Bosch has committed an additional investment of Rs 850 crores. This follows investments of Rs. 1800 crores from 2005 to 2008 thus hiking Bosch’s investment into its Indian operations to a total of Rs 2650 crores by the year 2010. While the sales of the Bosch Group are expected to grow in India by about 20 per cent in 2007 to nearly Rs 4700 crores, including exports, the sales of the Bosch Group companies in India will be more than Rs 5700 crores. 

Speaking on the occasion, Dr Bernd Bohr, member of the Bosch Board of Management and Chairman of the Automotive Group said, “India’s dynamic growth is clearly reflected in our company’s performance. Our response to India’s strong economic growth and increasing motorization is to expand local development and manufacturing”. With the software market in Bangalore getting competitive Bosch has started expanding its Coimbatore engineering facility and as part of the additional investments and various activities planned the number of Bosch’s workforce in India is estimated to exceed 18,000 associates by the beginning of the year 2008. Apart from expansion of common rail diesel production and further strengthening of the engineering centre at Coimbatore, the additional investment committed by Bosch will aid the manufacture of gasoline systems components from 2008. Local manufacture of ABS is planned by the end of 2008 and the production of electronic control units in the year 2009. 

While Dr Bohr stated that Bosch will not be hiking its stake in its Indian subsidiary Mico, which is currently close to 70per cent, he added that the name Mico will be changed to Bosch Limited, subject to approval of the shareholders and Registrar of Companies. “Auto makers have asked us if we are present in India and we have had to explain them that we are and Mico is our company in India. To avoid this we want to change the name from Mico to Bosch”, remarked Dr Bohr. Mico’s management is also slated for a change. Dr. Albert Hieronimus, who has headed Mico for the last four years as Managing Director, will become Chairman of the Board of Management of Bosch Rexroth AG from 1 February 2008. At the same time, Dr. Hieronimus will take over as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Mico from the outgoing Chairman, Hubert Zimmerer. V K Viswanathan, Joint Managing Director of Mico and a member of the Board of Directors will take over as the new Managing Director of the company from February 1, 2008. At the same time, Dr Manfred Duernholz, Senior Vice President, Advanced Engineering in the Diesel Systems Division at Bosch, Germany, will join the Mico management team as Joint Managing Director and will be responsible for Product Area Power train. 

Stressing on products and developments that further reduce fuel consumption and harmful emissions to support rapid motorization of India, Dr Bohr expressed that India has been the driver for Bosch developing new systems and products for the developing markets He added that in the current year as many as 100,000 common-rail systems will be produced by Bosch in India. “In 2010, this figure will already be as high as some 1.3 million, and it is expected that the two-million mark will be reached in 2013. Increasing volumes are also to be seen in all the other products Bosch manufactures in India. By 2010, 1.5 million starters and two million alternators will be manufactured in India, compared to around half a million of each in 2006. The projection for 2010 suggests 4.7 million Indian vehicles will be fitted with Bosch brakes – 1.6 million more than this year”. “Over the long term, and provided there is a local market, we will launch innovations in India that go beyond ABS," Dr Bohr added. He also announced that Bosch has received a large order from a two wheeler manufacturer in India to supply fuel injection systems.

Gordon Campbell, Premier of British Columbia, Canada, has welcomed the efforts of Cummins and Tata Motors in bringing together environmentally sound public transportation for Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC). 

DTC’s environment-friendly bus supplied by Tata Motors is fitted with Cummins B Gas International (BGI) engine manufactured in India under licence from Cummins Westport. Cummins Westport Inc, headquartered in Vancouver, Canada is a joint venture between Cummins Inc. and Westport Innovations Inc. 

Campbell and his delegation visited the DTC bus terminal at Central Secretariat, in one of the new low-floor eco-friendly CNG buses. “British Columbia companies such as Cummins Westport Inc. have green technology that can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions at home and in other countries,” said Campbell. “As B.C. moves forward to reduce its own greenhouse gas emissions by 33 per cent by 2020, there are economic opportunities for our companies to share technologies that can reduce emissions worldwide. I’m pleased to see Canadian companies building partnerships that offer Indian solutions for India”, he added 

The CNG engines, developed by Cummins Westport are designed to meet the exacting requirements of modern fleets and are manufactured in Daman by Cummins India Limited. 

K C Girotra, Tata Motors Limited recalled that Tata Motors was the first in India to launch modern low-floor and semi low-floor buses in 2005. The DTC order was the single largest order for fully built low-floor buses received by the company till date, he added. The buses, powered by the Cummins BGI engine are suitable for running on the routes of proposed Bus Rapid Transit System, and are expected to contribute to transforming the city traffic system in time for the Commonwealth Games..

Apar Industries and Chematek SpA of Italy have formed a joint venture to market and distribute the Agip brand of premium automotive lubes in India for a range of modern automobiles including two wheelers. Other than 4-stroke premium grade automotive lubes, the 50:50 joint venture called as Apar-Chematek will also address industrial and marine segments in India. 

The Agip brand is owned by ENI of Italy and Apar Industries has entered a technology and licence agreement with ENI, which has the largest range of premium two-wheeler lube range in Europe, to blend the lubricants at Apar's state-of-the-art plant at Rabale in Navi Mumbai. 

Speaking on the occasion, Kushal Desai, managing director, Apar Industries, said, "The entry of high-end Agip oils into the Indian market means improved auto performance, superior engine protection with due consideration to lower emissions and pollution standards at affordable prices." Adding that Apar and ENI will blend the products in India, Desai expressed that Agip-Chematek would be stressing on a strong distribution network. 

