In today’s fast-moving world, innovative technologies and systems in modern vehicles pose ever greater challenges to garages. Repair work is becoming more extensive and increasingly requires an understanding of the entire vehicle systems. Addressing such dynamic market needs is Schaeffler’s Automotive Aftermarket division, with its innovative products, technical know-how and the top-notch product quality.
We find out from Mr. Debasish Satpathy, Vice President, Automotive Aftermarket, Schaeffler India, about how proactive the company works to ensure garages are future-ready and how the automotive aftermarket sector can make best use of the opportunities in store.
Excerpts:
Can you give us a brief background about Schaeffler’s Automotive Aftermarket business division?
At Schaeffler India Automotive Aftermarket, we cater to the spare parts business by delivering innovative repair solutions in original-equipment quality to the independent garage network. We have one of the best distribution structures in India and our products are available in almost all key locations through this network.
One of our unique strengths is our range of products; we have a great coverage for passenger cars, commercial vehicles and tractors with our supplies coming from world-class clutch manufacturing plants in India and abroad.
How strong is your manufacturing footprint in India?
We have four state-of-the-art manufacturing sites in India all of which are in expansion mode. Our clutch parts are produced at our factory in Hosur, our chassis program is supplied from our plants in Maneja and Savli while our engine components come from our manufacturing site in Pune. We also source our products from our international locations, primarily Germany.
How do Schaeffler products contribute to improving customer experience in vehicles?
Schaeffler products play an important role in enhancing driving comfort and extending the service life of vehicles. We help improve driving comfort through our LuK brand which includes clutches and double clutches, complete hydraulic release systems, dual-mass flywheel and repair solutions for transmission and differentials. Our INA brand products contribute to increase the service life of engine components such as timing drives, front-end auxiliary drives, valve trains and cooling systems. Under the FAG brand, we provide high-precision wheel bearings and complex wheel modules of uncompromising quality.
What do you consider as the key trends that will shape the future of the automotive aftermarket sector over the next two to three years?
I see the aftermarket business to evolve very quickly in the next two to three years. One of the critical factors is ‘data’; we would see the next phase of growth as we go ‘data-driven’. A data-driven market would help in more accurate identification of parts in the independent aftermarket. We will also see proliferation of garage management tools, a field which many startups are currently working on.
The second aspect would be the knowledge transfer to the independent garage network. We, along with other major tier-I/tier-II suppliers should take the lead in transferring the technical competency to the garage network. The aftermarket eco-system should get behind it and explore options of working collaboratively.
Another aspect is the use of telematics which would link car owners, garages, part suppliers and insurance companies making the trade a digital-heavy platform.
How is Schaeffler gearing up for these trends?
At Schaeffler, we have brought to life a new Technical Training Center in Navi Mumbai where we will conduct technical training for internal and external customers. We have also started live demonstration of product fitments in many key centers and are working on further expanding the reach of training across all regions.
The industry leading Schaeffler ‘Parts4U’ app is now in operation. More features would be added as we enter the second phase of development.
Also, we are working very hard on our range expansion where the idea is to get more repair solutions available for the independent aftermarket. We are also making technical content available for the new ranges.
What are the key challenges that pose a threat for the domestic aftermarket?
The biggest threat is counterfeit products against which the manufacturers must come together. Counterfeits products will not perform to the requirement of modern cars which not only affects the reputation of the manufacturer but also damages the confidence of the vehicle owners. The distribution channel also has a significant role to play in stopping counterfeit products.
For the automotive aftermarket to expand, we need more customers to use parts and services from the independent channel. This is possible only if the parts are provided from trusted sources which again calls for counterfeits to be taken out of the equation.
“At Schaeffler, we have brought to life a new Technical Training Center in Navi Mumbai where we will conduct technical training for internal and external customers. We have also started live demonstration of product fitments in many key centers and are working on further expanding the reach of training across all regions.”