 percent increase to 2377 deliveries in the United States

In Canada sales of the A4 rose to more than double the previous yearamprsquos figure (+1322 percent to 418 A4 models) on theback of a similar jump in January Total sales across the entire portfolio also proved very positive in February for Audi Canada1970 cars sold once more represent high growth of 278 percent

In March the new Audi A5 Coupeacute will be premiered in the United States and Canada The United States has been the largest globalsales market for the first generation of the model The sporty Audi Coupeacute has captured two thirds of its US drivers as newcustomers for the brandhttpautoeconomictimesindiatimescomnewsindustryaudis-global-sales-decline-marginally-in-feb-201757786388

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Staff levels at BMWs Dutch Mini assembly plant to overtake UKs ReutersSee this story in The Economic Times

Frankfurt BMWs X1 model will be built in the Netherlands it said on Wednesday boosting staff levels at Minis contractmanufacturer VDL Nedcar beyond those at the German carmakers plant in Oxford England where the Mini hatch is made

Harald Krueger BMWs Chief Executive said on Tuesday that more production could move to the Netherlands depending on theoutcome of Britains negotiations to leave the European Union

BMW has 4600 staff working in Oxford while VDL currently employs 4500 staff Both plants produce the Mini Adding productionof the X1 in August will boost Dutch staff numbers to more than 5000 marking a sharp rise from only 1500 in 2012

British Prime Minister Theresa May said this week she will trigger EU divorce proceedings on March 29 and Kruegers commentcomes as BMW decides where to build an electric Mini this year

The UK remains an important location for us Much will depend on how Brexit is ultimately negotiated At the BMW Group we arepreparing for different scenarios Our production network offers us flexibility Krueger said at the companys annual resultsconference

While Oxford still builds more cars having produced 210971 vehicles last year compared with 87609 cars made by VDL in thesame period the Dutch plant at Born could produce up to 200000 if it operated a two shift system

BMW is deciding where to make an electric version of its Mini this year with factories in England the Netherlands and Germanyvying for the business

VDL said it started making a plug-in hybrid version of the Mini countryman this month adding some electric vehicle expertise to itsproduction site which already makes the Mini 3-door the Mini Convertible and the Mini Countryman

BMW said the electric motors installed in the Mini Countryman are supplied from BMWs factory in Dingolfing Bavaria

VDL said it won the contract to build the X1 because extra capacity was needed to supplement the BMW plant in Regensburg

Because the X1 and the Mini are both based on BMWs UKL platform production of the X1 could theoretically have been shifted toOxford BMW executives have saidhttpautoeconomictimesindiatimescomnewsindustrystaff-levels-at-bmws-dutch-mini-assembly-plant-to-overtake-uks57786077

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Stuttgart prosecutor probes Daimler employees for potential fraud ReutersSee this story in The Economic Times

Frankfurt The public prosecutors office has launched an investigation against employees at German carmaker Daimler onsuspicion of fraud and misleading advertising it said on Wednesday

We are investigating known and unknown employees at Daimler said the public prosecutor in Stuttgart Germany declining tocomment further because it is an ongoing matter

The probe is tied to vehicle emissions

Stuttgart-headquartered Daimler said it is fully cooperating with the authorities declining to comment further given the ongoingnature of the investigation

Daimler however said that Germanys Transport Ministry and Vehicle Type Approval authority had conducted emissions tests on itscars and had found no violations

German weekly Die Zeit earlier on Wednesday reported that some diesel powered Daimler cars may have been manipulated to

pass emissions tests

Daimler declined to comment on the reporthttpautoeconomictimesindiatimescomnewsindustrystuttgart-prosecutor-probes-daimler-employees-for-potential-fraud57785731

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France to reduce stake in Renault The Hindu Business Line

French finance minister Michel Sapin did not rule out France reducing its stake in Renault but added any sale would have to takeplace at the best possible market conditions France has increased its stake in Renault in recent years currently holding just under20 per cent of the companyamprsquos share capital but Sapin told BFM radio station that the state had not raised its holding in thecompany ampldquofor eternityamprdquo Asked about a future possible sale or reduction of that stake Sapin replied ampldquoI look atwhat was the price at the moment when we bought it and where the price is now and I donamprsquot want

to make French people lose moneyamprdquo Renault shares are down by around 6 per cent so farin 2017

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UK car production hits 17-year high The Hindu Business Line

