In a candid conversation with Power Drive, Mr. Parag Satpute, Managing Director, Bridgestone India spoke about the present challenges being faced by the tyre industry, the recently inaugurated expansion plan in their Indore plant and how telematics will change the demand pattern in the tyre market. 

PD: How has Bridgestone been affected by the recent slump in the auto industry?

PS: The industry we operate in is cyclical in nature, therefore there are ups and downs. The auto sector has been affected and consequently, our business with them has been impacted. Our strong presence in the aftermarket has stood us in good stead during this time. We have also used this opportunity to introduce new products and solutions bringing value to our consumers. But with mid-term to long-term opportunities to grow, we believe India is a growth market.

PD: What are the challenges faced by the tyre industry as a whole?

PS: The Indian automotive sector is cyclic in nature. A cyclic downturn combined with weak consumer sentiments results in auto manufacturers reassessing their demand for tyres. This in turn does impact tyre industry. Radialization is one of the major challenge in the Indian tyre industry today that I see. While passenger car consumers have predominately taken to radial tyres, the switch in the commercial vehicles is somewhat slow. The challenge lies in convincing the commercial vehicle consumer the cost benefits of switching to radials. The tyre industry is also facing challenges due to high raw material prices especially the rising cost of the main ingredient, natural rubber. Another major concern is Chinese tyre manufacturers dumping tyres in India which affects the whole Indian tyre industry. Although the government has imposed anti-dumping duty, these cheap tyres are now making their way through illegal or illicit imports which is a cause for concern.

PD: Bridgestone India has inaugurated the expansion in its Indore plant earlier this year. To what extent is the capacity being utilised at present?

PS: Earlier in July this year, we announced about the capacity expansion at our plant in Madhya Pradesh. With this expansion, the capacity of the plant will go up to over 20,000 tyres a day by 2020. This will enable Bridgestone India to produce the entire Bridgestone India’s range of radial tyres serving the passenger car segment.

PD: Tell us how telematics will revolutionise the tyre market?

PS: For fleets, fuel is the major operating cost. Fuel consumption is largely driven by the condition of tyres as well. Telematics will help on this front as this technology will monitor tyre parameters like pressure, tread depth and temperatures. These directly impact fuel consumption and thereby impact fleet economics. Telematics will therefore change the demand patterns in the tyre market.

PD: Share with us the latest innovation at Bridgestone that will ensure superior products and improved performance of your tyres?

PS: We have a product called Ecopia which is a fuel efficient tyre. By moving from a standard tyre to Ecopia tyre the car or truck driver can save upto 7 -10 percent of fuel. We continue to work on next generation of fuel efficient tyres as well high technology tyres that offer durability, performance and safety.

PD: Tell us about Bridgestone’s association with the upcoming Olympics Games.

PS: Bridgestone is one of the thirteen companies globally who are top Olympic sponsors and the only one headquartered in Tokyo. This is a very significant commitment from our side as it’s a long term partnership. Our reason for this association is that we believe strongly that the ideals and values of the Olympic moment matches with Bridgestone’s values. We are trying to inspire people who come across Bridgestone through ‘Chase Your Dreams’. In each country where Bridgestone is present, we have formed what we call Team Bridgestone. In India, we have a set of five athletes namely Lalita Babar, PV Sindhu, Sakshi Malik, Mary Kom and Srikanth Kidambi who are members of team Bridgestone. By leveraging their popularity we want to inspire people to chase their dreams in all walks of life including in sports.

Nissan India has announced a price hike of up to 5 percent. The revised prices will be applicable across all available models for Nissan and Datsun, effective January 2020.

Rakesh Srivastava, Managing Director, Nissan Motor India Pvt Ltd, said, “Nissan is committed to offer innovative and exciting products under the Nissan and Datsun brand with the best value proposition to its customers in India. In the current challenging market conditions, we are constrained to increase the price of all Nissan and Datsun models due to increased costs. The proposed price increase will be effective from January 2020.”

