New Creta, petrol Vitarra Brezza.. A quick look at what went down at Auto Expo Day 2.
The two-wheeler sector has been underperforming its peers on the volumes front for over five quarters now. Even in the March quarter, Bajaj Auto and Hero MotoCorp posted a 17-24 per cent YoY decline in volumes, the sharpest in the listed auto universe. The ongoing impact of frequent price hikes, all-time high fuel prices, and muted rural sentiment has led to the lacklustre showing by two-wheeler makers. What has aggravated the situation for two-wheeler companies, which get almost all their sales from the internal combustion engine or ICE-based units, is the traction for electric two-wheelers (EV).
Bikers pushing their two-wheelers that were stuck and pedestrians struggling to navigate through knee-deep water was a common sight in some places.
The 'Everyone Wins' luxury hamper includes expensive beauty services and travel packages.
HMSI is the biggest player in scooter market with a share of 60 per cent
India has a history of jugaad, and retrofitting vehicles is one such manifestation of the legendary Indian skill. Not so long ago autorickshaws and small Marutis used to strap on subsidised LPG cylinders and power themselves to a cheap ride. There were the odd explosions, lives were lost, but the jugaad continued. Then compressed natural gas (CNG) was introduced in Delhi following a court order. Initially, customised CNG kits were fitted to conventional (internal combustion engine or ICE) autos cheaply, enabling commuting at less than half of what you would cough up for diesel. The industry is better organised now with Suzuki and Hyundai designing CNG-fired vehicles, and Mahindra and TVS manufacturing liquefied petroleum gas (LPG)-powered three wheelers.
While commercial vehicles are expected to benefit from strong replacement demand, the two-wheeler and tractor segments are expected to gain from a recovery in the rural economy.
TVS Motor Company, the only company in India to manufacture mopeds, said domestic sales dropped by 25.58% in April-Oct and exports fell by nearly 40%.
Only a few thousand chargers dot the Indian landscape, some in working condition, others not, with some held hostage to the power supply vagaries of local utilities, reports S Dinakar.
'What volumes will we have with a Rs 1 lakh product?' 'As a company, we will not restrict it to a segment.'
The sharp increase in commodity prices on account of the Russia-Ukraine war has put automakers in a fix. After the frequent price hikes in the current fiscal, manufacturers fear that any more price increases may further dent the already weak demand in certain segments. "We have taken several hikes and cannot immediately do it again. "We will have to closely watch the situation and act accordingly," said an official at an auto firm, declining to be identified. Even for companies like Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles, which has had a strong volume run and a robust order book, passing on the entire costs has been tough.
For a change, glamour goes rural as exhibitors glam up their products meant for India's villages.
'I suggest Rahul Bajaj come out in the open and give us his own white paper on the perceived sense of fear that he thinks haunts corporate India,' says Dr Sudhir Bisht.
As many as 20 central public sector enterprises and their units are at various stages of strategic disinvestment, while six are being considered for closure or are under litigation, Minister of State for Finance Anurag Singh Thakur said on Monday.
"So it's all about how I feel after Rio, if I feel I can really put my body through one more season. If I'm going to be focused and I'm going to be determined. That will determine if I compete after Rio. So we'll see how it goes."
Auto component makers in India are bracing for a tough time. High absenteeism among workers owing to Covid-19, shortages of critical parts, and temporary closures of plants by automobile manufacturers have thrown a spanner in the works for the Rs 3.2-trillion sector, which derives 60 per cent of its revenues from automobile original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), with the balance split equally between replacement demand and exports. Car market leader Maruti Suzuki India on Saturday said it was extending the maintenance shutdown, which was from May 1 to 9, till May 16, "keeping in view the current pandemic situation". Some activities will continue in the plants.
The hybrid two wheeler runs both on gasoline and the battery, almost doubling the mileage per litre of petrol.
Travelling within congested cities is going to be redefined with the in coming of small and trendy electric vehicles.
Hemlatha Annamalai and P Bala's Ampere Vehicles makes e-vehicles in Coimbatore.
Mr Modi should be conscious that it was his choice to slash the number of tax-payers from 60 million to 15 million, notes T N Ninan.
Austrian two-wheeler maker KTM Power Sports is developing three intra-city transportation models - a trike, a budget car and a scooter - in a joint collaboration with Bajaj Auto. Bajaj, India's second-largest motorcycle maker, owns 21 per cent stake in KTM.
With its foray into self-drive, Ola will go head-to-head with early entrants Zoomcar, Revv and a few other.
After the hit of the pandemic, India Inc is now worried about the adverse impact of inflation and higher commodity prices on their revenues and margins. The inflation scare is the strongest among manufacturers of consumer goods such as automobiles, consumer durables, and fast-moving capital goods (FMCG). Companies across sectors fear they will not be able to pass on the hike in input costs to their consumers due to weak demand, which, in turn, would lead to a hit on margins and profitability in the forthcoming quarters.
The snowfall has set in cold wave like conditions in the Valley as electricity supply in many areas was snapped as a precautionary measure, they said, adding that dewatering pumps were made operational in the city to avoid waterlogging.
These concept vehicles were showcased at the recent Los Angeles Motor Show.
M&M will close down GenZe, an e-scooter business in California, because it is unlikely it would stand on its own feet, and is ahead of its time.
Implementing the poll promises of TN parties will cost state exchequer Rs 30,000 cr a year, say experts.
Brijmohan Lall Munjal, 92, who recently became chairman emeritus of Hero MotoCorp, single-handedly rewrote the rules of the motorcycle business
For Hero MotoCorp, India's largest two-wheeler company, it's a calculated gambit to revive Harley-Davidson whose ride in India has been anything but easy since it got here.When automotive firms embark on alliances, it's a roll of the dice on how such marriages will play out.
Vehicle sales across categories registered a decline of 8.62 per cent to 20,86,358 units from 22,83,262 units in May 2018.
'We are in the reverse gear and we are not there anywhere compared to the rest of the world'
Mahindra & Mahindra is in talks to buy a majority stake in Pininfarina.
Anand Mahindra says driverless tractors could change the future of food production.
On Reva, Mahindra says electric cars are an innovation that can disrupt the automobile sector.
Companies are drawn to the parks by the infrastructure and ready-to-occupy land.
The two-acre office complex under construction on the outskirts of Delhi will be home to about eight hundred company executives. Special care is being given to air purification and the building will be equipped with a three-stage air filter system.
Solid looks. Solid features. Affordable prices.
As the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Thursday sent a general advisory to all the states and Union territories asking them to deploy adequate security personnel at all sensitive places, political leaders made fresh calls to people not to indulge in making provocative remarks or spreading rumours.
The Ariana Grande's Sunday Manchester benefit gig was bold. And triumphant. She, and several of the world's top musicians, belted out an evening of song with the unstoppable message: Fight terrorism with music.
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