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India a Big Trade Mart for the Automobile sector

The automotive sector is one of the prime drivers of Indian economy. Economic liberalization policies adopted by government of India have primarily propelled India into the big league, with many global automotive players seeking to establish their operations in India. In fact in the last five years, India has turned into a big trade mart for the Automobile Industry, registering a growth rate of 15-27 percent.

And interestingly, the rise of Indian middle class and the simultaneous rise of the economy over the past few years have only charmed global auto majors to the Indian market. Moreover, India’s highly trained cheaper workforce has only added to its emerging status as a global manufacturing hub. All these plus points of the Indian markets on one hand and the recession faced by the auto sector in the developed markets like Europe, US and Japan on the other, have only resulted in increased capital flow to the Indian automobile sector.

Moreover, Indian car manufacturers are earning rare reviews in the wider world. According to Global 200: The World’s Best Corporate Reputations List, compiled by US-based Reputation Institute, India automaker, Maruti Suzuki India Ltd (MSIL) has earned the status of being the fourth most reputed auto company in the world, even ahead of its parent company Suzuki Motor Co of Japan.

Indian a big mart for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs)

Tata and Mahindra & Mahindra are the leading names in the Indian original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) segment, creating waves on the global arena too. And given the stiff competition, Indian OEMs are continually upgrading their technology and are producing superior quality vehicles.

Indian original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) like Tata and Mahindra & Mahindra are leading from the front on the global scene. And with India Inc facing increased competition from the global players, Indian OEMs have also been upgrading their technology and are manufacturing better-quality vehicles.

‘Economical Engineering’ has being the flavour of the Indian automotive industry, with Indian OEMs making the best use of its cost-efficient and highly –skilled work force. Also, the skillfulness of their suppliers has helped them in reducing costs and the manufacturing time. In fact, OEMs all across the globe are making a beeline to India to gain access to India-based design and development centers.

Production

In the recent years, India has emerged as the big mart for foreign automotive manufacturers.

• Japanese auto major, Nissan Motor Co, has chosen India among the five low-cost countries to manufacture its GenNext compact cars, including the Micra.

• Hyundai has converted India into its global hub for manufacturing small cars. By 2013, the company plans to invest US$ 1 billion in its second plant in Chennai. The company is also planning to invest US$ 40 million in its R&D facility in Hyderabad.

• General Motors till date has invested around US$ 1 billion into its Indian operations. The factory of its small car, Spark has been set up in Maharashtra, with an investment of US$ 300 million. The company also intends to make India its focal point for manufacturing of export engines, power trains as well as cars for neighbouring countries like the US and Europe.

• Mercedes-Benz plans to invest around US$ 64. 21 million in its plant near Pune. The plant will apparently have a production capacity of 2,500 trucks and buses and 10,000 cars over two shifts every year.

• Renault has entered into partnership with Nissan Motors to set up a manufacturing facility near Chennai at a cost of US$ 901.35 million to manufacture 400,000 cars annually.

• Skoda Auto is planning to make India its regional manufacturing hub. The company plans to start manufacturing cars in India by 2010 with a target of 50,000 units.

• Tata Motors plans to manufacture 80,000 units of its much awaited Nano at its Pantnagar plant in Uttarakhand in 2009-10. The mother facility at Sanand, in Gujarat, may be fully operational by 2010-11 and will have a capacity of producing 1, 50,000 cars annually.

Exports

Export figures of 2008-09 are a testimony to India’s growing status as big trade mart for the automobile industry. As per the data released by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers, the passenger car sales in the overseas markets registered a growth of 63.01 pe+r cent during April-January 2008-09.

Exports scaled up to 2, 71,999 units as against 1, 66,859 units in the corresponding period in the previous year.

The growth in exports is primarily driven by Hyundai Motor India, followed by other auto companies such as MSIL, Mahindra Renault, Fiat India Automobiles, General Motors India and Honda Siel Cars India.

During April-December 2008, Hyundai Motors registered a growth of 100 per cent in exports with 198,600 units.

