SIMCOMVEC 2013, the international conference on mobility and commercial vehicle engineering organised by SAE India, the largest affiliate of 
SAE International based in the US, was held in Chennai in the first week of December. The eighth SAE International Mobility Conference and the first Commercial Vehicle Engineering Congress had its main focus on ‘Technologies for safe, green and connected vehicles.’
The four-day congress, inaugurated by Dr. K. Rosaiah, Tamil Nadu Governor, and attended by over 800 representatives from the local and global automotive industry, gave an excellent opportunity for industry experts and academia to get a clear idea of the emerging emission, alternate fuels and power train technologies, developments in electronics and vehicle connectivity, advanced manufacturing methods, and opportunities and challenges in mass transportation and skill development.
Delivering the inaugural address, Dr. Rosaiah said consumers are increasingly demanding better technologies, fuel economy and improved connectivity at lower costs as well as innovative design concepts.
In his address, Mr. Vinod K. Dasari, Managing Director, Ashok Leyland Ltd., called for a new auto fuel policy that addresses the need for emission control and alternative fuels. The policy makers have to focus more on public transportation and faster vehicle retirement programs to help bring in newer vehicles, conserve fuel and thereby reduce pollution. Cleaner technologies are essential to tackle rising fuel bills, trade deficits and poor ambient air quality in Indian cities. This would encourage the commercial vehicle industry and help it plan its future investments.
Both the industry and the Government have to work together towards prioritising technologies and framing fresh regulations for the domestic market. There is need to develop safer, greener and smarter CVs for which the industry has to choose the right technology. The sector would also have to be innovative to provide affordable value-added solutions to meet the regulations, he added.
Mr. Shrikant R. Marathe, President, SAEINDIA, and Director, ARAI, observed that such conferences would offer global automotive leaders the right platform to showcase their technologies that address the present and future needs of the industry for providing sustainable mobility solutions.
Mr. Srivats Ram, Chairman, Conference Steering Committee, and Managing Director, Wheels India Ltd., in his address, said: “The Indian
automotive industry is emerging as the preferred choice of destination for automotive players across the globe. The need to understand mobility challenges and providing safer and greener technologies will help in integrated transportation network.”
Dr. Donald Hillebrand, President, SAE International, said: “This is the first-ever event being organised in India which is presenting a platform for synergy in technologies for Commercial Vehicles and Personal Mobility. India, with a dynamic automotive market and its frugal engineering, has always been under the global spotlight. This conference will help identify best practices and standardize technologies for the future.”
The Indian automotive industry contributes more than seven per cent of the GDP, over six per cent of total exports and employs at least 20 million people. It also accounts for 18 per cent of the excise duty revenue and seven per cent of foreign investments in India.