Bosch grows 20%, profits up by 31%

Bangalore: Bosch Ltd, the flagship company of German auto parts maker Robert Bosch Gmbh’s Indian operations, reported a 20% increase in 2011 revenue to Rs. 8,018 crore and a 31% in net profit to Rs. 1,123 crore.

The entire Bosch group in India, which has six other companies apart from the lone listed entity, reported revenue of Rs. 11,511 crore, a 23.4% increase over the previous year.

V.K. Viswanathan, managing director, said the growth came in a “mixed year”—growth for the automotives sector slowed to 6% in the second half from about 22% in the first, with the passenger car and utility vehicle segment regressing the most as its growth contracted 3%.

“Overall, our key target market grew by 13.5% in the year, but we grew faster than that,” Viswanathan said. “There was improved demand in tractors and light commercial vehicles. Our automotive aftermarket (products and services) and power tools businesses also showed consistent growth. Profitability was also helped by other income, with some of our investments providing better yields due to prevailing interest rates.”

Bosch is optimistic for 2012 but growth will depended on interest rates, inflationary trends, currency volatility and other macroeconomic factors that depressed growth in the second half of 2011 and could impact the sector this year as well, he added.

Bosch Ltd, the listed entity, invested about Rs. 660 crore in 2011 on capital expenditure, particularly for capacity expansion in its Nashik plant that makes fuel injectors, and will continue to spend at this level over the next couple of years, said Soumitra Bhattacharya, chief financial officer.

Other group companies invested Rs. 400 crore.

Bosch’s operating margin improved to 15.7% from 15.2%, despite higher input costs and currency volatility, he added.

The diesel systems business grew by 19.2% to about Rs. 4,700 crore, and the automotive aftermarket business by 15.2% to Rs. 1,800 crore, Viswanathan said. The aftermarket market is the secondary market for spares, components and accessories as well as services meant for vehicles that are already on the roads.

The starters and generators business grew by 63% to Rs. 490 crore, and the power tools business by 22% to Rs. 550 crore.

Exports grew by 22.3% to cross the Rs. 1,000-crore mark helped by demand in Germany, China, Brazil and Korea, he added. Robert Bosch Gmbh owns about 71% of Bosch Ltd.

Bosch said it will pay a dividend of Rs. 50 a share, compared with Rs. 40 a share last year, and in addition to the Rs. 85 a share dividend declared in June on the occasion of the company’s 125th anniversary worldwide.

Shares of Bosch jumped 3% to Rs. 7,883.95 on the Bombay Stock Exchange on Tuesday, while the Sensex rose 1.64% to 17,731.12 points.

Scoop: Air Powered Car to be Launched by Tata Motors

Tata Motors plans to launch the OneCat, a car running on compressed air.

The car is expected to be a five-seater with a glass fiber body, which would weigh just 350 kg and cost just about Rs 2 lakh. 
The project is backed for an undisclosed sum by Tata, which says it may also use the technology for power generation.

 A BBC report has pointed out that Tata's backing makes the idea much more marketable and that the Indian company will be putting finishing touches 
to the engine.

 French engineer Negre is planning to sell the car in India, the report said. He hopes that the first buyers of the compressed air car will be people who care about the environment and would sell it for an economical price. 

Tata would be the only big firm Negre will license to sell the car and sales will be limited to India.

The car will be driven by compressed air stored in carbon-fiber tanks that can be filled in just three minutes. The tanks will be built into the chassis. 
The car can also be plugged into the mains for four hours and an on-board compressor will do the job.For long journeys, the compressed air driving the pistons can be boosted by a fuel burner which heats the air so it expands and increases the pressure on the pistons. The burner will use all kinds of liquid fuel.

(All the figures are from MDI and are not independently verified) OneCAT (Compressed Air Technology) was advertised as an upcoming compressed air car in 2008.India's Tata Motors was said to be collaborating with Air engine developer Guy Nègre of MDI to produce the vehicle.

The vehicle contains air tanks that can be filled in four hours by plugging the car into a standard electrical plug. MDI also plans to design a gas station compressor, which would fill the tanks in three minutes.

