'Inspired by Mercedes' by fashion designer Manish Arora at Mercedes Golf Trophy 2010

The 10th edition of the Mercedes Golf Trophy in India began at the Eagleton Golf Club, Bangalore with a tee-off by Dr. Wilfried Aulbur, CEO & managing director of Mercedes-Benz India. The tee-off was also attended by the presenting partners: Puneet Chaddha, managing director and head, Commercial Banking, HSBC India and Ramnath Krishnan, managing director and head Private Banking, HSBC India.

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Maruti Suzuki to up R&D headcount to 1,200 during 2010-11

Maruti Suzuki India Limited (MSIL), which had earlier decided to hire 1,000 professionals for its Engineering,Research,Design and Development Division by 2010, is now looking to ramp it up further to 1,200 in the next financial year. It is to be mentioned that currently 970 people are stationed in their R&D centre and other 30 will be roped in shortly. The company is also hopeful to strengthen its capability in developing new models from the R&D team in India. Moreover, MSI is keen to develop its in-house capability with Suzuki's support and will also act as the designing and manufacturing hub for small cars for the ASEAN region. Currently, Maruti Suzuki’s existing boffins are busy developing a made-in India car that is slated to hit the market by 2012-13.
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Maruti Suzuki aggressive overtures to maintain leadership position

With the arrival of new models and market hotting up for 2010, Maruti Suzuki the numero uno is pulling out all stops to defend its 50+ per cent market share in the domestic market. There are reports that is reportedly working on a new engine which would replace the engines (F8D) of Alto (800cc) and Wagon R (1100cc) as also indicated in a report in The Financial Express. It is expected that once the engine is replaced, the price points would be brought down significantly and help Maruti asell more of these cars. The business daily adds that the new engine is expected to be more powerful than the current one and is expected to be a revolutionary change. The engine, which has a codename – Yp3, will be available in cars by the end of 2010. While the Alto will have 2 cylinders, there would be 3 cylinders for WagonR. It is widely believed that this methodology has been envisaged after the successful run of KB series engine in Estilo (1.0 litre), Ritz (1.2 litre) and A-Star (1.0 litre). Alto and WagonR will get the codenamed engines YP3 which will replace the current F8D engine.
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Toyota files voluntary safety recall on select vehicles for sticking accelerator pedal

Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc announced it would recall approximately 2.3 million vehicles to correct sticking accelerator pedals on specific Toyota Division models. This action is separate from the on-going recall of approximately 4.2 million Toyota and Lexus vehicles to reduce the risk of pedal entrapment by incorrect or out of place accessory floor mats. Approximately 1.7 million Toyota Division vehicles are subject to both separate recall actions.
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Tata Motors lines up multiple rollouts for its European operations

In its bid to expand its presence in the overseas markets, Tata Motors is looking to introduce a host of models in the European market in the next few years. India’s largest vehicle maker, which currents exports Indica, Indigo Marina, Safari through its own distributors in the European market, is now looking to add Indica Vista, Indica Vista EV, Aria, Indigo Manza, Nano Europa et al. The company already markets Tata branded vehicles in countries, like Italy, Spain, Turkey, is now firming up plans to introduce Tata branded vehicles in the UK, as also Norway and Denmark in 2010. It may be recalled that Tata Motors earlier withdrew its Indica hatchback sold under the name Cityrover, from the UK after it recorded consecutive months of poor sales.
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Mercedes Benz keen to launch hybrid cars in India

After Honda and Toyota, it now seems Mercedes Benz India has been bitten by the hybrid bug. Even though its India may not see the Merc-branded car in the near to medium term, it could be a possibility in the distant future. Mercedes-Benz India chief executive officer and managing director Wilfried Aulbur recently told reporters here, “We are very keen to launch hybrid cars in India. But it would be possible only when these cars hit the right-hand drive markets.”
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Honda Siel recalls 8,532 units of 2007 City sedans