An enchanting new Rolls-Royce Phantom has been commissioned by a Stockholm-based entrepreneur with an extraordinary passion for flowers. The patron, with a wife and two of four children named after flowers, challenged the Rolls-Royce Bespoke Collective comprising designers, craftspeople and engineers, to envision a car that immerses its occupants in a beguiling floral scene. The result is a sanctuary of true luxury, a vision of flowers, created with a million embroidered stitches.

Torsten Müller Ötvös, Chief Executive, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, commented, “The Rose Phantom is a stunning iteration of a contemporary Rolls-Royce. Our extraordinary craftspeople at the Home of Rolls-Royce have achieved, with this car, something which can only be described as sublime. The work of our Bespoke Collective is the best in the world. When I look at creations like this car, it is with a sense of pride that I know that these skills could not be replicated anywhere else in the world. This is undoubtedly one of the greatest Rolls-Royce Phantoms of its generation.”

The Rose Garden at the Home of Rolls-Royce in Goodwood, West Sussex, served as the primary point of inspiration for Ieuan Hatherall, a Bespoke Designer for Rolls-Royce. This Rose Garden is the only place in the world that the Phantom Rose is grown. Bred exclusively for Rolls-Royce by British Rose Breeder Philip Harkness of Harkness Roses, the Phantom Rose grows in the courtyard of the marque’s Global Centre of Luxury Manufacturing Excellence at Goodwood in West Sussex, England.

Ieuan Hatherall commented, “There is a transcendent beauty when a rose garden is in full bloom. The patron wanted to create that same feeling of awe; an abundance of flowers to lift the spirit and celebrate nature’s decadent beauty, in the Rose Phantom’s serene interior.”

The Peacock Blue exterior of the Rose Phantom is punctuated with a Charles Blue twinned-coachline that intertwines organically like the stem of a rose, combining to introduce the rose motif, an indication of both the colours and the treatment within. The wheels echo the design and are embellished with a twinned pinstripe, also in Charles Blue.

On opening the coach doors, one first encounters the embroidery on the inside of the rear doors, but it is not until entering the rear cabin that one fully encounters the extraordinary extent of the satin stitch creation. The Phantom Rose is illustrated in varying stages of maturity, from bud to full bloom, in an asymmetrical design that appears to grow across the roof lining, from the rear of the car. The marque’s fabled starlight headliner illuminates the scene as the roses are interspersed with individually placed fibre-optic lights.

In the rear compartment, Serenity Seating with a soft calf rest cushion adopts the inverted colour-way of the exterior as sumptuous Charles Blue leather is accented with Peacock Blue piping. From here, one can admire Phantom’s Gallery, created as a centrepiece of the interior. Stems of embroidered roses climb through the glass fronted fascia, providing a spectacle for the motor car’s occupants.

At the request of the patron, colour is introduced in the form of Peacock and Adonis Blue butterflies, imbuing movement to the elegant motif. The patron’s family also played a creative role; his wife designed the umbrellas whilst his daughter, Magnolia, defined the exterior hue of this Phantom. The patron commented, “I wanted to have flowers and roses everywhere. It became an amazing piece of art.”

India Energy Storage Alliance (IESA), presents its very first edition of India Electric Vehicle (EV) Market Overview. This report covers the present scenario and forecast of EVs and the public charging infrastructure market in the country. There is an in-depth analysis of EV battery value chain by EV segment, detailed state EV policy analysis, and competitive analysis of EVs and EV battery suppliers.

The EV market in India has gained significant momentum after the implementation of the FAME India scheme. The total EV sales in 2018 hit 365,920 units and expected to grow at a CAGR of 36 percent till 2026. The EV battery market in India is estimated to be US$ 520 million in 2018 and forecasted to grow at a CAGR of 30 percent till 2026. The total MWh addition in 2018 hit 4.75 GWh and expected to grow till 28.0 GWh by 2026.

With respect to public charging infrastructure, the market is estimated to be US 520 billion in 2018 and forecasted to grow at a CAGR of 60 percent till 2026. The total charger sales in 2018 was less than a thousand units and expected to grow till 50,000 units by 2026. The base year of the study is 2018, the forecast period is 2019-2026.