The OneCAT is a five seat vehicle with a 200 litre trunk. There is no reliable data on range and top speed for this prototype available.

As of August 2009 there was no mentioning of the prototype or planned production of the TATA OneCAT on the TATA or MDI homepages. In December 2009 Tata's vice president of engineering systems confirmed that the limited range and low engine temperatures were causing difficulties. Meanwhile all links, articles and archives relative to MDI have disappeared from Tata's website.

Source :
1. Wikipidia
2. http://www.carblogindia.com/tata-mini-cat-air-car/
3.
http://www.themotorreport.com.au/5732/tata-air-car-powered-entirely-by-compressed-air-blow-me-down 

Scoop News : : New Ford Foest Automatic to be Launched on 28th Feb., 2012 in India

Ford India, the Indian unit of the US based leading luxury car maker that is aggressively expanding its operations in the Indian market, is planning to roll-out a new automatic transmission version of its popular mid-size sedan Ford Fiesta in the country soon.

As per the unconfirmed media reports, the company plans to launch all new Ford FiestaAutomatic Transmission on 28th February. The addition of new Power shift Automatic gearbox version in the line-up of the Ford Fiesta sedan, will enable it to take on more promptly with the rivals like Volkswagen Vento, Honda City, Nissan Sunny, Skoda Rapid and Hyundai Verna.

Atpresent, the Ford Fiesta model is available with a five speed manual transmission version only, powered by a 1.5L TiVCT petrol engine. In comparison, the new automatic transmission version will be a six speed transmission gearbox.

The new Ford Fiesta AT model will a bit lighter as compared to the manual transmission version, and would be offering a higher fuel economy as compared to the previous version of the car. All technological features that are available with the manual transmission version of the car will be available in the auto transmission version also including hill hold control, creep function, and dual clutch facility.

Tata to have 230 Nano Exclusive Dealers in India

The Indian auto giant Tata Motors is aggressively reviving the sales and service network of its cheapest portfolio car Tata Nano in the Indian market. The company announced on Tuesday that it will be launching as many as 230 showrooms in the Indian market for its much popular small car Nano, over the period of next one year.

It is to be mentioned here that the company already has 120 exclusive showrooms in the country. Most of these new exclusive Nano showrooms will be opened in the smaller cities and towns, from where the company is looking forward to drive high volume sales for Nano.

Speaking to the reporters on Tuesday, managing director of the Tata Motors India operations, Mr. PM Telang said that the company planning to open 230 new exclusive showrooms for Tata Nano in India over the period of next 12 months.

Meanwhile, the company has sped-up the promotions of Nano in the Indian market and the strategy is to promote the Nano model differently among different age group of buyers. A number of new TV commercial have been launched for the effective promotion of Tata Nano among the people from different walks of life

Baby MPV : : Baby Innova = Maruti Suzuki Ertiga

Indian Biggest AutoMobile maker Maruti Suzuki Ltd. is planning to give a strong competitor to Toyots Kisloskar's best selling MPV INNOVA by entering into this segment. Maruti Suzuki is launching its much awaited MPV (Multi Purpose Vehicle), Ertiga in April 2012 according to company sources.

 

Maruti Suzuki unveile Ertiga in AutoExpo 2012 as its benchmark model and a strong contender in this MPV segment. It will be a seven seater model and will be available across India in atleast 6 different variants spread across 2 Engine choices to choose from, i.e., Petrol (LXi, VXi and ZXi)and Diesel (LDi, VDi and ZDi).

 

While its Petrol model will hopefully be 1372 cc (cubic capacity) K-Series (K14B) engine which will generate 94 bhp at 6,000 rpm with a maximum torque of 130nm and its Diesel varient will be Fiat’s tried and tested 1.3 Ltr MultiJet (DDiS super turbo) engine which will generate 88 bhp at 4000 rpm with a maximum torque of 200nm at just 1750 rpm.

 

Maruti Suzuki Ertiga is a proper 7 Seater and with foldable rear seats, its boot space can be increased to accomodate extra luggage. Its wheelbase is just 10 mm shorter than Toyota Innova and its 2nd and 3rd row seats have multiple foldable options included.

