Automotive Manufacturing to Drive ‘Make in India’ initiative
The Government of India aims to make automobiles manufacturing the main driver of ‘Make in India’ initiative, as it expects the passenger vehicles market to reach 9.4 million units by 2026, as highlighted in the Auto Mission Plan (AMP) 2016-26.
Addressing a CII International Automotive Design Conclave 2016 on Friday, Mr Girish Shankar, Secretary, Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises, said the Government had formulated a Scheme for Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric and Hybrid Vehicles.
The scheme is under the National Electric Mobility Mission 2020, to encourage the progressive induction of reliable, affordable and efficient electric and hybrid vehicles in the country.
The Government will very soon open four to five more design institutes. The private sector should also open design institutes for nurturing talent and innovating minds, he added.
Indian companies need to think big to penetrate global markets by focusing on exports and becoming an integral part of the global supply chain. Make in India is also about intellectual property rights, innovation and continuous improvement. Digital/IT companies and manufacturing companies need to work together to create a disruptive culture for creating globally competitive designs. Design is all about simplicity, he said.
Mr Arvind Kapur, Chairman, Special Task Force on Manufacturing & Make in India, CII (Northern Region) & Chairman & Managing Director, Rico Auto Industries, said while India has demonstrated growing capabilities in auto manufacturing and successfully designed and built new vehicles, the focus needed to be increasingly on auto design aspects.
Mr C V Raman, Chairman, International Automotive Design Conclave 2016 & Executive Director (Engineering), Maruti Suzuki India Ltd said that Indian auto industry needs to be original but in sync with global trends.
He said Ola and Uber were changing the market trends. Indian customer expectations are changing. Besides functional needs, there is a demand for emotional quotient as well, thus enhancing the role of design, he added.
Mr Pratap Bose, Head of Design, Tata Motors, United Kingdom mentioned that products are shaped by society, culture, technology, marketing, cost, utility, legislation and environment. “We hope automotive design will be integrated in Smart City Planning, especially for smart mobility at the conception stage. India should focus on disruptive technologies and leverage its strength in IT and manufacturing,” he added.
The conclave was attended by more than 400 industry participants from within India as well as abroad. – NetIndia
