A month in the India Transport Sector (No 26)

July, 2013

FOCUS: CARMAKER MOVES

MAHINDRA REVA: TO BE EXPORTED TO EUROPE The Mahindra Reva e20 will soon be seen on European roads as the company plans to export the electric vehicle to several countries across the continent. More information on ITP GERMAN CARMAKERS: TO TARGET YOUNG INDIA German car makers Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz, primarily known for their top-end sedans, are all set to attract the younger Indian generation to boost sales, in the next financial year. More information on ITP TOYOTA: MORE HYBRID MODELS TO BE SOLD IN INDIA Leading Japanese car manufacturer Toyota has announced plans to introduce more models of its hybrid cars in India over the next few years. Toyota is set to launch 18 hybrid models across the globe. Of these, 13 hybrids will be brand new vehicles while 5 will be based on existing models with modifications. More information on ITP BAJAJ RE60: WAITING FOR GOVERNMENT APPROVAL India is very close to getting its first passenger quadricycle as Bajaj looks forward to launching the RE60 in the near future. With the Bajaj RE60, Bajaj Auto Ltd, the largest maker of three-wheelers in the world has forayed into the four-wheeler business in partnership with Renault and Nissan Motors. More information on ITP HONDA: PLANT EXPANSION IN RAJASTHAN India is very close Honda's manufacturing facility at Tapukara in the Alwar district, in the Indian state of Rajasthan, will receive an investment of nearly 2500 crores INR (approx. 500 million USD). More information on ITP

EDITORIAL Faced with one of the worst slowdowns in the past decade, Indias car market is still considered as an Eldorado when comparing with Europe, especially for foreign car manufacturers. And they all have their own ideas about the best way to succeed. Carlos Ghosn, CEO of Renault Nissan and well known for its success regarding low cost cars plans to renew this success with the Datsun Go. Fun, reliable and sporting modern technology are the words he used to describe what Indian customers want when buying a car. He is all set to go for the Indian jugaad way to design and develop small cars for India. Japanese giants such as Honda and Toyota are eyeing India too. With their specific issue: bring the concept of kei cars (kei means light) in India. They are thinking of an affordable car to fit Indias needs. India, be ready for kei cars! You can also add the Ford B562 codenamed project that is part of a large restructuring plan which gives India more importance. Three different compact cars may be spawned within this project. A hint? We are CEO. And last but nos least, do not forget that Hyundai plans to launch new cars every year for the next five years. Then you realize that India could become worlds 3rd largest car market by 2016, as HIS automotive said. That is ahead of Brazil, Germany and Japan, just before China and USA. accelerating the new vehicles. Customers want value. said Alan Mulally,

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A month in the India Transport Sector (No 26)

July, 2013 METRO

RAILWAYS
INVITING PRIVATE CORRIDORS INVESTORS IN DEDICATED FREIGHT

NEW METRO HUB AT MANDI HOUSE Phase III of the Delhi Metro Project promises to make travel a little easier for commuters who, at present, do not look forward to having to use the highlycongested Rajiv Chowk station. Rajiv Chowk metro station is the busiest operating hub at present and sees no less than 500,000 commuters pass through its turnstiles every day. For many commuters, especially those who have to change lines, going through Rajiv Chowk is unavoidable. More information in ITP NAGPUR: METRO PROJECT Famous for its orange harvest, the city of Nagpur in Maharashtra has been fast developing from a quiet town to a world class city. Today, as a growing metropolitan centre, Nagpur has quietly and quickly attained the status of third largest city in the state of Maharashtra after Mumbai and Pune. With a large number of industries being set up in Nagpur, it has attracted thousands more people who have moved there to look for work and establish their lives. And if all goes as planned, very soon, Nagpur will be able to boast its own mass rapid transport system. More information in ITP

Indian Railways is seeking participation from the private sector for construction of the Dedicated Eastern and Western Freight Corridors. More information on ITP INDIAN RAILWAYS CUTS HAULAGE CHARGES Indian Railways has moved to cut haulage charges as of 1st April 2013 in an effort to increase growth in rail-based container transport. More information on ITP DIRECT RAIL LINK TO BE CONSTRUCTED BETWEEN KALYAN AND NAVI MUMBAI Kalyan and Navi Mumbai will soon have direct suburban rail connectivity, thanks to the Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation. This is good news for all those who work in the Belapur-Panvel region and live in Kalyan and the surrounding area. More information on ITP BHOPAL-DELHI SHATABDI: EXTRA 20 MINS IF STARTING AT HABIBGANJ Madhav Rao Scindia Railways Minister under Rajiv Gandhis leadership was the brain behind the Shatabdi, which he introduced in 1988 to commemorate what would be the 100th birthday of Indias first Prime Minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. More information on ITP MUCH-AWAITED SERVICE DAHANU-CHURCHGATE: LOCAL TRAIN

