Automobile Industry in India

So, from the title you can guess what the next article is gonna be about, right? Well, yeah, you are dead right! It is about the Cars Industry of India... And, my life's connections with it...

This might seem a bit boring to some people, i know.. But, I am dead sure, this will be interesting to a lot as well, especially guys like me... Well, to be really frank with you, I wasn't such a car "buff" in my school life or even in my college life. But, as I was studying through my rather boring and "redundant" courses in college, I was very fascinated by Engines and Automobiles and Suspensions and Transmission and what not. Movies like "Fast and Furious" series and games like "Need For Speed: Most Wanted" obviously just encouraged me further on. All the modifications that I could do on my Custom ride in NFS really fascinated me and made me think about the whole logic of things.
So, coming back to where we left it, in college, we had this course named "Applied Thermodynamics" which had a bit of Engines in it... Well, that was enough to hook me onto it. That just made me feel that i had taken the right decision in taking up Mechanical Engineering. It all seemed so easy and logical. Eventually, I got to score an "A" in the subject (allah ki dua se! ;) ). Which just made me more inclined towards going into this industry. After that, I spent 6 months training at a Tractor Company! There, I got to see a Tractor being made from scratch in front of my eyes. It was a totally encouraging and interesting time that I had there! Also, I got to gain a lot of technical knowledge as well as knowledge about the industry and the people and how to deal with...

Thereafter, we had the best subject of them all, "Automobile Engineering". Well, I totally enjoyed this subject. Hence I would like to make people know that my fascination was not just limited to AUTOCAR but also to the knowledge of the various parts and systems involved. In fact, I topped in this subject. So, with such an encouragement, i knew I really wanted to go into this sector. And, for anybody Research and Development is the best department because there, the knowledge is unlimited and the common perception was that there are no pressures.

So, I was delighted beyond belief when I got placed in Honda Cars India Ltd, a world renowned premium car maker. My happiness was floating beyond boundaries since this was precisely what I had wanted and wished for, all those 4 years that i was slogging it out in College... On my first day, I got to know that I had been allocated to the R&D division of Honda India, my joy knew no bounds....

Thereafter, when i was allocated to Advanced Product Planning Department, I was a bit skeptic, as I had imagined myself going into Designing or Research. But, after a month, during which i got to know what was actually the work of my department, and, more importantly, what the work of the Designing department was (:P) I decided that whatever happens, happens for the best..

So, now, let me start on the Automobile sector in India... This is all that I have learned from being a part of my present department!
Well, every man knows that in India, Maruti Suzuki cars sell like hot cakes. And, why not? It is an old established name which is associated with cheap, affordable cars.. And, well, in India, cheap cars have been selling the most since 2 decades now. This is why they say the Indian Automobile Market is still very immature. This is because the normal customer does not look at the various options and which option would be the best, they only look at the price and the mileage. Not the power/Luxury/Driving Comfort/Brand Image, etc. This is what sets us apart from every foreign market. In these markets, especially the Europe Market, which is very very mature and complex, people buy new cars and accept them for their utility and not just their price or fuel efficiency. In India, sadly, the conditions are often contrary to this.
And, to prove that Maruti Suzuki have not been successful beyond their cheap segments is the fact that their higher class offerings like "KIZASHI" or "GRAND VITARA" or "SX4" have not sold nearly as well as their compact cars like "ALTO" and "SWIFT". In fact, they have stopped selling Kizashi and Grand Vitara because of the really low sales.
Hyundai has been the most sharp car maker in India. It has tried to establish itself in each segment of the Indian Market, from EON to SONATA. Although all of their products are not as successful, but, they have proven to be a trusted brand in the mind of the customer. I, personally, love their "Fluidic" car philosophy.

Tata and Mahindra have, for decades, concentrated only on the UV market, and, Mahindra has slipped ahead of Tata, with its really smart UV offerings, like XUV 500, which has sold nearly 37,000 cars in a year.

Toyota is the world's highest automobile producer. But, sadly in India, it has not been able to replicate its worldwide success. Although it has guaranteed itself of a sector through INNOVA and FORTUNER, it has been unable to do the same with the Etios series. We might be looking for better offerings that might suit the Indian Market better.
Volkswagen Group is the second most automobile maker, after Toyota. So, there is no surprise that it came to India. But, I, personally have been really disappointed from the VW lineup here in India. They just have one hatch, i.e, POLO. I think they should have also brought their most successful GOLF and UP! series to India as well, and expand their customer base. Also, because of the fact that nobody can beat the Germans at Engineering, I had hoped for a way better lineup from the German pioneers. But, still the group as a whole has been really successful in India, especially SKODA and AUDI, which is set to become the market leader in the Luxury Car Segment. Audi cars are my favourite cars, so i might be a bit biased towards them. How can no one like their tail lights and their streamline flow dude. They are awesome!
Now, I come to my dear beloved HONDA! Well, to say that i am a loyal employee would be a joke. I am a very loyal and protective employee of Honda and its brand. Well, because i am so proud to be an employee of such a huge organisation. And, I am gonna be totally honest with you. Yes, Honda did make a mistake of not introducing a Diesel Engine at the same time as competition and that has led to a great decrease in market share. But, still, CITY is the most bought car in its segment, after Verna. There has to be something in the car to be at that position with just a Petrol Engine option. And, I think CIVIC is the most well designed sleek and classy car in its segment. And, Civic has always been my dream car! Therefore I am waiting impatiently for Honda to introduce diesel offerings so that the brand image and sales improve from its current position. But, still, I would always like to buy the less polluting and easy to maintain Petrol variant rather than a oil burning Diesel variant.I think, other than SUVs, where torque requirements are of utmost necessity, diesel usage is not just worth it. Petrol cars, according to me, give more feel of driving, more power and better Engine life. Not to forget that Diesel is carcinogenic and more polluting.

Well, my brush with this industry has been amazing and i have loved every moment of it. I hope more people come to join this industry because it is way more interesting than the IT Sector and way more stable as well. The "Evergreen" Sector, as they call it! And, if there is a new car buyer reading this, I would give you a very unbiased opinion... If you wanna buy a smart, fun to drive car, always buy a German or a Japanese car. German car for their engineering and Japanese for their refinement and quality. If you wanna buy a stylish car, but, with less driveability, buy a Hyundai/Kia car. But, my friends, unless and until you are in extreme poverty, do not ever buy a Maruti Car. You'd be surprised to know how unstable and unsafe those cars are. They must be counting their lucky stars that there are no safety crash requirements in India right now. Well, that might be a reason that Suzuki recently withdrew from the US market due to lack of sales. Haha. Thus, I end it by saying that my interaction with this industry has not exactly been like i had imagined, but, still, I have loved every moment of it and would like to expand my knowledge past existing levels.