RSB Group, leading engineering and automotive components manufacturing business house, is setting up a ferrous casting, forging and aluminum die casting unit in Orissa. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik laid the foundation stone for the Rs 365 crore Greenfield unit in Mania, Cuttack, recently. 

Once commissioned, this will be the first auto component manufacturing complex in Orissa, with an estimated investment of Rs 365 crore spread over 5 years, and would generate about 2500 employment opportunities. Once it reaches full production capacity, the plant would generate a turnover of Rs 1800 crore. In the first phase the forging unit will become operational by April 2008. Most of the manpower, except for some critical management and technical staff will be recruited from within the State. 

Speaking on the occasion, R.K.Behera, Chairman, RSB Group said, “The Group desires to play a pioneering and catalytic role in attracting other auto majors to set up their shops in Orissa in the wake of the phenomenal growth envisioned for this sector. Orissa is emerging to soon become the global steel and aluminum hub and it should benefit from the growth happening in the Automotive component industry. I hope that the agglomeration effect of auto components units that has lifted Chennai to a major auto hub would get replicated in Orissa.” He also added, “Orissa was always our preferred choice due to the proactive and innovative industrial policies of the Government.”

eBay India Motors, the leading online B2B Motors marketplace, announced its plans of enhancing focus on the heavy commercial vehicles segment in Northern India. Acknowledging Punjab & Haryana's importance as the largest contributor of HCVs and trailers on the platform, Amit Bhartiya, director, eBay India Motors announced the company's plans to increase adoption within the transport industry within this region at a conference in Chandigarh. 

Bhartiya commemorated the occasion by felicitating Munish Singla, a Chandigarh-based entrepreneur dealer on the eBay India Motors platform, at the event. He also shared his plans around targeting Transport Nagars across this region to increase awareness and presence within the bustling transport industry in this region. eBay India Motors' currently has a large community of over 9,000 buyers (mostly dealers), who are registered and trained to buy on the platform, across 250 cities. 

"Our aim is to create the largest organised online used vehicle market in India by providing a one-stop shop to dealers, entrepreneurs and corporates for the efficient sale of all makes and types of used vehicles nationally. This has enabled the dealers to transform their local business into one which pans across multiple vehicle categories and is truly national. Our key goal will be to continue to transform conventional dealers, brokers and entrepreneurs across the country into successful online entrepreneurs within the used vehicle industry," Bhartiya added.

Motorcycle manufacturer Royal Enfield inaugurated the company's 10th 'brand store' in the country at Kochi. "Besides being a sales and service outlet, the company plans to develop it into a 'concept' shop for a unique motorcycling experience," Anupam Thareja, director of Royal Enfield said. "The brand stores bring alive the unique brand value of our products and allow for pre-purchase product intimacy and understanding," said Thareja. All Royal Enfield products and accessories will be available at the shop.

TVS Motors, the third largest two-wheeler manufacturer in the country, announced it would launch a compressed natural gas (CNG)-powered motorcycle in January next year as its contribution to a 'green revolution'. "We have the technology for CNG-powered two and three-wheelers. We will launch CNG-powered two-wheelers in January," said TVS Motors chairman and managing director Venu Srinivasan. 

TVS Motors rolled out seven new products in a single day - a first-of-its-kind launch in the industry. Out the seven models launched, three were versions of a three-wheeler passenger vehicle - in petrol, CNG and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) variants. "The CNG is just an alternate source of fuel for us. And it can be on any platform - maybe a motorcycle or a scooter. But it will be a motorcycle," said Srinivasan. 

The other four launches were a completely new 125 cc motorcycle FLAME, an all new 110 cc StaR City, an Apache variant with fuel injection technology and the electric variant of Scooty. "The auto industry has to make its best effort to make a green revolution by developing the technology of the future," said Srinivasan. The TVS chief added the company has plans for a "hybrid vehicle" but it would take a long time as the cost is significantly high and the market is niche.

The oldest Bajaj Auto Plant at Akurdi near Pune has stopped turning out vehicles. A press note issued by the company says that the shut down was influenced by the impact of government policies on capacity rationalisation, chiefly the regional distortions created by inconsistent tax benefits, and the continuing evil of octroi in the state of Maharashtra in stark contrast to most of the rest of the country that is free from it. 

The note states that component production for supplies to other plants will continue, as will all other corporate functions. Bajaj Auto, in its note has also mentioned that in the last labour settlement dated 5 September 2003, it was agreed that in the event of an acute drop in demand for the products produced at the Akurdi Plant, a 5-day working week would be observed, and that for the 6th day of the shutdown workmen would receive 50 per cent of their wages.

After acquiring Czech commercial vehicle manufacturer, Avia, Ashok Leyland in a bold move has joined hands with Nissan to manufacture trucks. The deal, which is said to involve the manufacture of light commercial vehicles in India, is expected to help Ashok Leyland enter the LCV market. The two companies have signed three joint venture agreements—LCV manufacture, powertrain manufacturing and technology development, and is subject to regulatory and corporate approvals. 

While the two partners are said to be examining ways to tap each other's dealer networks, the announcement of Ashok Leyland to manufacture LCVs comes at a time when other LCV manufacturers are developing new platforms and models to offer better efficiency and enhance operating costs. Most of all, the Ashok Leyland-Nissan deal reinforces the changes taking place in the commercial vehicle sector and points towards further defining of the hub-and-spoke transport infrastructure.

Karl Slym will take over as the new president and managing director of GM India. He succeeds Rajeev Chaba who has been appointed as the chairman and managing director of GM Egypt. Prior to heading the Indian operations of GM, Karl Slym has held the dual roles of GM Asia-Pacific vice president, quality, and GM Daewoo Automotive and Technology vice president, quality based in South Korea since January 2006. 

Slym worked in the UK, including Toyota UK, prior to joining General Motors in 1997. His GM roles have included senior manufacturing positions in Gliwice, Poland and Oshawa, Canada. He was appointed president of CAMI Automotive, a joint venture between GM of Canada and Suzuki Motor Corporation in Ingersoll, Canada, in 2002 prior to joining the Asia-Pacific leadership team.