A month in the India Transport Sector (No 24)

April, 2013

FOCUS: INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS

THE EXPANSE OF NATIONAL HIGHWAYS The State Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Sarvey Sathyanarayana, recently announced that India will soon be able to boost one of the most extensive highway systems in the world thanks to the work being carried out by the National Highways Developmental Project or NHDP. More information on ITP NHAI WAITING FOR THE ELUSIVE GREEN NOD APPEALS TO THE APEX COURT The fact that the Indian ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) has failed to issue green clearances in time has caused a lot of project delays for the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). NHAI has now approached the highest court in the land, the Supreme Court, seeking relief. A considerable barrier to highway development projects, the norms issued by the environment ministry has hampered economic growth to an extent. More information on ITP HYDERABAD RING ROAD Hyderabad had witnessed tremendous growth in the past decade owing to the setting up of various industries including information technology, pharmaceuticals and health services. The increasing demand for commercial, industrial and residential areas have forced the government to create more space. More information on ITP INDIAN RAILWAYS LATEST PROJECTS Indian Railways has several projects running in various regions and will develop transport systems for both people and goods. From the dedicated freight corridors, one of the most ambitious projects of rail history, to developing rail tracks in the hilly regions of Kashmir, Indian Railways has shown its commitment to continuous development. More information on ITP

EDITORIAL
In FY13 the demand for heavy trucks weakened by almost 30% and all segments reported a double digit fell according an IFTRT report. The main and logical reason is the weak demand for freight, due to the economic slowdown. Trucks rentals also declined by nearly 5%. Second market truck sales witnessed a 30% drop in market price. The inventory level is high as many dealerships are flooded by truck fleets and more than 35, 000 repossessed trucks. Several manufacturers have been hit by this gloomy situation. But these data are on a short term and micro basis. The situation should be tackled in a more comprehensive way because the truck market itself is evolving. Regarding the second hand market, even if it is affected by the economic slowdown, it is a steady market which goes on its own ways and that is mostly local facts driven. Moreover, one of the significant changes in the truck market is the development of multi axle trucks. In the decade ending in 2011, the market share of MATs has surged ahead from 7% to 70% while the market for two-axle heavy-duty vehicles dropped considerably from 90% to 30%. Traditional players have been joined by foreign truck manufacturers such as Daimler, Volvo and Scania. All these elements are here to explain that it is not just a question of sales number. The most important idea to keep in mind is that nearly all stakeholders keep a great confident into the transportation development. Speaking to ITP, the managing director of Scania Commercial Vehicles explained that the heavy duty truck business will have a growth of more than 8% by year 2020. Considering the growing demography and the Government Will into infrastructure projects, another expert (Head of Sales Jost) told us that there wont be a recession for the next decade, saying that even a 8% growth by 2020 would even be a pessimistic forecast.

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A month in the India Transport Sector (No 24)

April, 2013 TRAFFIC ISSUE

THE RIGHT USE OF TECHNOLOGY IS AN EFFECTIVE TOOL CHETAN PRASAD CEO INVISIBLE BUS BAY Invisible Bus Bay is a need based, patentpending, product developed by Neosphere, a dedicated R&D unit, developing solutions to socially relevant problems. Public transport is undeniably a sustainable mode of transport for any city. But in several over populated cities (even Japan), they have to vie for limited space with other modes of transport, hawkers and pedestrians and this leads to several problems. In most Indian cities, the very simple and essential act of ingress and egress has become very difficult and dangerous and this hampers the utility and acceptance of public transport. More information in ITP DRIVING ON THE WRONG SIDE Driving on the wrong side of the road is more common than one would like to admit. While smaller city roads witness such incidents regularly, they also occur on busier metropolitan streets. A driver may lose his or her way, realising that they should have turned instead of taking the flyover. Instead of driving ahead and paying for their mistake with a few extra kilometres, they decide to turn on the hazard lights and drive in the reverse direction trying to reach the right spot in the wrong way. What they do not realise is the risk they put themselves and others in by driving on the wrong side. More information in ITP

TYRE ISSUES
2012: INDIAN TYRE INDUSTRY SAW A GROWTH OF 5.3% Despite the economic slow down and high input costs last year, the Indian tyre industry saw a growth of 5.3% (volumes) in 2011-2012. More information on ITP INDIA IMPOSES DUTY ON CHINESE AND THAI NON-RADIAL TYRES The Indian Finance Ministry has imposed antidumping duties on cross-ply tyres from China and Thailand. According to the revenue department, these duties will be in place for at least five years. More informations on ITP LEAPS AND BOUNDS IN TRUCK TYRE ENGINEERING Replacing tyres frequently puts a heavy burden on commercial vehicles especially if they are multi-axle heavy-duty vehicles. Retreading truck tyres is therefore a very common phenomenon and there is a considerably large market for retreaded truck and bus tyres in India. More informations on ITP GOODYEARS LATEST INNOVATION SELF-INFLATING TYRES One of the largest tyre manufacturers in the world, Goodyear, is very close to creating a self-inflating tyre that will reduce manual intervention to a minimum. More informations on ITP APOLLO TYRES ON A BUYING SPREE? There was plenty of speculation late last year about the Indian tyre manufacturer Apollo Tyres plans to acquire a major stake in the Ohio-based company Cooper Tires. Both companies have waived off these rumours. More informations on ITP DISCUSSIONS CONTINUE FOR DUNLOP AT SAHAGANJ In 1936, Dunlop India began manufacturing tyres at Sahaganj, Kolkata. Ruia Group bought Dunlop from Jumbo Group and Jessop through divestment in 2005. Management had suspended operations in the plant in October last year More informations on ITP

