An exclusive report from MOTORINDIA
Dana India Pvt. Ltd. is vigorously working towards expanding its product range by introducing items such as the two-speed axle in the Indian market. Dana is indeed a world leader in the supply of driveline products (axles and driveshafts), power technologies (sealing and thermal-management products), and genuine service parts for light and heavy trucks.
In 1983, Axles India Ltd. (AIL), a joint venture of TVS Group’s Wheels India, Sundaram Finance Group and Dana, was set up. The commercial vehicle axle business of AIL was subsequently taken over by Dana in 2011. In 1993, another venture, Spicer India Ltd., was floated jointly by Dana and Anand Automotive Ltd. to manufacture axles, driveshafts and universal joints in which Dana holds more than 74 per cent share. Dana is reaffirming its commitment to the Indian market by bringing in new products of advanced technology and better features.
Mr. B.D. Singh, Managing Director, Dana India Pvt. Ltd., said: “We have some new design features on our CV axles. We are talking to OEM customers as to how we could add value to them in terms of fuel economy, comfort, NVH, driveline performance and cost-competitiveness. With advanced features, solutions and technology for new OEMs and trucks, our products are working well and are in demand. We want to grow with our customers and be a part of the Indian growth.”
The US major is in talks with major vehicle manufacturers and expects its market share in axle business to go up from 15 per cent to 30 per cent in the coming months, while its drive-shaft business commands almost 60 per cent of the total market. The company is focused equally on both OEs and aftermarket with its own dealers and distribution channels across the country.
Dana axles are running successfully in vehicles up to 31 tonnes on Indian roads, with Ashok Leyland and Mahindra Navistar being the main customers. For drive-shafts, Dana caters to more than 90 per cent of Ashok Leyland’s requirements while it is a single-source for Eicher heavy commercial vehicles. The company also takes care of 70 per cent of the needs of Tata Motors’ Pune plant and 25 per cent each of its Lucknow and Jamshedpur plants.
Dana is keen on leveraging on the improvements in infrastructure in the Indian market which will drive the growth of bigger trucks, more powerful engines and more capable products. It is really betting big on the two-speed axle, its latest product to be introduced in the Indian market. The axle offers a high torque when the vehicle is fully-loaded, and when unloaded, it switches to a low torque enabling the driver to cruise at high speeds. The two-speed axle concept improves the turnaround time, asset utilisation and the overall vehicle efficiency.
The company is planning to localise its existing technologies and products from Europe and North America in India, as part of its long-term commitment to the market and also leverage on the growth opportunities.
Dana has a technical centre in Pune with an engineer count of 300, which is set to reach 550 by 2014. The centre will also have a test lab to set up at a cost of $30 million, where products made by the company’s facilities across the world would be tested.
Dana has two manufacturing facilities in Pant Nagar, four in Pune and one each in Sattara, Jodalli and Chennai. The company made a turnover of Rs. 1,200 crores in 2011-12, of which around 13 per cent was contributed by exports to the US, Europe and Asia.