British car production hit a 17-year high in February extending a recent trend of surging output as a strong rise in exports onceagain compensated for a slump in demand at home an industry body said Overall production rose 8 per cent to 153041 cars lastmonth according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders boosted by a 13 per cent increase in sales to overseasmarkets The roughly 15 per cent fall in the pound against the euro since the Brexit vote has helped to make British exports cheaperto many foreign buyers although it has increased the cost of importing parts from the continent for UK-assembled models

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Microsoft Toyota ink agreement The Hindu Business Line

In its most wide-ranging intellectual property agreement with an automaker Microsoft announced a new patent licensing agreementwith Toyota that includes broad coverage for connected car technologies The carmaker will get access to Microsoftamprsquos suiteof vehicle technologies which includes an operating system voice recognition gesture control artificial intelligence andcybersecurity tools Microsoftamprsquos intellectual property programme has been operating since 2003 forming more than 1200licensing partnerships Erich Andersen corporate vice president of Microsoftamprsquos Intellectual Property Group said thatMicrosoft doesnamprsquot make cars but they are working closely with car companies to help them meet customer demands

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Ford expects lower Q1 earnings The Hindu Business Line

Ford Motor on Thursday said it expects lower earnings per share in the first quarter and lower pretax profit in 2017 due to higherspending on commodities warranties and investments and a drop in sales volumes especially fleet sales Ford shares fell morethan 1 per cent to $1165 in early trading after the announcement which came in a short regulatory filing ahead of an investorpresentation by the companyamprsquos chief financial officer Bob Shanks The company said it expects a pretax profit for 2017 of $9billion which is lower than the previous year

Top

Economy

Rupee extends retreat down 8 paise to 6552 PTISee this story in The Economic Times

Mumbai The rupee remained shaky for the second-straight session and ended lower by 8 paise at 6552 against the US currencydue to bouts of dollar demand from importers and banks

Overall mood remained fragile and fully focused on Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellens speech and also the Trumpcare bill votein Parliament later in the day

Though financial markets worldwide showed calmer tone and advanced cautiously after a brief wobble

Despite a strong start the home currency failed to make much ground in the face of steady dollar demand a forex tradercommented

But positive local equities and sluggish dollar overseas capped the losses

Domestic equities meanwhile staged a rebounded after blistering selloff overnight on the back of value buying and hecticshort-covering

The dollar remained weak across the board on growing doubts about US President Donald Trumps pro-growth economic policieseven as the House of Representatives is scheduled to vote on repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act on Thursday

At the Interbank Foreign Exchange (Forex) Market the local unit resumed higher at 6540 compared to overnight close of 6544 onfresh selling of the US currency by exporters and advanced further to 6538

However the initial positive momentum failed to gain ground with the currency retreating to hit a fresh intra-day low of 6557 in lateafternoon deals before ending at 6552 showing a loss of 8 paise or 012 per cent

The Indian currency has depreciated by 22 paise in the last two days

The RBI fixed the reference rate for the dollar at 654220 and for the euro at 706688

The US dollar index which measures the greenbacks strength against a trade-weighted basket of six major currencies tradedmodestly higher at 9961

In cross-currency trade the rupee remained under pressure against the British pound and drifted sharply to end at 8190 from 8149and moved down further against the euro to settle at 7066 from 7060 earlier

It also dropped against the Japanese Yen to conclude at 5901 per 100 yens compared with 5881 yesterday

In the forward market premium for dollar declined sharply due to sustained receivings from exporters

The benchmark six-month premium for August slipped to 135-137 paise from 141-143 paise and the far-forward February 2018contract also drifted to 284-286 paise from 292-294 paise on Wednesdayhttpeconomictimesindiatimescommarketsforexrupee-extends-retreat-down-8-paise-to-65-52articleshow57795406cms

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Sensex advances 164 pts on firm global cues Nifty reclaims 9050 The Economic Times

The domestic equity market bounced back on Thursday after recording the yearamprsquos worst fall on Wednesday as it tracked arecovery in global markets

Energy shares led the gains while financials and auto shares also staged a smart comeback

The broader NSE Nifty50 ended the day 55 points higher at 9086 while the benchmark BSE Sensex rallied 164 points to 29332

Tata Motors emerged top gainer with a 259 per cent spurt following by GAIL (up 239 per cent) NTPC (up 227 per cent) Wipro(up 160 per cent) and Lupin (up 158 per cent) while the major losers included TCS (081 per cent) ITC (066 per cent) HUL (032per cent) HDFC Bank (004 per cent) and Bharti Airtel (035 per cent)

