With large-scale investments planned by domestic and foreign companies, India's automobile industry is set to witness a major boom, says the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). 

"Manufacturing transnational companies (TNCs) have started, or planning, large-scale investment projects in India," UNCTAD said in its annual World Investment Report released globally. "Accordingly, the landscape of the country's automotive industry is likely to witness a dramatic change in the next few years," the agency said in a box entitled ‘Market-seeking India's automotive industry is booming’. 

Stating that production of motor vehicles in India crossed 1.7 million vehicles in 2005-06, the report pointed out that Suzuki of Japan, Tata Motors and Hyundai of South Korea had emerged as significant players. It said Suzuki was planning to invest $1.65 billion by 2010 to expand capacity to one million and General Motors was looking at $300 million in a car assembly plant in Maharashtra to make 100,000 cars. 

This apart, Mahindra and Mahindra, Renault of France and Nissan of Japan planned $908 million in a new plant in Chennai with a capacity of 400,000 vehicles that was expected to start production in 2009. Similarly, Toyota Motors aimed to double its market share to 10 per cent in four-five years with an investment of $500 million to increase production to 200,000 from the present 50,000 vehicles.

Pune-based Precision Automation Robotics India Limited (PARI) announced unveiling of its dream project, The PARI Automation City (PAC), which would be a global first-of- its-kind facility for development, promotion and deployment of automated manufacturing technologies for the international market. The project has already received the mega project status from the government of Maharashtra. 

“PARI Automation City will enable better efficiencies and give us the ability to innovate and expand our business offerings to our customers,” said Dr Ranjit Date, joint managing director, PARI. “It will give us the ability to broaden partnerships, increase global business and export with global partners. This Automation City brings us one step closer toward achieving our vision of becoming amongst the top ten automation companies in the world,” he added. 

The inspiration for this project came from the “Automation Alley” project in Detroit , USA – which is the hub of automotive activities. Automation Alley is a government initiative, which pools the facilities, and resources required for advanced automation technology companies to develop and deploy automated manufacturing solutions. This dream project not just mimics it, but even enlarges the scope of facilities, amenities, and resources, which will benefit its customers and its partner companies alike. Thus, the PAC will not only have synergetic engineering, development, and manufacturing facilities, but also will provide infrastructure for creativity and nurturing of intellectual resources, in an exciting environment that enables newer products and technologies to be created, prototyped or tested. It will be augmented by a large scale training set up, R&D centre, manufacturing process development centre, prototyping labs, standardisation and test facilities, quality related tests and measurements, showrooms, conference, lecture and discussion facilities, and limited residential amenities to allow visiting and resident scholars to focus on their creative work. The project will be developed over a three-year phased plan, starting with its first phase completion in April 2008. 

The overall facility will be hosted over a 73-acre plot that PARI has already acquired. PARI plans having over a 1,000 engineers, technicians and experts working at Automation City. PARI was founded by technocrats with the knowledge and experience to understand the needs of the manufacturing industry. The company began operations in Pune in 1990, and has experienced business growth exceeding 50 per cent year on year, through the innovative solutions that they offer to the manufacturing industry. Last year, the company turnover was Rs 110 crores.

Tata Motors Ltd has launched a range of armoured vehicles for defence and bullet-proof vehicles for high net-worth individuals. The announcement was made in Hyderabad at the Military Games 2007, being held from October 14-20. The company's range includes an armoured bus, a troop carrier and bullet-proof Sumo and Safari. The vehicles were exhibited at a pavilion at Gachi Bowli stadium. 

Company officials said its indigenously developed armoured bus was being displayed for the first time. The 29-seater bus has shatterproof glass, under-belly blast protection and side bomb protection. Its light armoured troop carrier is a bullet-proof vehicle that can carry 10 persons and is equipped with hand-grenade protection for underbelly, six firing ports and weapons mount.

autojunction, the auto division of India’s largest eCommerce company - mjunction services limited [a 50:50 joint venture of Tata Steel and SAIL], has stepped into auto e-retailing. Through this initiative autojunction.in brings in a complete end-to-end car buying experience over the Internet for buyers of new cars in India. 

New cars can now be bought over the internet at any time of the day or night, from the comfort of ones home, complete with selected accessories, insurance, finance and all other such requirements that go along with any car buying process in a typical car dealership. autojunction is set to bring in a revolution in the selling supply chain of the auto majors in India through its customized Auto eRetailing solutions. 

The company has tied-up with Reva Car Electric Company (RECC) as its first Auto eRetail partner to sell the Reva i electric car through a customized version of its Auto eRetailing Model.

Volvo Truck division delivered the 100th tipper to Sushee Hitech Constructions recently. The ceremony took place at Volvo’s Hoskote (Bangalore) facility with Eric Leblanc, managing director, Volvo India, handing over the keys of the tipper to Anil Reddy and Rajagopal Reddy of Sushee Hi-tech Constructions, signifies that Volvo tippers enjoy a strong partnership with its customers and a high preference when it comes to demanding applications such as that in the mining and irrigation operations.

Bajaj Auto has introduced the new Avenger 200 DTS-i. The new Avenger now comes with a powerful 200 cc oil cooled engine capable of generating a top-speed of 115 km/h. This engine delivers 17.5 ps at 8000 rpm with outstanding torque of 16.78 Nm at 6000 rpm. The Oil cooler helps this hi-performance engine to maintain the engine Oil Temperature even at high rpms, which in turn maintains the Engine oil viscosity. Thus, at high speed, the engine oil maintains its lubrication quality even at high speeds. The tank-set neatly houses the all-new sleek tank mounted fuel gauge along with the other indicators. 

The bike also comes with the international standards windshield option. The windshield adds to the aesthetic value of the new Avenger. A new low maintenance battery is incorporated to provide a hassle free ownership of the bike. It has unique vent mechanism that allows gas / vapors etc. to escape, but at the same time does not allow loss of electrolyte. Electrolyte spillage / evaporation are drastically reduced as there is no drainpipe. Electrolyte level check once a year is enough to ensure that the cells are always immersed in electrolyte.