It is a well-known fact that the car and chassis carrier segment in India is heavily dominated by the unorganized sector due to several factors, cost being the primary one. The shift from the unorganized to the organized segment depends a lot on government regulations and also on industry stakeholders, including the vehicle manufacturers, the end-customers who transport vehicles and the manufacturers of vehicle-carriers.
In a car- and chassis-carrier market driven by cut-throat competition, tight profit margins and stringent regulations, organised players like Seamless Autotech Pvt. Ltd. fully understand the requirements of customers, while designing and manufacturing various types of trailers and truck bodies with high standards of quality and durability.
Seamless Autotech Pvt. Ltd. is a leading manufacturer of car carriers, chassis carriers, flatbed trailers, containers, tippers, dumpers and utility vans. The company also provides cost-effective fabrication services for its customers. It has capacity to manufacture 200 car carriers and 100 units of other products every month at its Chakan and Talegaon facilities in Pune. The company has emerged a leader in the car and chassis carrier segment and continues to raise the bar with new and innovative products with a keen eye on customer requirements.
Expressing his views on the current industry scenario in an exclusive interaction with MOTORINDIA, Mr. Jitender Singh Ahluwalia, Chairman & Managing Director, Seamless, says: “When we started the company in 1996, there were no organised players in the trailer segment. India is still a huge market for the unorganised segment. But things have started changing in the past few years with about 30 to 40 per cent of the logistics companies now looking for quality products manufactured by organised players. The CMVR rules need to be strictly implemented in India and policies of the government need to be more systematic”.
Market recovery
If the unorganized sector poses a problem, the prevailing market conditions have been equally challenging too. Despite the slowdown for over a year-and-a-half, Seamless reckons that the worst is over as it now enters a new and exciting phase of growth.
“As of March 2014, battered by the worst slowdown of the commercial vehicle industry, our company had sold around 500 units for the financial year while during our peak time in 2010-11, we had delivered more than 1,800 units. At present we manufacture around 60 to 70 trailers per month and are beginning to see some changes in the market due to policies of the new government. We have some good orders in hand and considering the opening up of the market, we expect to cross 1,500 units by March 2015”, adds Mr. Ahluwalia.
When it comes to providing the best range of trailers and vehicle carriers, Seamless is one of the front-runners in the country and can be trusted for the long term. The company offers its customers an option of customization of carriers to suit their requirements which is why Seamless car carriers are most preferred by customers such as Maruti Suzuki, Toyota, Mercedes, Hyundai and Tata Motors. The company has nearly 70 per cent market share in the organized car carrier segment, and as for chassis carriers (mainly manufactured for Tata Motors), its share has increased from 60 per cent in 2012-13 to a whopping 90 per cent in 2014-15.
“Drivers are very satisfied with our trailers due to the product quality and the comfort it gives them while driving and manoeuvring. In addition to the drivers’ choice, our overall sales depend on the fleet operator and the vehicle OEMs, who are growing in favour of transporting vehicles through well-built and reliable carriers only. Last year we had registered a turnover of Rs. 75 crores, and since the market is showing signs of revival with the new government’s initiatives, we aim to touch Rs. 150 crores this year”, he shares.
Since there is uncertainty in the market with respect to dimensions and load capacities of trailers, Seamless has developed prototypes for several new products at its exclusive design department. These prototypes are thoroughly tested on real road conditions before being given the nod for production. One of Seamless’ biggest assets is its skilled and dedicated workforce. Its design and development team strives to come up with new innovative products and solutions which help improve the transport efficiency of its customers. Also, with the industry maturing fast and with new generation fleet operators coming up, factors such as product quality, reliability, serviceability, etc., are becoming increasingly important, with focus shifting away from the initial acquisition cost.
Sharing details on the company’s after-sales service support, Mr. Gurpreet Singh Ahluwalia, Executive Director, Seamless, says: “We have tied up with local people and garages and also have service engineers at different locations across the country. One of our service persons is in continuous contact with the drivers of our trailers/carriers to ensure he does not face any difficulty or problem. We are also trying to expand our presence in western India and are looking at setting up a new facility to cater to the growing demand.”
With stiff competition in the trailer and applications segment from both local and global players, Seamless is geared up for the long term and keenly awaits the necessary infrastructure development to happen in the country, which would trigger a massive and interesting growth phase for the country as well as for the globe.