In the National EV (NEV) scenario, it is predicted that the market will grow rapidly with support from the government to achieve the targets defined under the FAME-2 scheme and NEMPP2020. Policies such as banning the sales of ICE 2W and 3W in highly polluted cities, scrapping of old vehicles, stringent emission norms, etc. will further drive the EV sales. State governments will also facilitate in accelerating the deployment of EV’s to achieve the targets defined under their EV policies.

Nissan India has announced ‘Red Weekends’, consumer promotion initiative, featuring a host of lucrative offers on Nissan and Datsun models. During December, customers can visit any Nissan dealership and participate in exciting activities to win branded merchandise and more. During the ‘Red Weekends’, buyers can also win attractive gifts ranging from instant gift vouchers amounting to Rs 1 crore (total cumulative figure) across Nissan and Datsun models.

During the ‘Red Weekends’ on Nissan Kicks customers can avail attractive cash discounts up to Rs 40,000, exchange bonus up to Rs 40,000 and corporate discounts up to Rs 10,000.

‘Red Weekends’ also provide an opportunity to the first-time car buyers looking to upgrade from two-wheeler to a new Datsun redi-GO on an attractive upgrade without exchanging the two wheeler. Datsun GO and GO+ with CVT also come in with attractive offers including exchange bonus presenting the best value proposition to the customers in the segment.

Elaborating on these exciting offers, Rakesh Srivastava, Managing Director, Nissan Motor India Pvt. Ltd. shared, “Nissan as a customer centric brand is offering the highest value proposition to the customers through Red Weekends’ in a very innovative way to bring New Year festivities through Nissan and Datsun products with the first-time best finance offer of 6.99%.”

To ensure ‘Complete Peace of Mind’ to its customers, Nissan India is offering extended warranty up to Rs 20500 on the Nissan Kicks with 24*7 roadside assistance in 1500+ cities.

A press conference has been held at the Ducati Auditorium in Borgo Panigale to officially announce Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali’s new role as President of the Motor Valley Association. The event was attended by delegates from the district’s companies and international race circuits, Regional Institutes and the media.

The Association unites all the car and motorcycle brands from Italy’s “Motor Valley”, in Emilia-Romagna. Motor Valley – a concentration of brands, private collections, international race circuits and specialised training centres like no other on the planet – works alongside the Region to make the very best of this heritage in terms of tourism.

“Motor Valley brings together a series of brands that are unique, renowned and appreciated around the world for their design, technology and performance, all of them located within a radius of just 150 km. As Ducati, we take pride in being part of this association, just as I am personally proud to take on the Presidency. For me, accepting this role is an act of responsibility and recognition towards an extraordinary part of Italy that has given me so much”, stated Claudio Domenicali, CEO of Ducati and President of Motor Valley. “This Region enjoys an unparalleled academic culture and unmatched motoring and technological skills. It’s also a magnet for enthusiasts, new talent and businesses and as such deserves our wholehearted support.”

Motor Valley encapsulates Made-in-Italy automotive and industrial excellence: it’s a project that highlights the area’s capacity to network and make the most of internationally unique qualities. It centres on the car and motorcycle industry, the beating heart of the Region’s economy, on its excellent universities and its truly global appeal.

Dallara, Ducati, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati and Pagani are just a few of these Motor Valley brands, loved by fans all over the world. Motor Valley also includes 15 specialised museums (such as the Enzo Ferrari Museum in Modena, the Ferrari Museum in Maranello, the Automobili Lamborghini Museum, the Ferruccio Lamborghini Museum, the Ducati Museum in Borgo Panigale and the Horacio Pagani Museum in Modena), 16 private collections and 4 racetracks (the “Riccardo Paletti” circuit in Varano de’ Melegari, the Modena racetrack in Marzaglia, the “Enzo e Dino Ferrari” circuit in Imola and the Marco Simoncelli Misano World Circuit at Misano Adriatico).

