German and Indian automotive industries have expanded their cooperation horizon, determining 18 joint-project goals including developing technologies and raising proportion of renewable fuels. 

High-level German and Indian industry representatives met at the Frankfurt Motor Show (IAA) held during Sep 13-23 and signed a bilateral agenda. Matthias Wissmann, president of the German Association of Automotive Industry (VDA), said the two automotive markets “cannot do without each other any longer”. 

Addressing 300 participants at an IAA India Day, Wissmann said that the range of cooperation included the expansion of infrastructure, harmonising automotive regulations and clean diesel technology. India's minister for heavy industries Santosh Mohan Dev described the country's automotive industry as the “new sunrise of Indian industrial development” with more people able to afford personal mobility.

In a bid to cater to the environment friendly vehicle market, Piaggio Vehicles Pvt. Ltd, a 100 per cent subsidiary of Piaggio and C.Spa of Italy, has launched the CNG version of its three wheeler passenger and cargo vehicle 'ape'. 

“We at Piaggio are truly passionate about offering the Indian customer a benchmark in eco-friendly transportation. The ape, which will now be fuelled by CNG is a product of advanced research and development in Italy and India,” said Ravi Chopra, chairman and managing director of Piaggio Vehicles Pvt. Ltd during the launch. “In cargo industry we have a significant market share of 44 per cent as we are the pioneers of the three-wheeler category in the world. The launch of CNG version of the ape will help us to fulfill our commitment to provide eco-friendly, efficient and powerful three-wheelers in the country,” said Chopra. 

The ape has been fitted with a 400 cc four-stroke engine to ensure that the vehicle has enough additional power to prevent overheating of the engine under load conditions. The passenger vehicle will come at a price of Rs 130,000, while the cargo vehicle will come with a price tag of Rs 1,40,000. At present, the company plans to sell 5,800 passenger versions of ape and 7,400 cargo versions.

The Indian auto component industry is poised for major growth after undergoing rigorous training facilitated by United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), according to a study conducted by PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PWC). The Indian auto component industry recently underwent a rigorous training under the aegis of UNIDO, in which as many as 58 companies participated. This has given them a cutting edge, says PWC. 

The programme, which was a partnership between UNIDO, the Indian government and the Automotive Component Manufacturers Association of India (ACMA), was in recognition of the need for Indian auto components industry to become globally competitive by adopting global best practices in their operations. The programme aimed at strengthening small and medium auto component suppliers to meet requirements of automobile manufacturers and their first-tier suppliers, and enhancing productivity and overall performance to enable their inclusion in domestic and global supply chains. 

It also aimed at making manufacturers more aware about international quality standards to enable the companies to augment their performance and ensure inclusion in the global supply chain. UNIDO is planning to develop turnkey training packages for manufacturing enterprises, building on core expertise in quality and productivity management in partnership with ACMA.