At 620,880 units as of December 2008, Bajaj Auto has clocked an increase of more than 35 per cent in exports.

Mergers& Acquisitions (M&As)

M&As have emerged as the key driving force in the Indian automobile industry. Recognizing India’s potential as a big automobile trade mart, Japanese, European, Korean, French, Italian and American automobile companies have either set up their manufacturing base in India or have joined hands with Indian automotive firms to launch new products in the Indian market. The list comprises Toyota, Renault, Nissan, Fiat, Kawasaki, Honda, Cummins and many more. Even, Indian companies have gone ahead and acquired foreign automobile companies to strengthen its presence in the global market.

One of the most publicized acquisitions in 2008 has been that of Jaguar-Land Rover by Tata Motors for US$ 2.3 billion. Even Mahindra & Mahindra had taken over three Italian companies — G R Grafica Ricerca, Metalcastello and Engines Engineering, during that period.

Other significant developments in this area include:

• Tata Motors,is planning to set up a dealership network for Jaguar-Land Rover in India. • The Auto Park established in Andhra Pradesh has received a whopping investment over US$ 401.55 million from about 34 automotive ancillary units.

• Toyota Kirloskar Motor Private Ltd (TKM) will be investing an added US$ 311 and around 83 million in its second plant, thereby taking the total investment in the plant to US$ 641.74 million.

Preserving Growth

• Mercedes Benz India witnessed strong growth in 2008 with 3,625 cars (46 per cent growth), 240 trucks (53 per cent growth) and 16 bus chassis being sold.

• BMW India sold over 2,500 units in 2008. In January 2009, for the first time ever, BMW beat Mercedes Benz in terms of sales, by selling 270 cars and sports utility vehicles (SUV) while Mercedes Benz, sold 89 units in January 2009.

• Audi reported sales of 1,050 units in 2008, a three times rise over 2007.

Luxury models to be launched soon include:

• BMW India launched the new BMW 3 Series for India in January 2009.

• German sports car maker Porsche will be introducing its Panamera in September 2009, which will be priced over US$ 1, 72,344.

• Skoda Auto India will be launching its three new variants of its hatchback Fabia in 2009. The company will also introduce a sports utility vehicle Yeti, in 2010.

India a big mart for Small Cars & Hybrid Cars

Electric car Reva is very much popular in South India. Other markets are also coming under its influence with too much emphasis now on going green these days. Few other car manufacturers like Hero Electric and M&M are also planning to launch electric versions.

The euphoria that Nano car generated has also inspired other auto giants to cash in on the massive potential of the small car segment.

According to the survey carried out by Invest India Incomes
and Savings Survey 2007, by IIM Data works and another study by CRISIL Research, there is a colossal demand for entry level cars in India. And as per the survey there is a demand for 1.6 million small cars in India. So naturally, all auto giants have pulled up their socks towards capitalizing in on the prospect of this segment.

1. Fiat plans to roll out ‘Grande Punto’—plan in the new small car segment.

2. General Motors plans to launch its new mini car next year from its Talegaon plant, close to Pune.

3. Tata Motors is all set to offer new version of its Indica.

4. Honda intends to unveil ‘Jazz’, while Volkswagen plans to launch Indianised version of its popular ‘Polo compact.

5. Even Toyota and General Motors may join the bandwagon by 2010.

6. India launched its first hybrid car, Honda’s ‘Civic’, in June 2008, Indian majors like Tata Motors and Mahindra & Mahindra are also planning to launch hybrid cars.

7. BMW also plans to launch its hybrid car to India.

Automotive Mission Plan 2006–2016 to Sustain India’s Status as Big Trade Mart for Automobiles

The idea behind Automotive Mission Plan (AMP) 2006–2016 is help India emerge as a big trade mart for design and manufacture of automobiles and auto components.

