After the Independence in 1947, there began a drastic change in the fields of technology, administration, transportation, entertainment and so on. The changes not only ensured India’s economic strength and stability but also India’s position in the broader world. As being a colony of the British Empire, there were several technologies which were introduced to our country. In Britain, these certain developments in the technological field began along with the Industrialization, when the technical improvements in the machines were more prioritized than the condition of labourers and the labour. It was not that there were no industries in India in the pre-British rule, but it was through the hands of the British and their attempt in building industries, the Indian economy was engrossed.
While looking at the history, we get to know that the first car was run in India in 1897. It saw a minor growth during the 1930’s and by that time cars were only used as imports and very few people can afford it. A significance change had occurred in the car manufacturing industry during the 1940’s, during the Quit India movement. Hindustan Motors was the first step towards the Automotive Industry in India, which was launched in 1942. Since then several motor cars companies, such as Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat, Mahindra & Mahindra; were launched in India in that decade.
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The growth in the automotive industry continues its glorious run with each passing decades. The growth can be best shown in the form of the Auto Expo which was conceived in India in 1985 and its exhibition began in 1986. The Auto Expo is a Biennial event which was first organized in Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India. The Auto Expo is a lens which projects India’s growth in the automotive industry by adopting the new changes in the field of technology and also promotes certain indigenous developments and researchers to opine their views about how these changes can be adjusted to the Indian road and weather conditions. The first Auto show was marked by Rajiv Gandhi, the prime minister of India in that time. The auto show is approved by Organization Internationale des Constructureurs d’Automobiles. It is considered to be the second largest in the world and the largest in Asia.
As cars are becoming an essential part of our day to day lives, this auto show will only develop its position in India. There are buses, trains which are more affordable for the daily passengers. But in present time, with the increasing numbers of IT companies in all over India, a number of cars to drive the employees in their offices. These cars are known as shuttle cars. More than 4-5 passengers can be accommodated in these cars according to the size of these cars. With each passing days, the number of shuttles is increasing along with the population. We too are nowadays getting familiar with certain facilities provided by the cars. It really is the blessing for the daily passengers. As with the overcrowded buses, and trains, these cars provide a sense of relief to the passengers. People nowadays are getting familiar with the name ‘magic car’. It is a small sized car where more than five people can be seated comfortably. They set the price, considering the pockets of the office goers. All these are the gifts of the automotive car industry. With the help of the auto shows in every two years, these numbers and facilities are only increasing.
The 14th Auto Expo was held at the Greater Noida, in Uttar Pradesh, from 9th of February to the 14th of February. The entire event was divided into two parts. The first one was the Auto Expo 2018- The Motor Show, at the Greater Noida. The other one was Auto Expo 2018- Components, which was held at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi. But the date was not as same as the other one, as it was scheduled from 8th to 11th February. Among the major contributors to this event and the Electric Vehicles saga, Tata Motors has exhibited two new electric cars, namely Tigor EV and Tiago EV. In addition to these electric vehicles, manufacturers like Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai, BMW, and Mahindra were the others which exhibited their new products.
Members of the Automotive Industry are switching the E button in such a big scale that the Indians, as well as the entire world, get fascinated by their products. Besides, it will also suggest a glimpse of what the car manufacturers have in their store.
In this year’s Auto Expo event, which was exhibited in the second week of February, kept themes like electric and hybrid vehicles, and smart mobility as in their store.
The ‘E’ here stands for the ‘Entire Mobility Eco-System’, as is announced by the joint organizers, ACMA (Automotive Component Manufacturers Association of India), CII (Configuration of Indian Industry) and also SIAM (Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers).
The ‘E’ in this year, also represents the engagement. The big stall wards of the auto world are keeping up exciting experiences for the customers as well as the distributors by using augmented reality, virtual reality, mind games, creative selfie zones, crazy contests, social media platforms and generous give-aways.
As an example, Maruti Suzuki has tied its knot with the Facebook in order to host a night expo in the virtual platform. The event was held on 8th of February, from 9.30pm onwards.
RS Kalsi, the Senior Executive Director of Marketing and Sales in the Maruti Suzuki Company, shared his view in this event: “Everyone cannot come to the expo—so we are taking the expo to our consumers. This is our effort to be inclusive.” This view has some logic, as most of the consumers are not from Delhi, or cannot be in Delhi, and a consumer in Kolkata or in Mumbai can also take participation in the event. And, the record showed that Maruti Suzuki’s this approach was very well researched. They chose the time 9.30 at night when the millions are hooked to the Facebook during that time. Maruti Suzuki has occupied more than 32% space at the Expo, compared to the event of 2016.
