Brakes India Ltd., one of the largest component manufacturing companies within the TVS Group, is gearing up to become a major 
player in the ABS market in India which is still in a nascent stage with ABS being offered as an option to passenger car buyers. However, this is bound to change in the coming years with the proposed Government regulation to make ABS mandatory for passenger cars and light commercial vehicles.
Brakes India is no stranger to the ABS market in India. Having been a significant player in the domestic utility vehicle ABS market since 2006, the company has today a 17 per cent marketshare in utility vehicle ABS. It is now investing on a new facility to localize the four-channel ABS product to be competitive and offer a superior value proposition to its car customers.
Brakes India’s strategy for ABS in the Indian market will be based on two categories of products to start with. An indigenously developed single channel ABS will be targeted at two-wheelers, low-end utility vehicles, pick-ups and small four-wheelers to provide high-speed stability and prevent tail swing that is a common occurrence on the highways. In addition, a full featured four-channel ABS, licensed from its joint venture partner TRW, with an option for vehicle stability control will be targeted at passenger cars, MUVs, SUVs and light commercial vehicles up to 6 tons GVW.
There are also plans to develop a two-channel ABS indigenously as the volumes of two-
wheelers with front and rear disc brakes keep growing. With a strong research and development team working behind the scenes to create products that add value to the Indian OEMs, Brakes India, with its deep understanding of the Indian road conditions, price point and customer requirements, has developed these products with the end-customer in mind.
According to Mr. Badri Vijayaraghavan, Executive Director – Business Development, while India has made progress to make the M3 and N3 category of commercial vehicles mandatory for ABS, with the growth in infrastructure and higher speeds, it is only a matter of time before regulations are introduced for cars, utility vehicles and light commercial vehicles as well. However, the biggest growth could be in the two-wheeler market where majority of the accidents are due to skidding where ABS can certainly help reduce the number of accidents and save lives.
The other factors that will help promote the growth of ABS in India are minimizing the cost impact to OEMs by developing local manufacturing capabilities and testing infrastructure. Realizing the need for testing infrastructure in time, Brakes India has become a pioneer in setting up a world class test track near Chennai built in consultation with TRW and MIRA with a two km loop where cars can be tested at 160 kmph in addition to low mue and split mue surfaces to test slip control systems. Built at an investment of over Rs. 20 crores way back in 2004, Brakes India can be proud of a state-of-the-art test track with up-to-date facilities, including a modern workshop, conference room facilities and an electronic surveillance system to keep track of vehicle movement on the track. The only one of its kind in India, the track has enabled Brakes India to reduce development and testing costs for its customers. Today the track is being used by some of the leading OEMs in India for testing their vehicles.
As the next stage in the development of slip control systems, Brakes India has committed large investments and laid out an aggressive 
plan to localize its four-channel ABS at its Padi facility. Starting with a capacity of 300,000 units per annum, scalable to 1,000,000 units as the market for ABS grows, the company will be in a position to meet the requirements of the domestic market.
Mr. Badri Vijayaraghavan further says that the value that Brakes India will bring to the table for its customers is much more than just the product. With a well-trained slip control team trained by TRW, the company has the capability to design, develop, test and validate ABS systems in India. This, coupled with a crack team of field service staff well adapted to the Indian environment and service requirements, gives Brakes India the distinct advantage of providing its customers with superior aftersales service. To further reduce the cost burden on customers, the company has gone the extra mile by developing a wheel speed sensor locally through its group company ZF TVS, which has been tested, validated and approved for fitment.
While the market for ABS is likely to grow in the medium to long term, Brakes India is getting ready to garner a significant share of the domestic market supported by a well-trained team of slip control engineers, world class testing infrastructure and seamless technology access and support from TRW. As the market leader for foundation braking systems in the domestic market today, the company aims to take on competition with its proven strategy of world class technology, manufacturing excellence and superior service to provide an ‘Experience with a Difference’.