 

Shinzo Nakanishi, Managing Director and CEO, Maruti Suzuki, promised to make Ertiga “attractively priced”. As per market experts opinion, Maruti Suzuki Ertigais expected to be priced in the range of 7 Lakhs to 9 Lakhs ex-showroom prices. Base model of Maruti Ertiga is expected to be priced at 7 Lakh whereas Base diesel variant is expected to be priced at 8 Lakh Rupees Only which will again make it a value for money spent.

 
Maruti Suzuki Ertiga diesel fuel consumption is claimed to be around 20 kmpl as per company sources though it may return 14-16 in normal city driving conditions which is not bad when you consider the price and features you are buying it for. On the other hand for petrol Ertiga, company claims its mileage at 16 kmpl and under normal city driving you can get around 10-12 kmpl.

 

When you consider its looks, it will feel like a combo of various current Maruti models, for example, the front side feels like a streatched Ritz, Wheel arches resemble with New Swift, Dashboard also gives Swift feel but with a beige tint in it.

 

With Maruti Ertiga, Maruti Suzuki is trying to create a new compact MPV segment for its customers in India and its main motto is to bring space with compactness to Utility Vehicles by redefining this segment.

We found one more Entrant into this increasing MPV segment and its known as Japanese Nissan's Evalia and its also considering its launch in India as well. As per company sources, Evalia will also be a 7 seater and its expected Launch in India is somewhere around August or September 2012. Evalia will be powered by a 5 speed 1500 cc dCi Engine just like Nissan Sunny. Evalia has a good 190 mm ground clearance and it too has middle and last foldable seats like Ertiga.


 
We wish all the best to Maruti Ertiga and we hope it is launched sooner than later so that it can be termed as initial benchmark in this segment and make some good number of sales.

Road Safety Tips : : Random thoughts Compiled

The News papers are full of Road accident news every day. I just thought of using this day to use my Social Media Channels to circulate ROAD SAFTY TIPs. On Twitter I would be using HashTag #RoadSafetyTips

I will be dedicating THIS Day to "Road Safety Tips" ..... Please do Give it a Thought! Happy Driving 


Don't use your mobile phone whilst driving


Belt up in front as well as the back of the Car


Don't drink and drive


Observe the traffic signs on the sides of the road and follow them, like speed brake ahead, speed limit, school zone etc


Always adhere to speed limits


Take special care while driving when children, senior citizens and pedestrians are around


Pedestrians should walk cautiously when Footpaths are not clearly defined on the roads & while crossing roads


Always observe and anticipate other road users


Always wear helmets (2-wheeler)  and seat belts (Cars/LMVs)


Don't do practice driving on the highways


Check traffic in all directions before entering an intersection


Slow down when road and weather conditions are poor (like today in North India)


Look in your mirrors and shoulder check before you change lanes


Pedestrians, Do not cross from behind a bus in bus-stop oncoming vehicles may be fast for quick reaction


A yellow light means clear the intersection - DO NOT try to beat the light


Keep always left or in left-hand lane on multi-lane roads, unless you want to turn right or to overtake another vehicle


Vehicles like cycles, rickshaws, mopeds, etc, which are moving slowly should keep close to the left hand side of the road


Be alert when you see animals on the road. Slow down Their direction change cannot be predicted


Make yourself visible. At night, always turn your headlights on and make sure your tail lights are working


Pull over to talk if u are using a mobile phone. Driving isn't the time for shaving, putting on make-up or eating your lunch


Pedestrians : Use safe place to cross the road, such as, subways, footbridges, zebra and traffic light crossings


Pedestrians : See both the sides of the road i.e. left to right/right to left while crossing


Never run into the street to catch a ball or an animal or a Kite


Slogans : Alert today – Alive tomorrow


Slogans : Anyone driving slower than you is an idiot, and anyone going faster than you is a maniac


Slogan : The best drivers are aware that they must be beware


Slogan : Night doubles traffic troubles


Roads are like Women (#RoadSafetyTips Slogan) - More curves More dangerous


Pedestrians : DO NOT use mobile phones while crossing Roads


Slogan : Hug your kids at home, but belt them in the car


Slogan : Road sense is the offspring of courtesy and the parent of safety


Pedestrians : DO NOT use mobile phones while crossing Roads


POWER Check your vehicle every week ( Petrol, Oils, Water, Electric, and Rubbers)


Always use dipper at night, Using higher beam will blind the on-coming vehicle - Danger to U too


Don't make the mistake of assuming that other drivers are going to do or what you think they should do

Maruti Suzuki Ritz to Change Looks : Front Grill Like Fiat Punto - Wish It is remodeled from REAR too!

