Top Stories
Hero MotoCorp ties up with European design-cum-tech firm
Hero MotoCorp Ltd reportedly inked a deal with a European design and technology partner.
Pawan Munjal,Managing Director was quoted as saying that the this European company has end-to-end capability in all kinds of two-wheelers that will bring in expertise in engines, hybrids and electric bikes. Hero will announce the name of its third partner since the spilt from Hinda Motor Co very soon.
The company announced a partnership agreement with Erik Buell Racing in February , and in March signed a research deal with Austrian engine manufacturer AVL, reports added.
Manesar plant to soon make 850 vehicles/day: Suzuki
The chairman of Japan's Suzuki Motor Corp reportedly said that production at its Indian unit Maruti Suzuki's riot-hit Manesar plant is likely to reach 800 to 850 vehicles per day in the first half of September.
The company said that it could take more time until the company can resume production at the pre-riot level of about 1,700 vehicles a day, report says.
The Manesar plant is operating with about 1,300 to 1,400 workers, Suzuki said.
August auto sales...M&M, Tata Motors shine; Hero lags
Infocus
Mr. Rahul Bajaj, Chairman, Bajaj Auto Ltd.
Mr. Rahul Bajaj, Chairman, Bajaj Auto Ltd. holds an Honours Degree in Economics from Delhi University, a degree in Law from Bombay University and an MBA from Harvard Business School. Mr. Bajaj is the Chairman of the Board of many companies and is on the Executive Board of Indian School of Business (ISB). He was elected to the Upper House of Parliament (Rajya Sabha 2006-10). Mr. Bajaj was appointed the Chairman of the erstwhile Indian Airlines during 1986-89. He was nominated by the President of India as the Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Bombay during 2003-06. Mr. Bajaj is a Member & former Chairman of the International Business Council of the World Economic Forum, Geneva, a Member of Harvard Business School's Global Advisory Board and the International Advisory Committee of NYSE Euronext. He is also a Member of the International Advisory Council of the Brookings Institution, Washington DC.
Bajaj Auto Ltd. is ranked as the world's fourth largest two-wheeler and three-wheeler manufacturer. The Bajaj brand is well-known across several countries in Latin America, Africa, Middle East, South and South East Asia.
Yash Ved of IIFL gives you highlights from CII marketing summit, where Mr. Rahul Bajaj said, “Bajaj Auto has been a value for money brand”.
Going forward, what is the India growth story looking like?
India is today a nation in transition. From license raj to competition, from commodity to brands, from domestic to global markets, we are expanding. Our marketing strategies have to grasp with our own realities. At the same time, Indian companies today also have to focus on foreign markets. Today you cannot have a large national company without an international footprint. To prosper, you have to compete in the global market space. You have to become a global company. Success today hinges on the ability to anticipate or better still to create a future, and who better to influence than marketing people who are closest to the markets.
Change is what drives the economy and companies should continuously see how to realign to or drive the change. In dealing with change I find few ideas useful. First, you must be great at anticipation. Secondly, you must be glued in to the present and be ready to hear the future. Often managers have too much invested in the present and this destroys their future. Thirdly, we must check our assumptions because often they become invalid. Many assume their growth and market size. But when this does not materialise and if the company has invested in growth with borrowed funds, it leads to great difficulties. In such a situation, building in a possibility of downturn is a sensible thing to do. Read more…
Results
Hero MotoCorp sales down 12% in August 2012
Hero MotoCorp Ltd (HMCL), the world’s largest two-wheeler manufacturer, today announced sales of 4,43,801 units of two-wheelers in the month of August 2012. HMCL had sold 5,03,654 units in the corresponding month last year.