Honda Siel Cars India has officially announced that it would call back 8,532 units of 2nd Generation City sedans manufactured in 2007 for a preventive part replacement of power window switch.
According to the HSCI’s official statement, “The company is proactively replacing the part in these vehicles related to the potential problem of smoke coming out from the Power Window Switch if water enters the driver window when window is left open during heavy rain or is exposed to any other liquid due to spillage.”
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Jaguar to celebrate 75th anniversary in 2010

Year 2010 marks the 75th anniversary of the Tata-owned Jaguar, and 75 years of looking forward, designing and building cars that represent the very best of technical innovation, design leadership and sporting success.
Mike O'Driscoll, managing director of Jaguar Cars, said: "In 2010 we celebrate our past, and 75 years of designing and building cars that celebrate the art of automobile making. We're also celebrating the promise of the future, and the introduction of the all-new XJ.
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Audi Quattro Cup 2010 to kick off on 30th January, 2010 in Gurgaon

Audi Quattro Cup 2010 which begins its third season in India at Gurgaon from January 30th, 2010 will be the biggest in India with 12 tournaments in 11 cities – Gurgaon, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Chandigarh, Delhi, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Kolkata, Mumbai and Pune.

Read full story : Audi Quattro Cup 2010 to kick off on 30th January, 2010 in Gurgaon

Second edition of Parx Super Car Show 2010 in Mumbai on Jan 31

The second edition of the Parx Super Car Show which has been conceived and organised by Gautam Singhania is scheduled to be held in Mumbai on January 31, 2010. The first-ever display of India's most expensive cars which took place on April 5, 2009 saw Mumbaikars assemble early on the Sunday morning to witness this automobile spectacle.

 

It is to be mentioned that the Parx Super Car Show plans to establish a forum for car enthusiasts to interact and display their sensational cars. Gautam Singhania happens to be the founder & Chairman of the Super Car Club of India.

 

Parx Super Car Show 2010 is being sponsored by XXX Energy Drink, in association with IIFL and that's what XXX energy drink is all about. As the Title Sponsor of Parx Super Car Show, the XXX energy drink reflects sheer excitement and pure power unleashing raw energy. The brand XXX is creation of .Sachin J.Joshi, vice-chairman of GT&T Pvt. Ltd., a subsidiary of JMJ group, a Rs.1000 crore company that is into diverse businesses.

 

It is also to be mentioned that Joshi is a young dynamic personality who believes in etching a mark through his business acumen. As an individual he reflects style and class which is also seen in his passion for cars. A proud owner of Bentley, Continental GT speed 2010, Mercedes CL 63 AMG and Mercedes CL 500.

 

He says – "I believe in accelerating towards life with extreme energy, high excitement and sheer drive; which is why Parx Super Car Show appealed to me instantly as it also reflected the XXX brand personality of extreme energy and extreme excitement."

The adrenalin rush that one experiences after having a XXX energy drink is the same as driving these super fast cars. Everything about these cars is extreme from power, size, and speed to prize.

 

Following a display of the cars at Vidhan Sabha Parking Lot, the show will involve a parade through the roads of Mumbai from the display venue via Breach Candy through the Sea Link to Bandra (East) and back via Peddar Road to the venue, to provide a flavor of these cars to Mumbaikars. The Parx Super Car Show will showcase ionic dream machines such as Lamborghinis, Ferraris, Porsches, Bentleys, Rolls Royce Phantom, Lotus Elize Ariel Atom and others.

Motherson Sumi Q3 2009-10 PAT at Rs. 77.88 crore

Motherson Sumi Systems, the flagship company of the Samvardhana Motherson Group reported a profit after tax of Rs. 77.88 crore for the third quarter ending 31st December this financial year. It is to be mentioned that the company had a PAT of Rs 25.39 crore during the corresponding period last fiscal. However, the results of the two corresponding fiscals are not comparable because of acquisition of UK-based VisioCorp's rear view mirror business in Europe March last year for 25 million euro. The company reported total sales of Rs 1,782.27 crore during the third quarter. It had sales of Rs 546.49 crore during the year-ago period.