Gaadi.com has presented the scoop pic of remodeled Maruti Suzuki Ritz 2012:

 The Changes in the front shows a remodeled Front Bumper and Grill. The Fog Lights & Headlights have been redone too. The Front Grill it seems have been directly lifted from the FIAT PUNTO.

The real need of he hour was remodeling the Rear side & Rear Bumper, which has been left as it is, as can be seen from the following spy/scoop pic by www.team-bhp.com

It is understood that Engine & Interior upgrade is also expected in like with New Swift.

Warning & Caution for Car Owners : Beware of Egg Throwers

IF YOU ARE DRIVING AT NIGHT AND EGGS ARE THROWN AT YOUR WINDSCREEN:

DO NOT STOP TO CHECK THE CAR , 


DO NOT OPERATE THE WIPER AND 


DO NOT SPRAY ANY WATER, BECAUSE EGGS MIXED WITH WATER BECOME MILKY AND BLOCK YOUR VISION UP TO 92.5%, AND YOU ARE THEN FORCED TO STOP BESIDE THE ROAD AND BECOME A VICTIM OF THESE CRIMINALS.


 THIS IS A NEW TECHNIQUE USED BY GANGS, SO PLEASE INFORM YOUR FRIENDS AND RELATIVES

Ford India opens 45 Sales and Service outlets at 35 locations in one day

Ford India has inaugurated 45 new sales and service outlets in 35 locations across the country, an unprecedented achievement which further extends Ford's footprint of world-class products and services in one of the world's fastest growing auto markets. Michael Boneham, president & managing director, Ford India inaugurated a brand new 3S and Service facility at MPL Ford in Chennai, Tamil Nadu with S. Ravindranathan, Dealer Principal, MPL Ford. With the new openings, Ford India has strengthened its pan-India network to 230 sales and service outlets in over 123 cities.

“Ford has started 2012 with a new promise and is committed to going further to enrich the lives of customers across India. Adding to our commitment of bringing eight new products to India by mid-decade, we are focused on augmenting the customer experience with our world class service initiatives," said Michael Boneham, president and managing director, Ford India.

"The path-breaking event being celebrated across multiple dealerships in India today signifies that focus and is aimed to inspire those willing and waiting to join the Ford family.” added Boneham.

With over 40 per cent percent of the sales and service network in tier II and III cities, the pan-India expansion will enable customers to enjoy world-class products and services from Ford along with best-in-class cost-of-ownership experience.

Of the new sales and service outlets inaugurated across India, 20 will offer full 3S (Showroom, Sales and Service) facilities, while 14 will be service workshops, providing a full line of after sales services and 11 standalone sales showrooms.

The sales and service network expansion follows the global preview of the all-new EcoSport during Delhi Auto Expo 2012 and reinforces Ford’s commitment to go further in 2012. With its aggressive focus on creating an unparalleled ownership experience, Ford has introduced a new sales and service centre every ten days, to meet the growing demand of consumers since 2010.

“From sales and service expansion to localization to affordable spares and child parts strategy, Ford has truly redefined what consumers want and desire – offering peace of mind and convenience. Today Ford dealerships are located across the length and breadth of India and offer world class after sales service plans at a competitive cost. As we broaden our portfolio, we are committed to growing closer to customers through our sales and service network to create delightful experiences” said Michael Boneham, president & managing director, Ford India

New facilities have opened in New Delhi, Noida, Rohtak, Sonepat, Panipat, Kanpur, Lucknow, Bareilly, Gorakhpur, Alwar, Bikaner in the North; Rourkela, Agartala, Kolkata in the East; Bangalore, Chennai, Cochin, Coimbatore, Gulbarga, Hyderabad, Belgaum, Thanjavur, Tirupur in the South; and Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Goa, Jabalpur, Indore, Sagar, Solapur, Bhillai, Jamnagar in the Western region.