As per the AMP, India would continue to be largest tractor and three-wheeler manufacturers in the world and also world’s second largest two-wheeler manufacturer. By 2016, India will be the world’s seventh largest car producer and fourth largest truck manufacturer. Moreover, by 2016, the automotive sector would contribute 10 percent to country’s GDP from current level five per cent.

How To Handle The Occasional Oop-See!

Q: My company is really in hot water with one of our best customers. I can’t reveal exactly what happened, but suffice it to say that we really dropped the ball and the customer is furious. I’m not even sure we can save the account. What’s the best way to get back in a customer’s good graces after making such a mistake?
— Charles W.

A: Without knowing the full story, Charles, I can’t give you a specific course of action, but let’s start at the sharp end of the uh-oh stick and work our way back to see if we can come with up some advice that might help.

First off, it’s important that you understand that the magnitude of your mistake will determine the course of action you take to make amends. If your company’s error was such that it caused your customer a significant amount of lost time or revenue, embarrassed them publicly, caused damage to their reputation, or otherwise negatively affected their bottom line, you may face legal repercussions that saying «I’m sorry» will not deter. If that’s the case you should consult an attorney immediately and prepare for the worst. Whether or not the worst comes is irrelevant. You must be prepared for it.

Now on to dealing with more minor offenses. As anyone who has read this column for any length of time knows, I’m cursed with daughters. I used to say I was blessed with daughters, then they learned to walk and talk. Blessed quickly became cursed. Now my oldest daughter is an inch taller than me and getting all lumpy in places I’d rather not think about. She’s a sad case, really. The poor kid needs an operation. She has a cellphone growing out of her ear. But I digress?€¦

When she was a toddler she coined the phrase, «Oop-see!» Whenever she did something innocently destructive, like knock over a glass of orange juice on my new computer keyboard or shove a Pop Tart in the VCR tape slot, she would look at me with her huge brown eyes and say, «Oop-see!» My wife says there is a reason God made kids cute. Oop-see moments are evidence that she is right.

Oop-see meant, «Uh oh, I didn’t mean to do that. I was wrong. I’ll never do that again. Forgive me? Love me? Buy me toys?€¦ Oop-see worked like a charm every time. Now, I certainly don’t expect you to bat your eyes at your customer and say, «Oop-see!» but consider the effect her words had on me. Instead of screaming at the top of my lungs like I wanted to do (hey, have you ever tried to dig a Pop Tart out of a VCR) I immediately softened and found myself actually taking her side. «Aw, it’s OK, really, we all make mistakes?€¦»

What my daughter had figured out is that it’s hard to stay mad at someone who admits a mistake, sincerely apologizes for it, and vows never to let it happen again. Little did I know this was only one of many tactics she would employ over the years in her never-ending quest to wrap her daddy several times around her little finger, but that’s a whole different column.

Dale Carnegie said it best: «Any fool can try to defend his or her mistakes — and most fools do — but it raises one above the herd and gives one a feeling of nobility and exultation to admit one’s mistakes.»

Carnegie and my daughter were basically saying the same thing: When you (or your company) make a mistake, no matter how large or small, the best thing you can do is quickly admit the error of your ways and face the consequences, come what may.

Here are a few things you can do to help set things right with your customer.

Assemble the facts. The very first thing you should do is find out what went wrong and why. Meet with your key people and gather the facts. Ask specific questions like: What was the mistake? What caused it? Who was involved? What could have been done to prevent the mistake from happening and what can be done to prevent it from happening again in the future.

Put yourself in your customer’s shoes. I’ve been on both ends of the uh-oh stick and neither is very comfortable. My company has dropped the ball on occasion and we have also been negatively impacted when one of our vendors did the same. Put yourself in your customer’s shoes and consider what could be said or done to remedy the situation from their point of view.

Take responsibility for the actions of your company. In my role as a company president there have been times when I’ve had to call up a customer and confess that a mistake was made, and as president it was also my responsibility to take the heat for it. Remember, you’re the head cheese, Charles, you get to sit behind the big desk and take home the nice paycheck. You’re also the one that gets to mop up when your employees makes a mess. It just goes with the job.

