Auto fair kicks off in Chennai

Friday, 11 October 2002, 19:30 IST
Printer Print Email Email
CHENNAI: A large automobile fair has opened in this capital of Tamil Nadu, which hosts the manufacturing units of several motor vehicle makers. Throwing open the four-day Autofocus that put on show gleaming cars, two- and three-wheelers, auto parts and security systems, state Finance Minister C. Ponnaiyan urged the automobile industry to cut production costs by lobbying New Delhi for more support to the small-scale sector that provides raw material and components. Autofocus, which opened late Thursday and will run till Monday, has been organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the Automotive Component Manufacturers' Association of India (ACMA). Tamil Nadu has a legacy of commercial and personal vehicle production with Ashok Leyland, TVS and other companies finding base in the state. With economic liberalization, international companies like Ford and Hyundai also flocked to this southern state to open manufacturing plants. Today the state has been dramatically transformed from a domestically driven component hub to a key player in the export strategy. Hyundai and Ford now export vehicles out of their plants near Chennai. Tamil Nadu's automotive industry accounts for 50 percent of the all-India export market, CII officials said. Hyundai launched a diesel-driven Accent CRDi model at the auto fair. Developed by Hyundai, South Korea, with the Detroit Diesel of the U.S., the new Accent engine claims to combine the performance of a petrol engine with the fuel efficiency of a diesel engine. Said Hyundai managing director J.I. Kim: "This is a world-class diesel engine brought by us to India and we believe this engine will create a new benchmark for diesel engines in this country." Hyundai's plant at Sriperumbudur, near Chennai, will produce 400 diesel Accent CRDis every month, company officials said. The Tatas showed off their SumoEx for the first time in southern India and new colour variants of the Indica while Ford made purchase of its Ikon model easy with insurance and other facilities available at its pavilion. More than the cars, it was the gleaming scooters and motorbikes that drew the crowds. Competing companies added to the glamour by belting out dance numbers, holding quizzes and advertisement competitions offering lots of prizes. TVS displayed a range of vehicles beginning with the new-look Victor for rural India, the four-stroke 150 cc Fiero Classic and the Victor basic. In the three-wheeler segment, it brought a new wide-body vehicle with a oil cooled 175cc engine with 20 percent lower emission. New gas auto kits and converters were also exhibited by Shri Shakti of Hyderabad, which said it already had 400,000 customers for its kit developed with the Automotive Research Association of India. While Hero Honda brought in its Ambition and Kinetic Zing, Bajaj brought a new model of the Pulsar. Electronics majors Sony and Samsung showcased their latest range of car stereo systems. Car security, anti-hijack kits and sheer comfort are on display at the fair, which has drawn 100 exhibitors and expects 300,000 visitors.
Source: IANS
siliconindia