The Automobile and Auto Components industry in India is leading the manufacturing sector and is a major part of the Make in India Initiative. This was stated by Mr. Anant Gangaram Geete, Minister of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises, Government of India at the Inaugural Session of the 14th Auto Expo 2018 Components Show being organized by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), the Automotive Component Manufacturers Association (ACMA) and the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) from 8-11 February 2018 in New Delhi.
According to the Minister, a major focus of the auto industry should be to develop environment-friendly vehicles and he committed his Ministry’s support to make this happen.
Mr. Suresh Prabhu, Minister of Commerce and Industry, Government of India highlighted the need for the auto components industry to develop global standards and participate in Global Value Chains (GVCs). He stated the industry was already a success story in terms of participating in global supply chains and was now ready to value add and participate in GVCs.
He stated that his Ministry was exploring the development of two auto clusters. One on the east coast and one on the west coast. These would be created on a global scale with world class facilities to help the automotive industry plug into the GVCs. He urged the auto components industry to step up their exports as this, in his view, would go a long way in boosting the growth of the sector.
Ms. Shobana Kamineni, President, CII stated according to a recent CII study, 5 products in the automotive sector had the potential to be #1 or #2 in the world. These included passenger vehicles, Two and Three Wheelers, Heavy Commercial Vehicles, Auto Electricals and Electronics and Automotive Batteries. These have now been acknowledged by the Government of India and included as a part of the 25 priority sectors for Make in India 2.0. She felt that the sector was well positioned to benefit from globalization and increase its exports exponentially.
Mr. Abhay Firodia, President, SIAM stated that the entire the auto component industry had done well in the past to evolve from import substation to innovation. He was of the view that the industry now needed to gear up to meet the challenge of emerging trends such as electro-mobility, alternative fuels, automation and Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Mr. Nirmal Minda, President, Automotive Component Manufacturers Association stated that the auto components industry was one of the largest job creators in the country and that reflects its strength. He stated that in terms of electric mobility, the auto component industry was still in a nascent stage of development. Nevertheless, there were a few companies who have developed expertise in this regard and were exhibiting in the Auto Expo. He felt that the industry not only needed to cater to the automobile sector but also to the aftermarket – which was a growing segment.
Mr. Chandrajit Banerjee, Director General, CII stated that the Auto Expo 2018 Components show covered 60,000 square meters of exhibition space, over 1200 participants from over 20 countries. There were seven international pavilions showcasing world class technologies and products.
Mr. Vinnie Mehta, Director General, ACMA delivered the concluding remarks.
New Delhi
February 8, 2018