Seamless Autotech Pvt. Ltd., the country’s market leader in car, bike and chassis carriers, has aggressively expanded its product portfolio and market reach during last year. Well-positioned to gain from changing regulations and market trends, the company expects strong growth in the coming years. We got to know more from Mr. Jitender Singh Ahluwalia, Chairman and Managing Director, Seamless Autotech, on the dynamic market trends and how his company is geared for the same.
Excerpts:
2016 review
It was a great year indeed for us, with welcoming steps and initiatives taken by the Government for controlling irregularities in the auto transport segment, like over dimensional controls and rated payload limits. These factors helped us to standardize the products through our lean manufacturing process.
In line with regulatory requirements and being a leading player in the market, we have established a benchmark of standard Car Carriers TR8 convincing the market customers and educating the industry to comply to standards.
We have recently added two new products to our portfolio – Tip Trailers and Bulkers for the construction segment. We have expanded our arms in the western region including Mumbai’s suburb coastal area and in parts of Gujarat and Rajasthan.
With our skilled technical team we have successfully contributed to R&DE and Naval related defence projects.
Considering peak requirements of the auto transport vehicles, we have groomed ourselves to be equipped with a rapid manufacturing system to be able to cater to the requirements in the shortest possible time.
Outlook for current year
The market is currently going through lots of changes with new challenges such as migration of the CV industry from BS-III to BS-IV emission norms, mandatory ABS fitment and Trailer Code Implementation from April 1 this year. With Special Vehicle regulations in the pipeline, it seems to be big leap in a very short span. With all the above implications, we can expect the unorganized sector to shift towards a more organized way of functioning with well-engineered products in the next couple of years.
Impact of Trailer Code and GST
Both the Trailer Code and GST are good for the industry and the country as a whole. They will have major impacts on the industry and could lead to a 100 per cent shift towards organized sector. The market will move more towards standardization and optimization of vehicles which will make transportation and travel a lot safer and more efficient.
Expectations from the Government
Since rated-load operation is a main factor, the Government should promote light-weight materials. At present, 40 per cent of our industry is dependent on imported steel or alternative materials.
Major plans for current year
Considering the factors discussed above, European technology is not the only solution for the situation. Due to the uniqueness of our domestic market requirements, our own engineered products are to be evaluated. With standardization of products, we will also have enough volumes to work on.
Key factors for company’s success
Seamless has been successful in the market due to our ability to design products that are best suited for the Indian market and our focus on on-time delivery. Our products are designed keeping in mind the purpose, applications and exact requirements of our customers.