 

"Our domestic wiring harness business registered a good growth on the back of revival in the auto industry. Besides, the European subsidiary Samvardhana Motherson Reflectec (SMR) has also turned profitable after we acquired it last year," Motherson Sumi Systems Chief Operating Officer Pankaj Mittal told PTI, adding that  the company has operationalised three new facilities for wiring harness during the past few months and one more would soon come on stream. He also mentioned, "The new plant at Chennai will be exclusively catering to the demand of Nissan's facility there. Besides, we have put on stream facilities at Pune, Noida and Kandla during this fiscal." 

 

It is to be mentioned that MSSL is is a joint venture between Samvardhana Motherson Group and Sumitomo Wiring Systems (Japan). MSSL is one of the largest manufacturers of Automotive Rearview Mirrors for passenger cars in the world together with being the largest manufacturer of automotive wiring harnesses in India. It also supplies plastic components and modules to the automotive industry. Other product range of MSSL comprises of rubber components for automotive and industrial applications, high precision machined metal parts, injection molding tools and HVAC Systems. The integration of diverse products and technologies leading to comprehensive solutions is a unique advantage, which makes the company a globally preferred solutions provider. MSSL has presence in 21 countries and has manufacturing bases in five continents across the globe to support its customers.

Michelin India opens its second truck service centre for South India in Sankari

Michelin, a worldwide leader in tyres and mobility, opens its second truck service centre MTSC, (Michelin Truck Service Centre) in the Southern region in Sankari, near Salem. MTSC is a one-stop-shop for Bais, radial tyre and related services for trucks. Apart from the application based Tyre recommendation & sales, MTSC's gamut of services include Wheel Alignment, wheel balancing, professional tyre repair service, greasing etc. The MTSC was inaugurated by Philippe Neyrat, commercial director, Michelin India, in the presence of Harkesh Jaggi, manager Distribution, B. Kumar, National Sales Manager, TB and other officials & guests.  

 

Speaking at the opening, Philippe Neyrat, commercial director, Michelin India, said, "We see India as an economy developing at an accelerated pace, with focused growth in infrastructure. The highways across the country carry heavy traffic; therefore, that is where the demand for a service centre was inevitable. In keeping with its commitment to India, Michelin offers services mainly for radial tyres, which help contribute to save fuel, up to 10 per cent.  Truck Radial is the way of the future, it helps reduce the cost of the fleet owner by reducing his fuel bill and the overall tyre cost." 

 

The opening of the second MTSC in South deepens the availability of Michelin products and services along India's highways and will help to meet the soaring demand for Michelin Radial tyres. Being a one stop shop where all these services would be provided under one roof, MTSC would save the customer's time and expenditure on maintenance/ servicing. 

 

Sankari is one of the historic town located around 35 km south-west of Salem. It is situated on the Salem-Coimbatore National Highway-NH47, in Salem District, Tamil Nadu and is very famous for Lorry/truck industries and its allied business. In order to service the needs of our valued clients for both Radial Truck Tyres & Tyre related services, Michelin has opened its second MTSC centre in Tamil Nadu.

 

K.K. Natesan & K. Ramesh, owners Sri Manikandan Tyres, said, "We are pleased and honoured to be associated with Michelin Tyres as their partner in MTSC. Partnership with Michelin, an international leader in tyre technology, makes it possible for us to cater to huge market of Radial Truck Tyres in this district. It also enables us to provide the best possible Tyre related services using the latest machinery and well trained staff." 

 

MTSC is an internationally successful format, particularly in the Asia Pacific region and we see it growing in India too. Michelin has maintained leadership position for more than 100 years, thanks to its relentless efforts in research and development. 

 

Michelin is dedicated to sustainably improving the mobility of goods and people by manufacturing and marketing tyres for every type of vehicle, including airplanes, automobiles, bicycles/motorcycles, earthmovers, farm equipment, trucks and the US space shuttle. It also offers electronic mobility support services, on ViaMichelin.com, and publishes travel guides, hotel and restaurant guides, maps and road atlases. Headquartered in Clermont-Ferrand, France, Michelin is present in 170 countries, has around 115,000 employees and operates 68 production plants in 19 different countries.