Do not place the blame on specific employees. No matter how tempting it is to put the blame on specific people in your organization (even if that’s where the blame lies), do not do it. It is unprofessional, counterproductive and can backfire on you, especially if the person you’re blaming reports directly to you. Saying something like «My sales manager is always making mistakes like this!» is not going to make your customer feel any better. To the contrary, such statements will make the customer question your leadership ability and the quality of all your employees, not just the one that made the mistake. If you don’t have faith in your company and employees, why should your customer?

Don’t deny that a mistake was made, especially when there is clear evidence to the contrary. You’re not Richard Nixon, for petesake, so don’t try to pretend that the mistake didn’t happen or stage some elaborate cover-up to try and dodge the blame.

Admit your mistake. This may sounds trite, but you must admit your mistake before you can move ahead and start to make amends. Don’t be so afraid to take this step. I doubt your company is the first one to screw up with this customer and I can guarantee you certainly won’t be the last.

Apologize for the mistake. The one thing that could make the situation better is often the thing that companies find hardest to do. I don’t mean to sound like Dr. Phil, but simply saying you’re sorry is often the best way to get a business relationship back on track. Ensure the customer that it will never happen again. After you have taken responsibility for the mistake and apologized in a sincere and professional manner, you must then start the process of rebuilding the trust that was lost. Promising that such a mistake will not happen again is a good way to start.

Compensate the customer for his loss. Even if your mistake didn’t cost the customer a dime, he will appreciate an offer of compensation. This can be something as simple as a lunch on you or a discount on his next order. The size of the compensation offered should be in direct proportion to the size of your mistake. A word of warning: don’t let the customer bully you into overcompensating him for your mistake. That can be more detrimental to the relationship than the mistake itself.

As my daughter understood all those years ago, Charles, a sincere Oop-see can help make things all better.

Here’s to your success!

Tim Knox tim@dropshipwholesale.net

How to Create a Traditional Christmas Tree for Your Work Christmas Party

Putting together magnificent d?cor for a Christmas party is the easiest way to create that jolly atmosphere that Christmas brings. Adding a traditional Christmas tree to your d?cor will without doubt give that seasonal effect to the venue – just what you needed!

To create a traditional Christmas tree for your work Christmas party, you will require a traditional Christmas tree. The tree traditionally used is the Norway Spruce- a nice smelling spruce with elegant vertical foliage. This tree will keep if watered for the festive periods; however, it will drop many of its needles. An alternative is the rounded Fraser Fir  — a fruit smelling fir with soft foliage. These, unlike the spruce, often last longer than the Christmas period and can be planted afterwards if still small and alive.

Traditional Victorian decorations ranged from little ornaments and toys to ribboned bags of sweets and even sweetmeats!  Today, chocolates and sweets are still used on Christmas trees but usually the Children and adults get to them before Christmas is out. D?cor in the shape of toys can also be found in local markets mainly, but also department stores. Real silver d?cor and glass was used in the richer households, which has created the tradition of using silver decorations at Christmas time. Although not real silver, silver tinsel does look amazing on a Christmas tree and can be easily found on the high street for a much cheaper price than real silver!

Victorian women’s fine handcraft skills were often put to use as they created the delicate lace and silver bags for the sweets. Snowflake dollies and cotton wool angels will also made to adorn the tree. Although you may not be able to spend as much time as a Victorian lady making these d?cor, why not make a few paper decorations for the tree and buy some simple jewellery bags for the sweets. They will not only look lovely on the tree but will provide each guest with a little surprise present!

Further additions to Christmas trees have included various fruits, such as apples, an array of firmly attached candles and cinnamon – the smell of Christmas! Although candles are not permitted to be lit in most venues, you can put in lights in the shape of candles or unlit candles with lights cleverly positioned in order to create that half lit Christmas atmosphere. You can also add fake apples and sticks of real cinnamon, if you really want to be traditional.

If you interested in shared and exclusive work Christmas parties, have a look at www.christmascorporation.co.uk