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A month in the India Transport Sector (No 24)

April, 2013 FUEL ISSUES

PETROL CARS WIN DIESEL VEHICLES RACE OVER

AUTO INDUSTRY
MARUTI ERTIGA FAMILY CAR OF THE YEAR The multi-purpose vehicle sector has gained tremendous popularity in recent years in India. With average families counting six or seven members, cars that can carry the entire family are the practical choice. While sedans drive well, they may not be the ideal car to squeeze in a large family. Thus the ideal family car in India would have to be one that drives as well as a sedan and accommodates all members of the family comfortably. The recently launched Maruti Ertigo ticks all the boxes. More information on ITP GOING GREEN WITH THE MAHINDRA E20 The rising price of fuel often makes one think about alternative fuels and our dependency on the precious black gold. The Mahindra E20 has come at just the right time. Mahindra Reva Electric Vehicles which is a part of the large Mahindra Group, recently announced the launch of a new electric car the Mahindra E20. More information on ITP VOLVO IN INDIA The name "Volvo" needs no introduction in the automobile industry. Quite synonymous with quality and luxury, the Swedish automaker has established a strong presence around the world. As a part of its ambition to increase its sales two-fold, Volvo is considering setting up a manufacturing plant in India. More information on ITP

Petrol cars had a strong hold over the Indian automobile market for a very long time. However, the demand for diesel models witnessed a sharp increase in the past few years owing mainly to the rising cost of petrol. From an impressive market share of 75 percent in 2008, petrol cars slipped to 69 percent in 2011 and further to a low of 47 percent before it rose again to 58 percent in 2012. While the shift had been disturbing for the automobile industry, the sudden More information on ITP PRICE OF DIESEL APPROACHING PETROL PRICE Up until relatively recently, the price of petrol and diesel did not differ greatly. However, following the deregulation of petrol prices, oil companies gained the power to determine the price of petrol according to the market. This led to vast differences between the prices of the two fuels that are extremely important for the Indian economy. As the price of petrol grew steeply over that of diesel, certain imbalances could be seen in other related industries. For example, the sales of diesel cars grew drastically as the sales for petrol cars fell. However, as the government decides to increase the price of diesel, prices may once again come close to that of the price of petrol. More information on ITP

TATA MOTORS FLAGSHIP SHOWROOM Tata Motors is all set to provide its customers across the country with a new experience when buying passenger cars. To demonstrate the companys commitment to its customers and the car-buying experience, it opened a new very impressive flagship showroom in Prabhadevi, Mumbai. Spread across an area of 4400 sq feet, the showroom is a world of its own. More information on ITP

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A month in the India Transport Sector (No 24)

April, 2013 ADVERTISE WITH US

TRUCK ISSUES
THE HEAVY DUTY TRUCK BUSINESS WILL HAVE A GROWTH OF MORE THAN 8% BY YEAR 2020. ANDERS GRUNDSTRMER, MANAGING DIRECTOR, SCANIA COMMERCIAL VEHICLES INDIA Anders is Managing Director, Scania Commercial Vehicles India and Senior Vice President Scania Group: The road and laboratory tests made by at the Scania Technical Centre in Sweden have been adapted to Indian road and climate conditions. In addition, Scania R&D engineers have been located in India country in order to monitor and evaluate trucks operating in the country. More information on ITP MORE MULTI-AXLE VEHICLES ON INDIAS ROADS Trucks in India have undergone a sea change thanks to the tremendous growth in the commercial vehicle sector in India. Most trucks that are manufactured in India in the present times look similar to their counterparts in developed countries. They are no longer the drab and somewhat menacing looking machines that once dominated Indian roads. Well-designed and brilliantly engineered, the trucks that appear on the road today are a different breed. More information on ITP TRUCKS: HOW TONNAGE IS EVOLVING AND WHY? The commercial vehicle industry in India has witnessed tremendous growth in the past few years. As Indias economy has grown, so did the need for heavy weight commercial vehicles and trucks. Trucks bear a significant proportion of the weight of Indias economy are part of the countrys backbone. Extremely rapid infrastructure development has further fuelled demand and market for commercial goods vehicles in India. From 2005 to 2010, truck sales in India witnessed a growth of a healthy 17%. More information on ITP

More information on ITP

ABOUT US
Indian Transport Portal is an online news center covering the most critical industrial issues related to transport markets in India. India Transport Portal is edited by Digital Bizzline Ltd. a UK based press agency recently launched by a group of freelance journalists. Digital Bizzline Ltd. is registered at the Companies House UK: 07301455 contact@indiatransportportal.com

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INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT EXCELLENCE April 15 16, 2013 Delhi

ITS INDIA 2013 SUMMIT May 24, 2013 New Delhi TYREXPO July 9 13, 2013 Chenai

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