 

 

BPCL third quarter profit plummets 52 per cent to Rs. 379 crore

Bharat Petroleum Corporation has reported a 52.6 per cent decline in its net profit at Rs 379.09 crore for the third quarter ended 31st December, 2009. The state-owned company posted a net profit of Rs 799.84 crore in the year-ago period. The net sales of HPCL shot up to Rs. 32,161.24 crore during Q3 FY 2009-10 from Rs. 31,884.48 crore in the same period last year. The company's market sales rose to 7 million tonnes compared to 6.84 million tonnes in the corresponding period last year.

 

Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) is one of India's largest PSU companies, with Global Fortune 500 rank of 287 (2008), with its corporate office located at Ballard Estate, Mumbai. Bharat Petroleum is considered to be a pioneer in Indian petroleum industry with various path-breaking initiatives such as Pure for Sure campaign, Petro card, Fleet card etc.

 

BPCL's growth post-nationalisation (in 1976) has been phenomenal. One of the single digit Indian representatives in the Fortune 500 & Forbes 2000 listings, BPCL is often referred to as an 'MNC in PSU garb'. It is considered a pioneer in marketing initiatives, and employs 'Best in Class' practices.

North-East centre of NATRiP Dholchora inaugurated by Industry Minister

The Dholchora Campus of the National Institute for Automotive Inspection, Maintenance And Training was inaugurated by the Hon. Minister of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises, Shri Vilasrao Deshmukh. In attendance was an impressive political entourage consisting of local luminaries like Shri Dinesh Prasad Goala, Hon. Minister for Urban Development Housing, Government of Assam, Shri Kabindra Purkayastha, Hon. MP from Silchar, Dr. Rumi Nath, MLA from Borkhola and of course our very own former Minister of Heavy Industries, Shri Sontosh Mohan Dev and a plethora of other dignitaries, including Shri Rajesh Singh, CEO and Project Director, NATRIP.

 

Inaugurating the Dholchora campus, Shri Vilasrao Deshmukh, Hon. Minister of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises stated that this was a very important centre to come up in this region and not only a pride for the North-Eastern parts but the entire country. He emphasized that such a centre would encourage OEMs to set up factories here and accompanying ancillary units like components would surely fuel economic growth in this region. Hon. Minister stated that with modern driving aids like the Driving simulator present here, people could practice driving virtually without endangering other road users and become proficient drivers within a short period of time. He vowed to carry on the good work done by his predecessor, Shri Sontosh Mohan Dev and promised full support to all running projects.

 

Shri Vilasrao Deshmukh, Hon. Minister of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises especially mentioned that this centre would help upgrade the driving skills in this region and make the on road vehicles better maintained with fast upcoming facility of automated Inspection and Maintenance, the first of its kind in this region. He said that the mechanics training institute would also help in better maintenance of vehicles thereby improving the overall road safety profile in the north east.

 

Hon. Minister for HI and PE also inaugurated the driving simulator, the first in this region and one of handful in the country.

 

While the Indian Automobile Industry is growing at an impressive rate, there is a growing concern regarding the increase in number of accidents taking place on Indian roads. India accounts for about 10% of road accident fatalities world-wide equivalent to hundred and twenty thousand lives. Also, as per a survey, India looses around Rs.55,000 Crores annually due to the road traffic accidents.

 

This necessitates important action to be taken by the automobile researchers and engineers for promoting vehicle safety. Road Safety in the developing countries is assuming a serious dimension with fatal and serious accidents on the rise. Other areas of concern are the constant rise in number of traffic violations, and unabated congestion resulting in road rage, crime, and pollution.

 

At the Dholchora campus in Silchar, a hill driver Training centre equipped with training tracks, and a driving simulator is already functional. This, coupled with knowledgeable and efficient trainers will help train commercial vehicle drivers to drive safely in hilly terrain and all weather conditions. This is especially important, considering the fact commercial drivers spend most of their working life on roads, which leave a lot to be desired in terms of safety, signage etc.

