In an insightful conversation with Rajesh Rajgor, Yannick Pouplard, Managing Director at Lohr India Automotive, discussed the company’s journey since 2008, highlighting their innovative approaches and robust engineering support from France and Pune. Lohr India’s diverse product range includes car carriers, agricultural tractor transport solutions, chassis-on-chassis concept, and potentially bike carriers as well as Defense applications. Yannick emphasized their partnership with ADR Axles India Pvt Ltd (SAE – SMB), resulting in the Golden Cap axle, and the importance of quality, safety, and CMVR compliance. He also discussed the company’s response to post-COVID recovery and future plans for growth and innovation, driven by customer feedback and strategic partnerships.
Lohr India, a subsidiary of the French multinational corporation with over 60 years of experience in the car carrier segment, has been operational in India since 2008. “We brought some new concepts to India, backed up with a very strong engineering team in the headquarters, always involved in the development and validation processes,” Yannick establishes a background. The local R&D team in Pune is embedded in the DNA of the group, ensuring a practical and economical approach suited to the Indian market. This local team, combined with support from France, enhances the reliability of Lohr’s trailers.
In terms of product offerings, Lohr India caters to various segments beyond car carriers, including agricultural tractors and farming equipment. He elaborates, “We brought a solution for transporting agricultural tractors in a more CMVR-compliant manner, moving them like cars to avoid exceeding the allowed width on roads.” The company has also successfully launched the chassis-on-chassis concept, enhancing safety and operational efficiency for transporting cowl chassis, prime movers, and earth-moving equipment. Regarding the proportion of their product segments, Yannick shares, “We have rolled out around 4,500 trailers since inception, with chassis-on-chassis being our first success story before car carriers. We’ve also sold around 200 farming tractor carriers, but the great majority of our sales today are car carriers of the latest generation.”
The past financial year for Lohr India has been quite dynamic and exceptional. Reflecting on the recovery post-COVID, he shares, “There was some catch-up that must have happened for the 2-3 previous years, which were very low, obviously like in many other sectors.” Entering the new financial year, he observed that the first and second quarters traditionally start slow, with additional slowdown this year due to the election period and subsequent delays in decision-making. The monsoon season also tends to affect the speed of operations on the shop floor.
However, Yannick remains optimistic: “It looks like it’s going to be a very normal year, and we have actually taken advantage of this slowdown period for working on designs, optimizing things, and offering new safety and operational features in our trailers right from July onwards.”
Collaboration with ADR Axles India (SAE – SMB)
The collaboration between Lohr India and ADR Axles India (SAE – SMB) has cultivated a special relationship aimed at bringing the best products to the Indian market. Yannick highlighted their common goal: “Both with our European culture, we saw a good scope of improvement of some solutions which are running already in Europe, which could deserve a share of market in India, and we could maybe together step up the game.”
The partnership became even closer a few years ago when they decided to develop a new axle compliant with CMVR rules. “Until then, there were obviously axles available in the market, but some of which were over width,” he noted. Being part of a multinational company, they did not want to compromise on safety or regulatory compliance. Thus, they sought a customized solution with ADR, addressing specific dimensional and clearance requirements to ensure seamless car loading. This collaboration, over the years, further lead to the development of the Golden Cap axle, featuring a better grease system allowing the axle to run up to 400,000 kilometers on a very light maintenance approach. Yannick explained, “This is an advantage for fleet operators—less downtime and less maintenance cost as well.”
Lohr India’s collaboration with suppliers like SAE – SMB is an example of their commitment to quality and service. Yannick notes, “SAE – SMB has been supportive in adapting their products for the Indian market. They have worked with us to ensure smooth integration and have invested in developing their service network in India. This partnership has strengthened our product offering and after-sales support.”
Manufacturing Capabilities and Supply Chain
Lohr India’s current manufacturing capacity is robust, with the potential to produce close to 1,000 trailers annually. This capacity allows them to cater to approximately 25% of the industry’s estimated annual requirement of 3,500-4,000 trailers. While the plant’s size can feel too small or too big depending on the season, the company can effectively manage production through flexible night shift utilization, ensuring they meet market demands, especially during peak periods from September to March.
Yannick highlights Lohr India’s focus on the domestic market while exploring road trains and expanding manufacturing capabilities. “We are confident in our existing setup, which can handle a substantial volume of trailers annually. While we are focused on the domestic market, we remain open to export opportunities, particularly to regions like the Middle East and Southeast Asia,” he explains.
Lohr India’s strong operational ecosystem is vital to its success. Yannick states, “Our supply chain consists of carefully selected vendors who have been with us from the start.” This longstanding partnership ensures trailer quality and reliability. Their manufacturing processes and experienced team members, many of whom are with us since inception, uphold safety, operational excellence, and compliance with CMVR regulations. “We ensure strict adherence to these regulations,” he adds.
Yannick recounts the positive reactions from customers visiting their shop floor: “They often have a ‘wow’ factor, surprised by the strength of our setup with jigs, fixtures, and advanced painting processes. Many have complimented us, saying we have set a new benchmark in the market.” The market in India, particularly in the car carrier segment, is still evolving. The latest generation of car carriers features single tires and double axles, developed jointly with ADR to ensure legal compliance with CMVR rules. This focus on compliance and innovation reflects Lohr India’s commitment to setting new benchmarks in the industry.
Customer Feedback and Future Roadmap
Customer feedback plays a critical role in Lohr India’s product development. Yannick emphasized, “Customer feedback is a golden piece of information. Whether it is for an improvement or for a new development, what they are thinking is treated with the utmost seriousness.” Feedback comes from various sources, including drivers who use the products daily and OEMs who can foresee market trends. He recalled how the SUV segment’s growth was anticipated through customer insights: “When they could sense before everybody else drifting towards the SUV segment, it was important to be in touch with our customers for having the right reading and understanding of the market.”
Every modification Lohr India makes aims to enhance safety, simplify operations for drivers, and optimize load. “It is a win-win situation for the OEM and the fleet operator because they get a better payload,” he beams. “It is all good for the industry.” The commitment to safety, regulatory compliance, and customer satisfaction defines their approach, making them a reliable player in the Indian automotive market.
Looking towards the future, Yannick outlines Lohr India’s plans for growth and innovation. “In our initial years, we partnered with TSI, to establish our presence in the market. As we move forward, we focus on enhancing our products and exploring new technologies. Road trains, for example, represent a significant opportunity as regulations evolve and the market demands innovative solutions.”
Despite facing challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic and fluctuating market conditions, Lohr India has demonstrated resilience and growth. Yannick reflects on their performance, “We experienced a remarkable turnaround in the financial year after COVID. While we aim to maintain our growth, we understand that the market is driven by volume, not just margins. Our goal is to sell a significant number of trailers at competitive prices.”
He highlights the company’s dedication to timely deliveries and long-term customer relationships, stating, “We aim to lead by introducing innovative technologies and maintaining strong connections with our customers, suppliers, and employees. Our goal is to positively impact the industry and uphold the highest standards of quality.” He also notes their work with EBS technology, remarking, “We are exploring EBS implementation in our trailers while the market barely adopted ABS, meaning to say we are always trying to look one step ahead.” He concludes, “Our focus is on building lasting relationships and upholding industry excellence.”