While Maruti Suzuki has made its mark, the Tata Motors were not too far behind. To celebrate their 150th anniversary, they covered up 6000 sq.km of the landscapes at the Expo ground. Tata Motors has showcased almost 26 smart-mobility solutions across its purposes for both commercial and passenger vehicles. It covers a wide range from the public transport to the personal cars with last mile connectivity options, emergency responses of vehicles to the commercial utility vehicles, as well as the green solutions to the cars that are designed to thrill - Tata Motors has left no stone unturned. This will further allow the company to maintain their good position in the Indian Automotive Industry.
The radically styled H5X concept is something new that Tata Motors has produced for the first time. It is big, spacious and designed in 2.0 design language. It was the star of the show.
The 45X concept of the Tata Motors was their big attempt towards their hatchback design. Its outlook is magnificent and at the front, there is the bold interpretation of Tata’s famous ‘humanity line’. All these have made this new concept as something to look forward to.
Maruti Suzuki has also empowered the industry with their announcement with the e-survivor and the Future S concepts that were exhibited at Auto Expo 2018. Other significant concepts of this year which marked a special place in the automotive industry, were the Trezor concept from BMW and concept EQ from the Renault Company.
To signify their two decades in the Indian automotive industry, the Hyundai, at the Expo has gone to the last step possible. The Hyundai will exhibit their achievement of winning the most number of ICOTY, that is the Indian Car of the Year awards, a record five times. Justifying their tagline, the Korean major will connect with its young consumers through sports, figuring on its connections with the sports authorities like BCCI and FIFA, says the Senior General Manager of Marketing, and Group Head at Hyundai Motor India, Mr.Puneet Anand.
Hyundai will also have a special robotic zone, which places it different from the other car manufacturers companies in India. The people can see that how the Robots unite the equipment and also reflect the sight when the Robots will be seen dancing. A football using VR headsets as the emblem of a mind game will also thrill the visitors.
Besides these models, Auto show 2018 was also enlightened by so many new models by other manufacturers which were the products of extremely hard labour and developed modern techniques.
The unique Racemo has wondered everybody in the show with it's on display at the event. It is small, compact and thus, tight and fully right. Interestingly, it too has got butterfly doors. It has made its debut in India in Electrical Vehicles disguise.
BMW i8 Roadster was all about grandeur and the outlook. It has upward opening doors and the combined power output of this model is 374HP. It will be launched in India later this year.
Kia’s SP concept is the first Korean model for India which will be going for sale in 2019. The final product of this will be a rival to the Hyundai Creta, for which everyone is waiting for.
Kia has exhibited so many models in this year’s Auto Expo, but the Stinger GT will stand the tallest among all of these. This model with its 370HP, and 3.3 litre V6 petrol engine will make the car lovers to have it their garage.
Besides these, there were also several companies like Mahindra, Honda, Hyundai, Toyota, Renault; Mercedes have empowered the show with their latest models. Mahindra Stinger, Mahindra Rexton, Honda Amaze, Hyundai Kona, Toyota Yaris, Renault Trevor, Mercedes Benz E-class All Terrain, Mercedes Maybach S650 were some of the show stoppers which were unveiled in Auto Expo 2018.
Also Read: Check all the news & updates on Auto Expo 2018 with IBB
In the category of the two-wheelers, Hero MotoCorp was the one company that offered a wide range of electric scooters, as well some new non-electric bikes. The visitors were wondered by the range and variety of two-wheelers produced by certain companies like BMW, Honda, TVS, Kawasaki, Suzuki, and UM Motorcycles.
Even though, there are certain famous companies that were not taken their participation in this year’s auto show, which definitely made a headline. Car manufacturer Companies like Royal Enfield, Audi, Fiat Volvo, Ford, Lamborghini; and two-wheelers companies like Harley Davidson; and truck makers like MAN and Scania, were some of the significant names that were missing. The reasons behind their non-participation are the less availability of specific Indian car models, and also because of its high cost, they hardly faced profits in the Indian market.
Like every year, this year’s auto expo too was considered to be a significant step towards the development of the automotive industry. The growth in the car manufacturing industry has established India as the frontrunner in the automotive industry. In this auto show, the automotive industries representatives, dealers, auto journalists, dealers and car enthusiasts take active participation. They are very significant for the car manufacturers and the local dealers, as a course of the public relations, as they finally get to know about the new products and promote the advertisement brands in the automotive industry. This show is the advertisement of how the automotive industry has made its impact in the international market.
The survey result suggests that more than 6 lakh people were visited at the event during that schedule in 2018. With the latest line of cars, sports cars, bikes, e-vehicle cars, heritage cars are all making their own mark. Furthermore, with all these attractive facilities, an art room consisting “cartists”, are certainly giving goosebumps to the media persons, as they are allowed to photograph the best designs and also for the car lovers who are waiting for this auto show in every two years.