 

The biggest bane of most truck drivers is undoubtedly overloading and sometimes rash driving. However, it has been seen that with proper instruction and education, most truck drivers refrain from such counterproductive practices. Also, concepts of scientific traffic management, usage of vehicle controls and systems i.e. turn signal indicators, importance of maintenance and basic driving skills like hill holding with load, are in a position to be taught today. Currently, experts are imparting lessons both on the simulator, as well as in a mix of theory classes and practical demonstration training.

 

Jaffirbond, which is racing towards its finish line, is almost ready to start what has been envisioned as the most important factor which could make our roads safer today: Inspection and maintenance (I and M). Today, there are more vehicles on the road than ever before, and this has compounded the problems of maintenance and upkeep of all vehicles, especially commercial ones. Studies show that sometimes even basic maintenance is lacking like tyre tread depth, usage of lights, especially blinkers and rear combination lamps etc. are woefully inadequate. Add to this overloading and bad driving practices and a sure recipe for disaster raises its ugly head. The Jaffirbond campus aims to impart quality education on I and M to students who will be the future of the vehicle industry of India and thereby create a whole new generation of youngsters who will be the demand of the automobile industry of tomorrow. Further, the Jaffirbond campus unique I and M initiative is likely to be involved in the national Inspection and Certification (I and C) regime, which is being initiated by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) in North-Eastern areas.

 

The Dholchora and Jaffirbond campuses are a unique collaboration between the Government, the public and industry. With the first batch of instructional sessions already underway, this centre is poised to play a leading role in the entire northeastern area, given the fact that the North-East is primarily a hilly region and has some of the most beautiful (and dangerous) roads in the entire country.

 

National Automotive Testing and R and D Infrastructure Project (NATRiP), the largest and one of the most significant initiatives in the automotive sector so far, represents a unique joining of hands between the Government of India, a number of State Governments and Indian Automotive Industry to create a state of the art Testing, Validation and R and D infrastructure in the country. The Project aims at creating core global competencies in the automotive sector in India and facilitates seamless integration of Indian Automotive industry with the world as also to position the country prominently on the global automotive map. The facilities under NATRiP at Manesar, Chennai, VRDE Ahmednagar , ARAI Pune, Rae Bareilly, Silchar and Indore will not only provide comprehensive homologation and product testing and validation facilities for vehicles and components but will also foster global competencies for generic research and development geared to catapult India into the league of nations with automotive excellence. NATRiP centers will house several Centre of Excellence for advanced research in emerging areas of technologies.

Tata Steel JV with Nippon Steel for auto cold-rolled flat products

Tata Steel Board has approved a framework for a joint venture between Tata Steel Limited (TSL) and Nippon Steel Corporation (NSC) for the production and sales of automotive cold-rolled flat products at Jamshedpur, Jharkhand, India to address the localisation needs of Indian automotive customers for high-grade cold-rolled steel sheet and contribute to further expansion of the Indian automobile industry. TSL will hold 51 per cent and NSC will hold 49 per cent of equity capital of the Joint Venture company.

 

The above joint venture aims to capture the growing demand for high-grade automotive cold-rolled flat products in India by setting up a Continuous Annealing and Processing Line (CAPL) with a capacity of 600,000 tonnes. NSC will transfer its technology for producing high-grade cold-rolled steel sheet for automotive application, including skin panels and high tensile steels.

 

NSC and TSL have a long history of cooperation in the field of automotive flat products and other areas of mutual interest. Through this project, NSC and TSL have decided to strengthen the partnership by entering into a joint operation. The companies will target conclusion of the joint venture agreement by June 2010 and start-up of operations before March 2013.

 

In addition to this, both companies will continuously discuss further collaboration in other fields such as automotive CGL or up-stream processes etc.

 

Established in 1907 as Asia's first integrated private sector steel company, Tata Steel Group is among the top ten global steel companies with an annual crude steel capacity of over 28 million tonnes per annum (mtpa). It is now the world's second-most geographically-diversified steel producer, with operations in 26 countries and a commercial presence in over 50 countries. The Tata Steel Group, with a turnover of US$ 29 billion in FY '09, has over 80,000 employees across five continents and is a Fortune 500 company.