“Emilia-Romagna’s Motor Valley is a concentrate of talent, know-how, flair, design, industrial prowess, craftsmanship, innovation and research, making it unlike anywhere else in the world”, points out the Region’s President, Stefano Bonaccini. “It’s dream brands fly our Region’s flag internationally, attracting visitors from all over the globe. It does so thanks to the effective teamwork between local institutions and private companies that has allowed us to build a fascinating association of 4 international racetracks, 6 specialised training centres, 6 world-leading car and motorcycle makers, 11 museums, 16 collections, 7 key industry players and 188 sports teams that combines culture, entrepreneurship and speed. It’s a district that – together with Food Valley, UNESCO World Heritage Sites and the beauty of the Apennine Mountains and the Po Delta – is a global magnet for tourists. It’s also a district that provides work for thousands. It’s intertwined with the Region’s higher education and university network, as highlighted by MUNER – the Motorvehicle University of Emilia-Romagna that offers international automotive-dedicated degree courses, co-organised by the four universities of Emilia-Romagna and its deep-rooted car and motorcycle manufacturers – which is attracting many motivated, exceptional young people to our region from all over Europe and, indeed, the world. Today we welcome an enlightened, forward-thinking entrepreneur to the Presidency, a man whose experience and vision will do much to enhance this unique concentration of passion and expertise even further”.

The Osservatorio Turistico of Motor Valley – a study run by Unioncamere Emilia Romagna, Trademark Italia and Mailander – shows how Motor Valley attracted, in 2018 alone, 1.2 million overnight visitors, injecting over 300 million euros into the local economy (through revenues generated by events at the Imola and Misano race circuits and visits to company museums). Total visitor numbers to the district were about 1.8 million, of whom 44 percent were Italian and 56 percent foreign, with 1,190,000 overnight stays by visitors to museums and collections and spectators at racetrack events.

In Emilia-Romagna – Italy’s third most important region in the national car and motorcycle industry, preceded only by Lombardy and Piedmont – the automotive supply chain involves 16,500 businesses and over 66,000 employees, or 10 percent of the entire national supply chain. Yet Motor Valley also – and above all – plays a strategic role. A role that sees companies and universities committed at every level. A role that focuses on technological innovation, specialisation, research and development, with project members working closely alongside each other.

A tangible example is the MUNER (Motorvehicle University of Emilia-Romagna No Profit per Education) project. In 2017, the four regional universities (Bologna, Parma, Ferrara and Modena-Reggio Emilia) and the industry’s eight top companies, including Ducati, Ferrari and Lamborghini, created the Università dell’Automotive. It holds two courses that aim to train the automotive engineers of the future.

“Global competition is no longer between individual businesses but regional systems” underlined Andrea Pontremoli, CEO of Dallara and President of MUNER, “and regional systems consist of businesses, training facilities and institutions”.

Motor valley simply has to be experienced. And next year will offer a golden opportunity to do so in the form of the second Motor Valley Fest, to be held from 14 to 17 May in the heart of Modena.

Ducati India’s Rajini Krishnan and Dilip Lalwani bagged 1st & 2nd position at JK Tyre FMSCI Indian National Racing Championship 2019- Race 2 on Panigale V4

Luxury motorcycle brand Ducati, swept the 1st and 2nd position at the 23rd edition of JK Tyre FMSCI Indian National Racing Championship 2019 at the Buddh International Circuit (BIC), securing the championship it won in 2018.

Ducati India’s pilots Rajini Krishnan and Dilip Lalwani successfully bagged the 1st and 2nd position in race 2, in the superbike category aboard the Ducati Panigale V4 S with both bikes running on OEM stock fitments respectively. Also, Neharika Yadav, India’s only woman to race in the 1000cc category, successfully finished the race on her 899 Panigale.

This year’s championship races witnessed over 11 Ducati superbikes on the track making Ducati the biggest superbike manufacturer on the grid. Additionally, Bhumik Lalwani – official pilot of Ducati India’s dealer partner team, Ducati North Star Automotive, secured the championship on Ducati Panigale V4 S, finishing in P1 and P4 in race 1 and 2 respectively and Dilip Lalwani, riding for team Ducati India, came 2nd overall in the championship.