Close to 200 distributors have been appointed and the company is aiming at Rs 500 crores target in the first year. The company is in advanced stage of discussions with auto manufacturers and is expecting an announcement from a large auto manufacturer approving Agip brand of oils for its products. Out of the various markets the company is aiming at, the automotive lubes market is expected to amount to 70 per cent of the business. "ENI is a large integrated company. It is 9th largest global major and Chematek has facilitated the bringing in of the range of Agip products to India. Chematek has been close to ENI and will help expand the product range to other than auto markets", Desai added. 

Stressing the fact that Agip is approved by global auto makers like Volkswagen, Daimler, BMW, Piaggio, Aprilia, Maserati, Porsche, Peugoet, Rolls Royce, Renault, Ford, Wartsila, MAN, Volvo and others, Desai remarked that the auto lube market is 900,000 metric tones". The Agip brand will be positioned between the existing lube brands in the Indian market and Castrol, according to Desai. 

Apar-Chematek is a marketing venture with an investment of Rs 10 crores. This is complemented by Rs 15 crores of investment towards significant upgradation of the Rabale facility to meet ENI standards. The Rabale facility according to Desai has a 200,000 kilo-litre capacity.

Dura Automotive Systems has sold its North American jack and tool kit business to Autoline Industries. Dura's jack and tool kit business has one US plant located in Butler, Indiana, where it employs approximately 140 people. With annual revenue of approximately US$ 25 million, Dura's jack and tool kit business produces automotive bottle jacks, scissor jacks and related products for automotive jack tool kits. The jack and tool kit business' capabilities also include metal stamping and powder coat paint and assembly. Speaking on the occasion, Gopal Patwardhan, chairman of Autoline said, "This is our second strategic acquisition in the US this year and now provides us with a manufacturing location that complements our global engineering center in Troy, Michigan, and our existing manufacturing locations in India." Customers of Dura's jack and tool kit business include General Motors, Nissan, Ford and Honda among others.

Holland-based DSM Engineering Plastics has developed two new polymers, PA4T and Stanyl Diablo for high performance and under the bonnet applications. PA4T is particularly resistant to absorb moistures and thus exhibits excellent dimensional stability, high stiffness and mechanical strength at elevated temperatures and excellent processing ability. According to Jan Waninge, director (marketing and sales), Asia Pacific, DSM, “PA4T goes into products aimed at auto, phones and is environment friendly. In automotive there is a continuous drive towards reducing fuel consumption. Cars are actually getting heavier as carmakers keep adding utilities. It is however necessary to reduce weight and cost. In case of phones it has to do with weight and size; plastics is leading the way. The PA4T allows for lead free soldering processes, for narrow tolerances and miniature parts.” While the engineering polymer is has improved resistance for temperatures, PA4T development started in 2005 and completed in 2007. DSM is current scaling up and is in the process of setting up a factory to manufacture the polymer. The plan involves active marketing of the polymer by early next year and could find application in areas like water pump housing and transmission components. 

“The PA4T development was driven by the electronic industry for the move to lead-free soldering and zero lead usage. Stanyl Diablo is aimed at the auto sector; it is resistant to water and glycol”, Jan remarked. Stanyl Diablo adds to the next generation family of Stanyl grades of plastics that offer revolutionary improvements in long term thermal stability. According to Jan, Stanyl Diablo is aimed at high temperature applications like part of lamps and turbochargers. “These applications are typically operating under 200 degree Celsius. Parts like turbocharger ducts, HID lamps are some of the areas where Diablo could find an application as it is intact at 210 degree Celsius. Diablo considers trends like Euro 4, Euro 5, EGR and higher road safety”, Jan stated. He further expressed that Diablo is aimed at Europe and Japan where auto makers are working towards meeting the Euro 5 emissions. Talking about DSM’s Asia Pacific performance in various sectors, Jan said that the auto sector business amounts to 35per cent, electronic sector business to 50per cent and the rest comes from the general industry. China’s electronic sector is a very big consumer of DSM according to Jan. About India, Jan said, “In India out biggest market is the electrical sector followed by auto and electronic. The auto and electronic sectors in India are competing.” 

A US$ 105 billion company, DSM engineering plastics is setting up a compounding plant at Talegoan near Pune, which is expected to go on stream next year. Amongst the engineering grades that the company manufactures it is the Nylon 6 that has found a large audience in the auto industry. It is thus used in areas like front end module and new areas of usage like structural inserts in one piece mould in pillars. The company, which is already supplying to various Indian auto makers, is in discussion with auto makers as far the application of PA4T and Diablo are concerned. DSM is also claimed to supply engineering grade plastics to the Rs One-lakh car.

Mahindra & Mahindra has introduced a new engine in the Scorpio and christened the model as V-Series. The new engine displaces 2.2-litres to produce 120bhp and a peak torque of 290Nm between 1800-2900rpm. The engine employs a variable geometry turbo, second generation common rail system, recyclable plastics and aluminum head result in lower weight and better fuel efficiency, while the hydrophobic nano-materials and seamless intelligent electronics help enhance the driving experience during real time human-vehicle interactions. Laced with features like rain sensors, light sensors, cruise control and audio control, tubeless tyres, ABS, etc, the Scorpio 2.2 is priced at Rs 9.33 lakhs, ex-showroom Navi Mumbai.