WABCO India seemed to have by far one of its most active and exciting years in 2017. April 1, 2017 would be remembered as one of the most significant dates in the history of the Indian automotive industry – the day which saw the country completely evolve to selling only BS-IV vehicles as part of its goal of checking emissions and reducing pollution. But the BS-IV shift did more than just cut down emissions, with the adoption of electronic engines in trucks & buses opening up a whole new avenue for growth for companies like WABCO India which had waited ever so patiently for the very exciting moment.
We spoke to Mr. P. Kaniappan, Managing Director, WABCO India, on his company’s fast-forward growth in 2017, new tech introductions and what it has in store for the current year.
Excerpts:
WABCO had launched the ESCSmart technology around six months ago. With Tata Motors leading the way with its deployment, how have other OEMs responded to the technology?
The ESCsmart technology is gaining pace rapidly in India. As the technology provides active safety intervention to reduce the speed of the vehicle based on the inputs from the sensors, it will help to reduce road accidents. After the ABS implementation, road accidents are showing a declining trend in India as in many other countries which implemented ABS. With ESC implementation, accidents will get reduced further. All the OEMs are excited about this technology and are planning their launches in 2018.
How has the traction been for your PAN range of air disc brakes? Do you have any new developments on that front?
Air disc brakes trials conducted by many bus fleets have shown impressive results. Air disc brakes are helping the fleets to reduce the stopping distance, and drivers feel more confident in driving which helps in reducing turnaround times, enhanced pad life (x 2 times) and also reduces the downtime for pad change by almost 1/4th. In trucks, as many of the States are implementing overload restrictions, OEMs are looking at weight reduction of truck aggregates to enable them to carry more load within the rated load capacity. The first priority in all the OEMs for weight reduction is for introducing air disc brakes, which in some cases reduce the weight by almost 50 kg per axle compared to drum brakes. The OEMs are more excited about this.
It might be appropriate to say that 2017 would go down as a very dynamic and progressive year for WABCO India as far as market maturity, new product introduction and technology acceptance are concerned. In your view, how would you rate 2017 for your company?
The year 2017 was a dynamic one for WABCO India and has been an inflection point for the company due to the introduction of BS-IV engines which facilitates introduction of new technologies like automated manual transmission (AMT) and electronic stability control (ESC). WABCO India’s sales revenue grew 15.2% year on year (for calendar year 2017).
The introduction of BS-IV as planned also clearly indicated the commitment of the Government to making the vehicles world class by making them eco-friendly and safer. Leading OEMs took this cue and introduced industry-leading safety features like ESC in their range of trucks.
In 2017, WABCO India launched new products, namely, AMT and Electronic Stability Control, in partnership with leading OEMs.
The modern electronic engines in the BS-IV trucks have made many of the innovative solutions invented by WABCO and sold worldwide applicable in India also, thus opening up new opportunities for WABCO India to make Indian trucks more environment friendly, safe and connected.
With so many new technologies and products in hand to be offered for customers, what can we expect from WABCO India during 2018?
In 2018, WABCO will launch more new products – the latest being the Intelligent Trailer Program with 42 functionalities we have launched very recently – and technologies in line with our core areas of Safety, Efficiency and Connectivity. As the industry is bouncing back from BS-IV and GST, 2018 will see further penetration of advanced technologies like AMT, ADB, ESC, active steering technologies and ADAS. We will also focus on promoting the FMS business with OEMs and strengthening our position in aftermarket, off-highway and trailer segments.