The newly-inaugurated showrooms are new Brand@Retail* dealerships built according to Ford's global standard to improve the ownership experience and ensure a long-term association with the Ford brand.

With Roadside Assistance reaching 80% of our customer base and effective Scheduled Service Plans, the new sales and service outlets offer Ford spares, accessories, insurance and extended warranty.

Initiatives such as Quick Service, a unique vehicle servicing process that allows routine service to be performed in less than 90 minutes is available across 90 dealerships, will go further in enhancing the ownership experience and adding a fleet of more than 10 Mobile Service vans across India to help customers reduce their travel time for routine services and minor repairs, Ford has a laser sharp focus to strengthen the cost of ownership experience.

The aggressive sales and service network expansion has been in line to support Ford’s global plan of increasing worldwide sales by nearly 50 percent by mid-decade to 8 million vehicles a year. Of that figure, 60 to 70 percent is expected to come from the Asia Pacific and Africa region.

Given India’s importance to the Asia Pacific and Africa region, Ford recently broke ground in Sanand, Gujarat as part of an investment of approximately USD 1 billion to build new vehicle manufacturing and engine plants. Earlier, Ford announced an investment of USD 72 million to expand its already operating powertrain facility in Chennai. The company will further invest $142 million in Chennai to support the manufacturing launch of EcoSport, thereby bringing its total investment in India to over USD 2 billion.

Suzuki Splash = Maruti Suzuki Ritz = Opel Agila = Vauxhall Agila

I bring to you some very interesting common platform Cars across some major car manufacturers. It is common practice to share popular Car platforms among car manufactures. Mostly, the body/platform remains same while the engine, transmission, interiors, & even external looks vary making it difficult to link to each other. However, the following images will prove this wrong:

Suzuki Splash

Opel Agila

Maruti Suzuki Ritz

Vauxhall Agila

Well, 4 models but actually two owners; Opel (Germany) & Vauxhall (UK) are General Motors brands while Maruti Suzuki (India) is Indian Subsidiary of Suzuki (Japan). Ritz could not be launched as Splash in India as the Car Model name "Splash" had been registered by GM in India (Though GM does not have any plans to launch any car YET by that name in INDIA).

Safe Braking with ABS from Bosch

The need for mobility is increasing and the traffic on the road is becoming heavier and heavier. Critical traffic situations, such as sudden traffic jams or obstacles on the road, are becoming more and more common. In some cases, only emergency braking can save the day here. In such situations the ABS active safety system intervenes to help.


In an emergency braking situation the braking force created by the driver may be greater than the tyre can handle: the wheel locks. The tyre can now no longer transfer any lateral traction forces. The vehicle becomes unstable and unsteerable. The stopping distance increases.

In a vehicle equipped with an Antilock Braking System, the ABS control unit constantly evaluates the speed of all wheels. If the ABS wheel-speed sensors placed at each wheel detect a lock-up, ABS intervenes within milliseconds by modulating the braking pressure at each individual wheel. In this way ABS prevents the wheels from locking during braking, thus ensuring steerability and stability combined with the shortest possible braking distance.

ABS also prevents tyre damage. Locked wheels on dry asphalt can create flat spots. The tyres can then no longer ensure optimal braking.


To understand How ABS works see this:

Mahindra Xylo Mini Ready for Launch this Diwali

Mahindra Xylo Mini, one of the most talked about and much anticipated smaller Multi Utility Vehicle (MUV) in the Indian auto market, is all set to be launched in the country during the last quarter of this year. While speaking at the launching ceremony of the all new Mahindra Xylo 2012, a senior official of the company said that they plan to launch new Mahindra Xylo Mini in the upcoming Diwali festive season in October – November 2012.

