Focus on customer relationship to complement quality product range in Indian market
Valeo Compressors is a global leader in the supply of compressors for the transport air-conditioning segment. The company has been active in India for many years and has grown along with its customers during the period. With the rising demand for quality products in the Indian market, Valeo sees tremendous potential in the country in the years to come and is gearing up to be able to deliver the best value package to its customers. Mr. Hitoshi Kanai, Heavy Duty Sales Director Asia, Valeo Compressors, responds to questions from Motorindia.
Excerpts:
To start with, please give us a background on your presence in the Indian market.
The AC penetration rate in buses and trucks in India has been low till recently, but our customers have been using Valeo compressors since the beginning of transport air conditioning in the country, importing through various channels.
We foresee a tremendous potential in the AC compressor market in the near future. India’s specificity is an accelerated growth which pushes automotive industry suppliers to quickly build up their offer in terms of design support, quality and supply capacity. Valeo is therefore addressing the market directly, proposing its latest technologies and expanding its distribution network to support its customers.
What is the product range you currently offer in the commercial vehicle air-conditioning segment in India?
Valeo offers a complete range of products to meet the specific cooling requirements. We enjoy a very strong market share up to 20 kW cooling capacity with our TM16, TM21 & TM31, the applications being cabin refrigeration and small buses.
Our new product line – the TM43, TM55 and TM65 – addresses the medium and large-sized buses’ air-conditioning requirements. They are cubic-shaped compressors that are lighter and smaller than the conventional ones.
Valeo participated in Busworld India in February this year. Could you explain your motivations?
Valeo wants to establish a strong presence in the Indian market. Busworld Mumbai was a remarkable opportunity for us to meet customers and fleet owners and to communicate on our product offering. Our intention is also to show support to our dedicated customers (some of them exposed AC systems with Valeo compressors at the show): we will actively participate in helping them designing systems with our compressors. The show was furthermore a great occasion to identify the key trends and to draw the future needs of the Indian market. And what a beautiful city Mumbai is! Facing such a giant infrastructure and bubbling transportation system, our wish to bring comfort to Indian customers grew only bigger.
What are the advantages offered by Valeo products over others in the market?
Heavy duty rimes with the highest requirements in terms of robustness and durability. Our compressors were developed and tested in the toughest weather in India, China, Europe, the Middle East and South-East Asia. Our constant pursuit of performance led to small, robust and durable products that are reliable in the Indian tropical conditions. The Valeo Swash plate technology ensures smooth and quiet operations limiting noise concerns and bringing vehicle fuel consumption benefits. Our compressors’ smaller size and weight also mean a significant gain in space in the engine room.
What is your focus on the product side? Where are they manufactured?
Our compressors are made in Japan, at the closest to our engineers. They focus all their knowledge and expertise in developing state-of-the-art compressors. By the way, our motto is Quality for Heavy Duty. We developed our first swash plate compressor in Japan more than 30 years ago and since then we have perfected the technology.
How has the customer response been to your products and solutions in India?
We believe the Indian market moves fast and customers demand high standard products. Our TM compressors have always been the market favourites with their superior cooling performance and durability. We promise benefits in terms of cost-efficiency and total cost of ownership.
Our new products, the TM43, TM55 & TM65, have phenomenal response from our customers. As they test and use our products, they eventually come to the same conclusions as we do. These were developed with the same stable foundation as our other best sellers and use the swash plate technology. TM compressors achieve high levels of performance and durability while addressing stringent environmental challenges.
Companies around the globe and also in India are increasingly focusing on green technology and energy efficient solutions. Valeo has been known for such solutions as well. What are the latest developments at Valeo in this regard?
Valeo always remains focused on mitigating the environmental impacts of its products. This is not only a strategy but our own identity. We know what it means to be a responsible supplier and partner to major companies around the world. We conceive and develop compressors to help commercial vehicle manufacturers to abide by the toughest environmental regulations.
Your ideas about the Indian market with respect to bus air-conditioning & truck refrigeration? How are the segments performing and what does the future hold? What can one expect from Valeo in the next couple of years?
The Indian market is demanding the best products for its bus AC and truck refrigeration markets. Not only is it a growing market as the AC penetration rate needs to catch up with that of Western developed countries, but it sets straight the highest standards as a requirement. In keeping with the ongoing development, India will face tighter environmental regulations with ecologically friendly systems quickly spreading out.
Our R&D lab in Japan is at the leading edge of technical advancement. Our priority for the Indian market is not only making high quality products but also taking our customer relationship further up, lowering their total cost of ownership.