In the Nifty50 index out of 51 component stocks 40 ended the day in the green while 10 closed in the red

YES Bank (up 327 per cent) Tata Motors (up 247 per cent) NTPC (up 233 per cent) GAIL (up 210 per cent) Wipro (up 184 percent) ended the day in the green while TCS (down 085 per cent) Eicher Motors (down 082 per cent ) ITC (down 071 per cent )Bosch (down 052 per cent ) and HUL (down 051 per cent ) ended with losses

On the sectoral front the BSE Oil amp Gas index gained the most at 121 per cent followed by Power (up 120 per cent) Metals (up108 per cent) Capital Goods (up 104 per cent) and Auto (up 084 per cent) indices BSE FMCG index (down 010 per cent) wasthe only sectoral loser on Thursday

Shares of ITI Maral Overseas Sharda Motor Jai Balaji Inds Trident hit their fresh 52-week high on NSE while Sujana TowersPearl Global Shekhawati Poly Euro Finmart Jyoti Structure touched their new 52-week lows

Energy sector topped the gains on the NSE index even as oil prices remained under pressure Finance and auto sectors recoveredfrom the previous days fall

The BSE Midcap index was up 096 per cent and the BSE Smallcap index was also up 091 per cent Both the indices outperformedthe Sensex which gained 056 per cent The market breadth indicating the overall health of the market was strong

ampldquoIndications are in the favour of consolidation in near future while volatility will continue on the stock specific front Tradersshould keep a close eye on global developments and focus more on the position management nowamprdquo said Jayant ManglikPresident Retail Distribution Religare Securities

The benchmark indices had recorded their biggest intraday loss in over two months on Wednesday triggered by a slump on theWall Street due to a lack of clarity in US President Donald Trumpamprsquos economic policies

US shares recovered on Wednesday while Asian stocks rose on Thursday taking cues from gains on Wall Street

Analysts said the bounceback is due to both global and local factors Strong inflows from both domestic and foreign institutionalinvestors have helped the markethttpeconomictimesindiatimescommarketsstocksnewssensex-advances-164-pts-on-firm-global-cues-nifty-reclaims-9050articleshow57792408cms

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Net forex reserves increase by $142 billion in April-December period PTISee this story in The Economic Times

Mumbai The country added USD 142 billion in foreign exchange reserves on the balance of payment basis during the first ninemonths of the outgoing financial year which is marginally down from USD 146 billion accretion in the year-ago period the ReserveBank said today

In nominal terms forex reserves decreased to USD 13 billion during reporting period against an increase of USD 87 billion a yearago

In the April-December period current account balance decreased to USD 116 billion while in the year-ago period it had stood atUSD 218 billion

Capital account rose to USD 259 billion in the first nine months of the current financial year while the same had risen to USD 364billion in the year ago period

Foreign direct investment rose to USD 306 billion compared to an increase of USD 272 billion a year ago

Foreign institutional investment decreased to USD 34 billion in the first nine months against a fall of USD 32 billion last year

External commercial borrowing decreased to USD 52 billion in the reporting period compared to a decrease of USD 22 billion inthe year ago periodhttpeconomictimesindiatimescomnewseconomyfinancenet-forex-reserves-increase-by-14-2-billion-in-april-december-periodarticleshow57796766cms

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Closing

Last Financial Closing

Sensex 2933216(+16448)NSE 908630 (+5585)US$ spot Rs6553US$ Y1113700US$ 6 months RsYen Rs59Euro spot Rs7063

Gold (10gm) Rs28870Silver (1kg) Rs4130000

Crude Oil (WTI) Crude Oil (Brent) $5090 (+026)

Scip on BSE Face Value (Rs) Last Traded Value (Rs)Apollo Tyres 1 20650Asahi Ind 1 21160Amara Raja B 1 88105Ashok Leyland 1 8705

Bajaj Auto 10 286595Bharat Forge 2 100835Denso 1 Eicher Motor 10 2436160Escorts 10 53125Exide Ind 1 21585Force Motors 10 460960Gabriel India 1 12200Hero Motocor 2 336740Hind Motors 5 950Hi-Tech Gear 10 29825Jay Bh Maruti 5 42485