Carrying a length of less than 4 meters, the prospective Mahindra Xylo Mini will be qualifying for the lesser excise duty segment of 11 percent, as compared to the 22 percent levied at present. The new Mahindra Xylo Mini will be competing with the likes of Premier Rio. Moreover, in the price segment of Rs 5 to 6 lakh, it will also be taking on the likes of Maruti Swift, Ford Figo and Volkswagen Polo.

Price Increase by Car Companies - Update

Tata Motors Ltd., the pioneer of commercial vehicles and one of the leading passenger car manufacturers in India, has stepped up the prices of its passenger vehicles owing to the rising input costs. The prices of its vehicles are hiked up to Rs. 12000 but the People’s car, Nano and its luxury segment crossover SUV, Aria is exempted from this hike.

On the announcement of hike in prices, a spokesperson of Tata Motors commented, "The high input costs have been impacting us for quite some time. We have decided to pass on some burden to our customers. The quantum of the hike will vary between Rs 7,000 and Rs 12,000 depending on the model."

The beginning of the year 2012 witnessed similar hikes from leading auto giants such as Maruti Suzuki and General Motors, which was initiated due to perpetual revision in the domestic currency value and to cut the effect of shooting input costs.

Meanwhile, where Maruti Suzuki SX4 saw a minimum hike of Rs. 2400 and maximum of Rs. 17000 was indicated for the diesel variant of its hatchback, Swift. Even the prices of Spark, Beat, Tavera and Cruze from the General Motors portfolio were increased from a minimum of Rs. 3000 to a maximum of Rs. 15000.

Other leading automobile manufacturers such as Toyota and Mahindra & Mahindra have also escalated the prices of its various models while Hyundai Motors India Ltd., is still intending to raise the prices of its variants in the Indian auto market.

Automotive industry in India (From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

The automotive industry in India is one of the largest in the world and one of the fastest growing globally. India's passenger car and commercial vehicle manufacturing industry is the seventh largest in the world, with an annual production of more than 3.7 million units in 2010.^[1] According to recent reports, India is set to overtake Brazil to become the sixth largest passenger vehicle producer in the world, growing 16-18 per cent to sell around three million units in the course of 2011-12.^[2] In 2009, India emerged as Asia's fourth largest exporter of passenger cars, behindJapan, South Korea, and Thailand.^[3]

As of 2010, India is home to 40 million passenger vehicles. More than 3.7 million automotive vehicles were produced in India in 2010 (an increase of 33.9%), making the country the second fastest growing automobile market in the world.^[4][5] According to the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers, annual vehicle sales are projected to increase to 5 million by 2015 and more than 9 million by 2020.^[6] By 2050, the country is expected to top the world in car volumes with approximately 611 million vehicles on the nation's roads.^[7]

The majority of India's car manufacturing industry is based around three clusters in the south, west and north. The southern cluster near Chennai is the biggest with 35% of the revenue share. The western hub near Maharashtra is 33% of the market. The northern cluster is primarily Haryana with 32%.^[8] Chennai, is also referred to as the "Detroit of India"^[9] with the India operations of Ford,Hyundai, Renault and Nissan headquartered in the city and BMW having an assembly plant on the outskirts. Chennai accounts for 60% of the country's automotive exports.^[10] Gurgaon andManesar in Haryana form the northern cluster where the country's largest car manufacturer, Maruti Suzuki, is based.^[11] The Chakan corridor near Pune, Maharashtra is the western cluster with companies like General Motors, Volkswagen, Skoda, Mahindra and Mahindra, Tata Motors,Mercedes Benz, Land Rover, Fiat and Force Motors^[12][13] having assembly plants in the area.Aurangabad with Audi, Skoda and Volkswagen also forms part of the western cluster. Another emerging cluster is in the state of Gujarat with manufacturing facility of General Motors in Haloland further planned for Tata Nano at Sanand. Ford, Maruti Suzuki and Peugeot-Citroen plants are also set to come up in Gujarat.^[14] Kolkatta with Hindustan Motors, Noida with Honda andBangalore with Toyota are some of the other automotive manufacturing regions around the country.

Source : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automotive_industry_in_India