On this occasion, Sergi Canovas, Managing Director, Ducati India said, “We are extremely proud of our riders’ performance at this year’s JK Tyre National Racing Championships which is not only one of the biggest but also one of the most competitive racing events in the country. I heartily congratulate Rajini Krishnan, Dilip Lalwani and Bhumik Lalwani for a stellar performance with the supremely capable Panigale V4 S being their weapon of choice. Personally, it feels great to witness and interact with the growing motor-sporting community in India. I am confident that next year will be even bigger and we can’t wait!”

TVS Motor Company registered sales of 266,582 units in November 2019 as against sales of 319,965 units in the month of November 2018. Shifting of Diwali season to the earlier month and planned adjustment of BS IV stocks is reflecting in the sales growth difference between November 2018 and November 2019.

Total two-wheeler registered sales of 249,350 units in November 2019 as against sales of 307,142 units in the month of November 2018. Domestic two-wheeler registered sales of 191,222 units in November 2019 as against sales of 260,253 units in the month of November 2018.

Motorcycle registered sales of 105,963 units in November 2019 as against sales of 119,883 units in November 2018. Scooter sales of the Company registered 84,169 units in November 2019 as against sales of 111,763 units in November 2018.

The Company’s total exports grew by 27 percent increasing from 58,476 units in November 2018 to 74,060 units in November 2019. Two-wheeler exports grew by 24 percent increasing from 46,889 units in November 2018 to 58,128 units in November 2019.

Three-wheeler sales of the Company grew by 34 percent increasing from 12,823 units in November 2018 to 17,232 units registered in November 2019.

“There is no failure except failure to serve one’s purpose.” Driven by Henry Ford’s vision and wisdom, Ford India on World Disability Day announced a first-of-its-kind goodwill initiative that will make personal mobility hassle-free for customers with special physical needs.

As a goodwill gesture, the company announced that it will respect and protect the warranty on its vehicles retrofitted with Regional Transport Office (RTO) approved driver assistance kits and owned by specially-abled customers.

“At Ford, we’re committed to having a positive impact on the world, while continuing to build a successful business,” said Vinay Raina, Executive Director – Marketing, Sales and Service, at Ford India. “With our announcement today, we look to not help but empower differently-abled people to get behind the wheel of their favourite Ford without worrying about warranty or the cost of service.”

Driver assistance kits are a necessity for customers with special needs. Apart from the goodwill gesture on vehicles with special kits, a host of additional benefits offered on the purchase will include – special interest rates on auto loans, assistance in documentation and securing excise tax waiver as well as insurance concession from relevant authorities.

At the ceremonial start of production in front of staff at the plant today, Andreas Tostmann, Volkswagen Management Board Member for Production, said: “The vehicle was in large part developed in Osnabrück. Now it is being produced here too. It is a genuine child of the site. A site that in the process has been able to fully demonstrate its strengths.”

He continued: “The team did a lot of work to bring the T- Roc Cabriolet here and are now finally reaping the reward for their efforts. Production, assembly and logistics have been extensively modernised for a high double-digit million euro amount and are of an excellent standard.” Tostmann went on to stress Volkswagen’s ongoing commitment: “Over the next five years too we will be investing further in the site on a similar scale – predominantly in the production of the T-Roc Cabriolet.”

Jörg Müller, the management team spokesperson, said: “We’ve got a long tradition of making convertibles here at the Osnabrück site. It’s one of our core areas of expertise.” He continued: “The entire team is proud to have the privilege of making the Volkswagen brand’s only convertible. We worked hard for it.”

The T-Roc Cabriolet is the soft-top variant of the successful Crossover T-Roc, which was added to the Volkswagen brand product portfolio in November 2017. The new convertible with SUV genes offers a striking design, elevated seating position and high level of functionality. Open-air enjoyment starts at the press of a button, with the soft top opening in just nine seconds.