Jamna Auto 5 21580JK Tyres amp Inds 10 13505Kinetic Motors 10 Kinetic Engg 10 KOEL 2 39015Kirloskar Br 2 24795LML Ltd 10 1280LampT 2 154390Lumax Ind 10 137035Lumax Tech 10 46335MampM 5 127455Maruti Suzuki 5 603480Motherson SS 1 36430Minda Inds 2 43825MRF 10 5950710Omax Auto 10 7690Rico Auto 1 5790Sona Koyo St 1 8170

SRF 10 159075Tata Motors 2 47290 TVS Motors 1 42775

Scip on BSE Face Value (Rs) Last Traded Value (Rs)Bhushan Steel 2 5680 Hindalco 1 19370Hind Zinc 2 31955JSW Ispat S 10 Jind Steel 1 12545JSW Steel 1 18685Jindal Saw 2 8295National Aluminium 5 7380SAIL 10 6190Tata Steel 10 49550Visa Steel 10 2115

Scip on BSE Face Value (Rs) Last Traded Value (Rs)Ambuja Cement 2 23265Binani Industries 10 7075Birla Corp 10 69925India Cement 10 15825Prism Cement 10 9860JK Cement 10 88225Shree Cement 10 1614365

Top

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PLEASE NOTE

NURC Industry Updates contain editedtruncated text of Industry-specific news as it appears in various select dailies and websites These are NOT full stories unless otherwisespecifically mentioned The stories contained herein are informational only and no representation is made or warranty given as to their content reliability truthfulness orusefulness User assumes all risk of use It be clearly understood that NURC updates do not claim to and neither mean to replace the Print or the Internet editions of variousnewspapers whose articles are featured therein For the best and complete news reading NURC urges its readers to read the full text of the stories from the Newspaperswhose credits are given after the headline and visit the related website whose URL is given below the text matter of each news item

NURC News Update - AUTOMOBILES

News on Indian Auto Industry Copyright 1999 NURC MediaNext Pvt Ltd

This update purports to be a compilation of the top stories for the day in the leading Indian and International dailies websites and other information sources and NURCMediaNext Pvt Ltd cannot and does not vouch for their authenticity NURC MediaNext Pvt Ltd cannot be held responsible for any loss(es) arising out of or incidental to theuse of this News Update Reproduction or redistribution without express permission of NURC MediaNext Pvt Ltd is strictly prohibited and is a violation of the subscriptionagreement Such instances will result in immediate cancellation of subscription to the Service without any refund for the remaining period at the sole discretion of NURCMediaNext Pvt Ltd

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NURC MediaNext Pvt Ltd

DirectorSapna KulshresthaMobile 9810975257

Production-in-ChargeS K MandalPhone 011-22626650

Editing-in-ChargeGulab Singh YadavMobile 9999132357

Marketing-in-ChargeRashmi ThakurMobile 9958949710

Accounts-in-ChargeVimal ParasharMobile 9910631712

PLEASE NOTE

NURC Industry Updates contain editedtruncated text of Industry-specific news as it appears in various select dailies and websites These are NOT full stories unless otherwisespecifically mentioned The stories contained herein are informational only and no representation is made or warranty given as to their content reliability truthfulness orusefulness User assumes all risk of use It be clearly understood that NURC updates do not claim to and neither mean to replace the Print or the Internet editions of variousnewspapers whose articles are featured therein For the best and complete news reading NURC urges its readers to read the full text of the stories from the Newspaperswhose credits are given after the headline and visit the related website whose URL is given below the text matter of each news item

NURC News Update - AUTOMOBILES

News on Indian Auto Industry Copyright 1999 NURC MediaNext Pvt Ltd

This update purports to be a compilation of the top stories for the day in the leading Indian and International dailies websites and other information sources and NURCMediaNext Pvt Ltd cannot and does not vouch for their authenticity NURC MediaNext Pvt Ltd cannot be held responsible for any loss(es) arising out of or incidental to theuse of this News Update Reproduction or redistribution without express permission of NURC MediaNext Pvt Ltd is strictly prohibited and is a violation of the subscriptionagreement Such instances will result in immediate cancellation of subscription to the Service without any refund for the remaining period at the sole discretion of NURCMediaNext Pvt Ltd

This email is a solicited newsletter We sent you this email because youyour employer organisation signed up for our daily industry updates If you do not wishto receive these email updates in future please contact us at vimalpnurcmedianextcom to unsubscribe

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