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MOTORINDIA
l
August 2012
(ABS) and electronic braking sys-
tem (EBS).
ABS technology came into the
limelight in the Indian market
around 2002 when an ABS-fitted
vehicle was considered a premium
one. Since then WABCO has been
consistently working with OEMs,
fleet owners, tanker operators and
bus operators, to highlight the ad-
vantages and importance of using
ABS. A big breakthrough came
in 2006 when it was made manda-
tory for all vehicles carrying hazard-
ous goods, tractor-trailers and long
buses to be fitted with ABS. Despite
initial resistance, customers have
realized the importance of the tech-
nology and have gradually started
switching over to it. It is encourag-
ing to note that 100 per cent of the
vehicles of renowned fleet operators
in India like Ranganathan Travels
and Neeta Travels are fitted with
WABCO ABS.
WABCO which is working with
all major commercial vehicle manu-
facturers in the country has 85 per
cent market share for ABS systems
in the segment. At present, around
10 per cent of its brake systems sup-
plied to OEMs are with ABS, though
the figure is expected to go up with
increasing awareness and impend-
ing safety regulations. Last year,
the company made a turnover of Rs.
1,045 crores and expects to maintain
its good run in the coming year.
In the aftermarket segment, the
company has fitted ABS on nearly
20,000 vehicles, mainly those carry-
ing hazardous goods such as petro-
leum products. Says Mr. Kaniappan:
component zone
The globally recognised Chennai plant’s lean manufacturing technology
The company is vigorously working
on advanced braking systems with its
aim to bridge the gap in technology
between India and other developed
markets, such as Europe. Its efforts
with respect to ABS have been quite
successful with many vehicle manufac-
turers and fleet operators switching
over to ABS over the last decade or so.