Commenting on the sales performance, Anil Dua, Senior Vice-President (Marketing & Sales), Hero MotoCorp Ltd said, “The despatch numbers of August reflect the market sentiment. The two-wheeler industry in the country has been facing a challenging time due to the overall macro-economic situation which has adversely affected retail sales, both in the urban and the rural markets. We, as the market leader, have been making our efforts at lifting the market sentiment, through both ground-level activation as also on-air category saliency through our model campaigns. In August, we also created excitement around Olympics, leveraging our association with sports. We remain optimistic that the market scenario should improve with the upcoming festive season when retail sales generally pick pace.”
The cumulative sales of Hero MotoCorp in the period April – August’12 stands at 25,70,310 units. The company had sold 25,24,267 units of two-wheelers in the corresponding period last year.
Meanwhile, HMCL's recent launches- 110 cc "Maestro" and the 125cc "Ignitor"– have been received well by customers and are also generating volumes across markets.
Hero MotoCorp also recorded its highest-ever scooter sales for any month by selling more than 45,000 scooters in August.(Combined sales figure for both the scooter brands- "Maestro" and "Pleasure")
Tata Motors August sales up 12%
Maruti Suzuki August sales slips 40%
M&M registers 22% growth during August 2012
Bajaj Auto August sales down 10% YoY
Domestic News
Honda to focus more on small cars in India: report
Honda Motor Co reportedly to focus more on compact vehicles and drops its lineup of sedans.
According to reports, the company which recently converted its India joint venture, Honda Siel Cars India Ltd, into a wholly owned unit, plans to postpone sales of the new version of its Civic sedan, and forgo manufacturing the new version of the Accord sedan in the country.
The company India sales, which drops 20% in 2011, up 70% in January-July, helped by the newly launched Brio subcompact, reports added.
Tata Motors launches new Xenon
Maruti Suzuki introduces refreshed Ritz Diesel delivering 23.2 kmpl
Mahindra 2 Wheelers’ YTD sales stand at 50,567 units
Yamaha Ray all set to make grand entry in Indian scooter segment
Mercedes-Benz India kick starts festive season in India with F1 Fever
Henkel launches new gasketing technology for automobiles
Force Motors to spend Rs 10bn on product development, expansion
Ford to export Indian-built engines to Europe
M&M to launch small SUV on September 20
Maruti starts producing Dzire at Gurgaon to clear backlog
Volvo FH series…Challenges truck industry; boosts haulage firms’ profitability
Mercedes-Benz India increases investment to Rs 8.5bn
Omron Industrial Automation appoints Pradeep Karnik as MD
India auto, autoparts industry to touch US$145bn by 2016
autojunction.in launches a social media contest ‘Be the Car Baba’ on Facebook
Yamaha continues efforts to promote sports amongst the youth
Yamaha India co-sponsors the 53rd Subroto Cup
Hero Motocorp launches brand ‘hero’ in Sri Lanka
Volkswagen introduces new value added features in the Polo and the Vento
autojunction.in launches unique contest for car enthusiasts
Automotive Stamping goes on labour strike
Amtek India raises US$70mn via convertible bonds
Toyota Kirloskar to spend US$161mn on expansion
International News
US auto sales surpass estimates in August
The big three American automakers - General Motors (GM), Ford and Chrysler - reported yet another month of better-than-expected monthly sales.
Overall, US domestic sales in August climbed more than estimated, reflecting continuing strength in the auto sector.
Total US car sales surged 19.9% compared to a year ago, according to sales tracker Autodata.
That works out to an annual sales pace of 14.52mn vehicles, which topped forecasts and nearly matched the level in August 2009, when volumes were boosted by the "Cash for Clunkers" program.
August sales also marked a rebound from disappointing July car sales.
Sales at GM were up 10% from a year ago, while Ford reported a 12.6% rise. Chrysler Group posted a 14.1% improvement over a year ago.
Japanese automakers Toyota Motor and Honda Motor also announced strong sales in August, partly benefiting from a low base of last year when supplies were limited by the after-effects of the Japanese earthquake and tsunami.
Toyota plans to double China sales by 2015: report
Hyundai Motor workers end costliest strike