Gabriel India was the winner of the prestigious Golden Peacock Eco-Innovation Award for 2012 for its hollow tube McPherson strut specially designed & developed for the first time in India for one of the premium car manufacturers in the country.
The hollow tube strut is an eco-friendly light weight front suspension made for passenger cars. It enhances passenger safety by 25 per cent. The strut also reduces the carbon footprint by 13 per cent throughout the entire value chain by employing innovative manufacturing technology.
Receiving the Award, Mr. Rajendra Abhange, Sr. Director, Gabriel India, said: “Reconciling the conflicting challenges – reduction in carbon footprint, enhancing passenger safety and making the product lighter so as to enhance fuel efficiency of vehicles – was accomplished by three dedicated teams, and we are proud to have successfully achieved all three.”
The Award was presented by the Chief Minister of Delhi and NCT, Ms. Sheila Dikshit, at the inaugural session of the 14th World Congress Environment on Management in the presence of a distinguished gathering of business leaders, jurists, academics, environmentalists, economists, legislators and policy makers. The two-day event was held in New Delhi on July 7 and 8.
“The teams focused on each challenge and evolved an integrated solution that met all the objectives. Shock absorbers must be able to withstand all manner of impacts while traversing rough roads as well as possible asymmetric impact while stationary”, he added.
The final selection of the awardees for 2012 was carried out by a jury under the chairmanship of Justice P.N. Bhagwati, former Chief Justice of India.