Automobile revoluation in India

Telecom revolution in India is a telling anecdote in discussion groups around the world. Telecom tariff in India has touched the lowest in the world offering variety of service providers. Leading handset manufacturing companies like Nokia, Sony, Motorola and leading provider companies like Singtel, Vodafone, Virgin are a few investors in India to be listed here. The outcome is a competent mobile market urged to innovate almost everyday.

Success stories are replicated in many other sectors too; one among them is Car industry. I am not discussing the pros and cons of the Singrur controversy but the larger spectrum of the availability of number of car brands on Indian Roads. I remember the days when my aunt (that was one of the first car that was bought in our family), bought a car more than two decades ago, neither me or anyone else in my family could imagine any other car than Ambassador cars owned by Hindustan Motors. Indian car industry was synonymous with Hindustan Motors for more than five decades til other companies engineered their growth into the sector starting with Maruti Udyog Limited. Earlier, there were only two or three Cars brands, like Fiat and Ambassador, ruling the Indian roads, but today global auto players like Honda, Skoda, General Motors, Volvo, Ford Motors are investing big bucks in India and launching their Car models with more refined technology, design, comfort, styling and safety.  This shows the industry has grown manyfold since the first car rolled out on the streets of Mumbai (then Bombay) in 1898. Looking into the specifics, one can understand this was more in the last one decade.

Unlike the USA, the Indian passenger vehicle market is dominated by cars (79%). This is supplemented by the factors in the automobile industry like; 

• India is the largest three-wheeler market in the world.
• India is the largest two-wheeler manufacturer in the world.
• India is the second largest tractor manufacturer in the world.
• India is the fifth largest commercial vehicle manufacturer in the world.
• The number one global motorcycle manufacturer is in India.
• India is the fourth largest car market in Asia - recently crossed the 1 million mark.

There are cars of price range starting from Rs 2 Laks to Rs 1 crore in Indian Market. If Nano materialises, there will be an upsurge in per capita spending and purchasing power parity in Indian subcontinent. Today, there are more than sixty car brands on Indian roads offering more options in terms of affordability, luxury and compatibility for consumers.

With more companies competing for their space, insurance and banking sectors also sensed the opportunity to grow. Car loans and mandatory compliance to car insurance benefited more intra than inter sectoral growth in these respective sectors. Look at the number of automobile workshops around us and the number of workers employed. More than anything, it has put the State into a demanding situation where roads and related infrastructure have become the prominent talking points in the plan and development process than ever. With the increase in global petroleum price and the awareness on Global warming, more strictures are added to the vehicle pollution certification demanding more investment and innovation in research and development area related. Indian innovation in automobile sector is already under tremendous pressure to reduce its pollutant level. If they succeed, auto will take centre stage of the globe and if they fail, poor man’s gaadi will be replaced by cars like Nano.  Whatever be the outcome, this will lead to the change in the landscape of the cities and smaller towns in this country. This will lead to an automobile revolution of twenty first century akin to industrial revolution of eighteenth century. This also ensures that though the country is preparing to become the global hub for the small size cars, it envisions an inclusive growth of all sectors and sessions of the society like in Telecom sector.