While building road infrastructure and developing fancy car models to suit changing consumer demand, the vital road safety aspect should never be ignored.
Stating this in her address after inaugurating the 13th Symposium on International Automotive Technology (SIAT 2013) organized in Pune by the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) in association with SAEINDIA and NATRIP, Ms. Supriya Sule, MP, observed that in the last three months over 65 deaths have occurred in road accidents on the Pune-Satara highway alone due mostly to lack of efforts towards road safety.
Looking at the current trend, it is quite obvious that road safety has not received the priority attention for various reasons. Tamil Nadu has set an example by evolving an advanced road safety policy with exemplary features for other States to follow.
She said she used to frequent ARAI as she gets an opportunity there to interact with professionals who are constantly engaged in developing something new and innovative. Unlike in the past, the young population in India is now able to drive fancy cars with a lot of options to choose from.
According to her, owning a car is now quite common and is not limited to urban areas, and there is in fact mounting demand for different car models both from small towns and villages. Hence the urgent need to develop road infrastructural facilities to enable use of modern vehicles.
In his speech presented through a video clip, Mr. Praful Patel, Minister of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises, particularly referred to the Automotive Mission Plan 2006-16 that pays rich dividends and India emerging one of the important auto manufacturing hubs in the world.
The Indian automotive industry is currently producing around three million units a year, excluding two-wheelers, which is likely to touch the 10-million mark in a decade.
With its theme “Towards Safer, Cleaner & Quieter World”, the symposium, attended among others by Mr. Shrikant Marathe, ARAI Director, Mr. Anant Talaulicar, past ARAI President, Mr. Murli M. Iyer, Executive Advisor-Global Affairs, Office of the Chief Executive Officer, SAE International, and Mr. N.B. Dhande, Convenor, SIAT 2013, focused on innovative advancements in automotive technologies to meet future challenges and explore different areas to design and develop environment-friendly automobiles. It also covered the other topical aspects such as engines, alternative fuels, electronics, structural evaluation, vehicle engineering, materials, etc.
Mr. Anant Talaulicar, in his welcome address, expressed his happiness the role of the Association which was set up as a mere testing house but has now grown to its current status, and contributing much to the growth of the Indian automobile manufacturers. With adequate investment, ARAI’s focus is always on knowledge engineering and R&D.
Mr. Murli Iyer, in his keynote address, said that since 1995, SAE International has been maintaining a very good relationship with ARAI through different activities. Incidentally, SIAT 2013 was very well organised under the able stewardship of Mr. Shrikant Marathe, ARAI Director, who is also the current President of SAE India.
About 200 technical papers, including 36 keynote papers, were presented at the symposium.