Automotive Component Manufacturers Association of India (ACMA), the apex body representing India’s auto component manufacturing industry, hosted its 60th Annual Session under the theme ‘Auto Components Industry: Shaping the New Normal’. Amidst the impact of the pandemic, the annual session centred on the future course for the industry, defining pathways to explore new avenues of growth, while building strategies to thrive in the post-pandemic world. The event witnessed participation of over 2,000 delegates and eminent dignitaries from the government and ministries, OEMs, industry bodies and think tanks.
The event was graced by Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways and MSMEs, Government of India; Piyush Goyal, Union Minister for Commerce and Industry and Railways, Government of India; and Amitabh Kant, CEO, NITI Aayog. They shared their views on shaping the new normal for the auto component sector. ACMA also used the platform to launch its mobile application, which was unveiled by Director General Vinnie Mehta. This new application will be a one-stop destination for all the users and the industry players for information on products and services.
In addition to the lively sessions, ACMA, in partnership with McKinsey & Co., released a study on ‘Shaping the New Normal’ that gives a strategic roadmap to the industry with newer trends and opportunities in the new normal. The study recommends the auto suppliers to take four key actions that include increasing the localization to capture a USD12 billion opportunity for import substitution; collaborate and step into adjacent sectors that involve focus on aftermarket with distinct go-to market strategy; optimize to become competitive to reduce 15-20% cost; and enable a winning mindset by making digital, analytics and automation a way of working.
The study further highlights the role of the government and industry bodies as a critical differentiator in the sector’s recovery. Addressing the session, Nitin Gadkari said: “We know the industry is reeling under tough times and the government is doing its best to address the needs of the industry. We are constantly working to foster growth of MSMEs, develop the road infrastructure and focus on safety guidelines and increase adoption of alternative cleaner fuels in India. We understand that roads are critical for the growth of the automotive sector and in these challenging times we have been constructing 30 kilometres of roads every day.”
“The government is also working on 22 green expressways and the component companies can set up automobile manufacturing cluster next to these expressways. We plan to bring the scrappage policy which has been a long-standing demand from the industry within a month. We believe that the auto industry has reached international standards and we will soon become the top automotive manufacturing hub in the world,” he added.
On this occasion, Piyush Goyal said: “ACMA has been at the forefront of shaping the new normal. This indeed is a great time to bring in positivity and I see the auto component industry as becoming champions of the Atmanirbhar Bharat mission. We must now foster a spirit of collaboration, cooperation and commitment to grow and compete with the rest of the world. I am confident that with a collaborative approach and working with stakeholders and suppliers, the auto component industry is on the road to success.”
Amitabh Kant said, “The current times have been challenging but have also provided a huge opportunity to adapt and leapfrog to the world of tomorrow. The auto component industry is a strong representation of Atmanirbhar Bharat and we see India’s recovery on the back of automobile and component manufacturing. We must make the Indian companies excel, capture the large domestic market and use it as springboard to penetrate the international market. The future course requires focusing on local manufacturing and across tier 1, 2 and 3 suppliers as we believe all resources and capabilities are available in India.”
“We need to ramp up research and development to create indigenized technology and therefore reduce imports. There is also a need for new synergies such as with the IT industry in the areas of power electronics. India must look at using the first mover advantage for producing all components for electric vehicles, thus driving towards the path of being a future global leader. The electric vehicles’ battery prices are set to go below USD 100, throwing a huge opportunity in the sector to localise. Moreover, we also need to reskill our existing workforce with information related to electronics and digitization,” he added.
Commenting on the 60th Annual Session, Deepak Jain, President, ACMA, said: “Though we have witnessed challenging and inescapable new realities during the ongoing pandemic, we must now consciously work for the future. In the past month, we have seen a massive rebound to almost 100% in most segments, which is indeed heartening. We now look forward to the upcoming festive season and the industry to achieve a significant level of normalcy by November 2020. With a view to create a sustainable industry, our auto component manufacturers will have to gear themselves to the realities of a dynamic and volatile environment and reinvent their business models to deal with the new set of challenges.”
Jain further added: “This year of resilience has strengthened our spirits and we are confident that we will surpass the current disruptive challenges facing us and create a new paradigm in global quality, manufacturing excellence and sustained competitiveness for an Atmanirbhar Bharat.”
Kenichi Ayukawa, President, SIAM, and MD and CEO, Maruti Suzuki, and Uday Kotak, President, CII and MD and CEO, Kotak Mahindra Bank, attended the inaugural session as Guests of Honour. The keynote for the session was delivered by Dr. Pawan Munjal, CMD and CEO, Hero Motorcorp. The welcome address and the concluding remarks for the first session were delivered by Deepak Jain, President, ACMA, and CMD, Lumax Industries, and Sunjay J. Kapur, Vice President, ACMA, and Chairman, Sona Comstar, respectively.
The Special Plenary Session was addressed by O. Suzuki, Chairman, Suzuki Motor Corporation, and T. Suzuki, President and COO, Suzuki Motor Corporation, and Guenter Butschek, MD and CEO, Tata Motors. The theme session on shaping the new normal was presented by Shivanshu Gupta, Senior Partner, Mackinsey & Company, and the keynote for the session was delivered by Dr. Pawan Goenka, MD, Mahindra & Mahindra. The session also had a panel discussion which was attended by Rajan Wadhera, Past President, SIAM, and Senior Advisor, Mahindra & Mahindra; Vipin Sondhi, MD and CEO, Ashok Leyland; Abhimanyu Munjal, Joint MD and CEO, Hero Fincorp; Nikunj Sanghi, Chairman, ASDC and MD, JS Fourwheel Motors; Arvind Balaji, Past President, ACMA, and Joint MD, Lucas TVS; and Soumitra Bhattacharya, President and MD, Bosch India.