To commemorate the completion of 160 years of Indian Railways, the Western Railway inaugurated the Churchgate-Dahanu local train service on April 16, 2013. More information on ITP

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A month in the India Transport Sector (No 26)

July, 2013 ROAD ISSUES

GOA VELHA-AGASSAIM BYPASS IN LIMBO Running along Indias west coast, the NH17 (NH66) connects Kochi in Kerala to Panvel in Maharashtra. The fourlane highway has been designed for a speed limit of 100km/h and is 60m wide in total. Road widening is going on in some areas as the narrow lanes with no dividers have resulted in a high number of accidents. However, road widening necessitates the demolition of houses and destruction of agricultural land in some areas, which has led to ongoing delays in the work. A lack of funds is also adding to the problem. More information on ITP HARYANA ROAD: TAX INCREASE The Indian state of Haryana may not remain a favoured destination for those looking to buy a new car for much longer, as the state government has revised the road tax rates for privately owned vehicles. Currently, the road tax collected on the purchase of new cars varies from one state to another owing to differences in state policies. For quite some time now, buying cars in Haryana was relatively popular among car buyers as the taxes there were slightly lower. More information on ITP

CAR SALES
MAHINDRA REGISTERS GROWTH IN MARCH 2013 Racing ahead, Mahindra & Mahindra are not feeling the slumpMahindra and Mahindra (M&M) remains a trusted name in the Indian automobile market as was reiterated by the company results for the first quarter of 2013. In the month of March, M&M sold 51,904 vehicles in comparison to 46,919 vehicles in March last year. In the domestic market, M&M managed to sell 49,225 units in March this year as opposed to 44,260 last year, taking growth rate to an impressive 11%. More information on ITP MAHINDRA & MAHINDRA: SUVS PRICE RISE Car manufacturers in India have decided to increase the sale prices of their cars to balance the increased cost of on-board-diagnostics compliance changes and freight charges. Hyundai Motor India and Honda Cars India increased the prices of their vehicles in early April by about 2% and Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) has announced its decision to follow suit. Pawan Goenka, the President of Automotive and Farm Equipment Sectors for M&M said, We will be soon announcing a price hike of 1 to 2% in order to offset increasing input costs and inflation. With the governments budget proving to be unfavourable this year, the Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises as well as the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers have taken up the issue with the Finance Ministry. Until a decision has been made, the company cannot offer more clarity. More information on ITP GREEN INITIATIVES: CAR PRICES INCREASES IN 2015 For consumers all set to buy their dream car, the wait may have just got a bit longer as car prices are expected to rise in 2015. The Indian Government will require passenger vehicles to adhere to the Bharat Stage V emission norms, in a bid to improve environmental standards. Manufacturers will have to re-design their engines to make them more fuel efficient to adhere to the standards. Costs incurred will no doubt be passed onto the customers in the near future. The car prices are likely to rise by about 1.5-2.5% by 2015. More information on ITP

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A month in the India Transport Sector (No 26)

July, 2013 ADVERTISE WITH US

TYRES ISSUES
INDIANS SATISFIED WITH COMPANY FIT TYRES According to the latest survey results of the Tyre Consumer Satisfaction Index or TCSU study, Indian car buyers seem to like the tyres that are fitted on the cars they buy. Factory-fitted tyres, known also as original equipment tyres refer to the tyres of a car that are integrated with the vehicle model and sold together. In fact, factory-fitted tyres on automobiles seem to have reached new levels of customer satisfaction with Indian car owners according to the survey, which was conducted in various Indian cities by a well-known organisation. More information on ITP TWO-WHEELER MARKET: TVS AND BMW PARTNERSHIP German Auto giant, BMW, and Venu Srinivasanled TVS, are all set to collaborate to produce bikes in the sub-500cc category. This is the first time in the history of BMW that it will be manufacturing such bikes. Both companies have their own reasons for the collaboration: BMW, which is heavily dependent on the Western market, will use the partnership to produce small and less powerful motorcycles in order to penetrate the emerging Indian marketplace. TVS hopes to use their technology to optimise quality and productivity. More information on ITP MRF: ALL-TERRAIN MOGRIP TYRES

More information on ITP

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MEDIA PARTNER WITH

2ND ANNUAL ROADS AND HIGHWAYS EVENT

MRF, Madras Rubber Factory, has grown from its humble beginnings as a toy balloon maker in 1946 to a dominant figure in the tyre industry today. It belongs to the same group that owns the Malayalam Manorama a leading Malayalam newspaper in Kerala. With diverse interests, the companys manufacturing portfolio includes paint, coats, toys, pretreading, a variety of tyres, conveyor belts, tubes and tread rubber. A top exporter, the company has received numerous awards for its premium products. More information on ITP

October 28 30, 2013 Kuala Lumpur

CEMAT INDIA December 17 20, 2013 New Delhi

TRAFFICINFRATECH EXPO December 17 20, 2013 New Delhi

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