Competitive Edge and Global Scenario of Automobile Industry

sunandaC

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Competitive Edge and Global Scenario of Automobile Industry
Competitive Edge

 Manpower
The trends clearly indicate a huge opportunity for Indian manufacturers due to:

 Low cost advantage primarily on account of vast availability of low cost-high skilled manpower

 Average wage rates are 8$ per hour as compared to 20$ in the developed markets.

 Highly Competitive at Lower Scales

Indian Auto Companies are highly cost competitive even at lower volumes due to:

 Appropriate levels of automation

 Low cost automation

 Autonomation

 High Quality & Productivity
Indian Auto Companies have achieved a High level of Productivity by embracing Japanese Concepts and Best Practices:

 TQM

 T P M

 Toyota Production Systems
In fact cost productivity is our key differentiator viz-a-viz competition from
other low cost economies.

 Just-In-Time Delivery & Logistics

 Indian Auto Companies have proven capability to supply on JIT basis out of Warehouses situated near the Customers

 Most Indian companies have arrangements with major Logistic Providers for JIT Supplies.

 Adequate Warehousing support and onsite Engineering support




Global Scenario

The passenger car segment has emerged as a major driving force for upstream industries like steel, iron, aluminum, rubber, plastics, glass, and electronics and down stream industries like advertising and marketing, transport and insurance. The car industry generates large amount of employment opportunities in the economy. For example in the US, every sixth worker is involved in the making of an automobile.

The global automotive car market is growing at a rate of only 2 percent per annum and is not expected to pick up in the near term. Growth has dropped due to the increasing levels of saturation in the larger car markets of the world. Worldwide the trend is towards ensuring that one's products are superior in terms of quality.

This will enhance the useful life of cars and, hence, slow down growth in sales.The world car production has increased from 44.66 mn in 1996 to an estimated 48.3 mn cars in 1999. Japan, Canada and USA brought about the major increases, which contribute to 53% of the world's car production. The largest car market - the US market expects car sales to decline 8 to 9 per cent to 16 million cars in 2001, as compared to 17.4 million cars sold in 2000.

The USA and Japan are the leaders with around 42% of the total world market. However, since the last two to three years, the international passenger car industry has been witnessing an over capacity of more than 30%. The trend suggests that industry volumes may grow by just 2% or around 10 mn vehicles per year.

If this situation continues for the next few years the world car market may witness shakeout in the near future. Already signs towards this are being observed as the phenomenon of mergers catches on. The recent mergers in the international car market are Ford-Volvo, Renault-Nissan, Daimler-Chrysler. A few more players are expected to join the fray in the next few years so as to strengthen their hold in the world market. Among the top car manufacturing companies General Motors and Ford Motors group of USA lead with a contribution of 15.8% and 11.6%, of world car production, respectively. Volkswagen and Toyota stand third and fourth with more than 9% contribution each to the world car production.

The global domination of the larger automotive manufacturers is slowly on the wane and the trend in sales is shifting towards more "regio-centric" products. Automakers that have been enjoying a generally prosperous spell would have to rethink on the way vehicles are designed, manufactured, distributed or sold.

Already, players like General Motors Volkswagen and Toyota have begun to re-examine their dealer relationships and pricing strategies. Car makers would now have to think in terms of a new customer focus and provide better financing and servicing. Strategic tie-ups, mergers and acquisitions have become the talk of the day.

A few instances are Daimler Benz's tie-up with Chrysler of the US, Ford's acquiring of Daewoo and tie up with Volvo Car Corporation and Renault acquiring a stake in Nissan. Such deals will certainly lead to economy in terms of costs but it remains to be seen whether they will also create significant new opportunities for growth.

With global consolidation in the car industry, it is expected that more international players will work closely to bring about operational efficiencies. By nature, the car industry is highly capital-intensive and vast amounts of money are being spent on R&D. With the players getting together to produce more technologically superior cars, they can derive greater benefits from their R&D efforts. Profits, which are under pressure due to wafer thin margins will be boosted due to greater economies of scale.

Moreover, bigger capacities among players means lesser fixed costs per car produced. Even if mergers are not on the cards in the near future (one can see that the Daimler-Chrysler merger has not brought about synergies as expected by automobile experts), technology-sharing and the offering of equity stakes is inevitable.

In India, the car market has become extremely competitive and come April 2001, India's automobile market will be thrown open to imports of completely built up vehicles, which hitherto was prohibited. With the international acquisitions and alliances, one can expect to see a dramatic change in the auto market.

If GM were to acquire Daewoo in Korea, then GM would be in a commanding position in India with its alliance with FIAT and Suzuki motors as well. Already Daimler Chrysler and Ford are contemplating introducing new models in India from their various associate companies through their local subsidiaries.

The situation could become very difficult for the purely Indian automakers such as Telco, Mahindra and Hindustan Motors unless they rethink their strategy. It can easily be seen why TELCO has been in the news on rumors that it wants to hive off its car division and bring in an overseas partner. Reports suggest that HM is thinking of exporting parts from its manufacturing units and also assembling and distributing other makes of vehicles who may wish to enter into India, but cannot enter full scale manufacture due to the small market sizes.

Clearly exports will be the big opportunity for Indian automobile companies if they can control costs and deliver good quality output. Already Maruti, Hyundai and Ford as well as Mercedes Benz have started exports in a small way and this can grow. Majors like TELCO and Ashok Leyland are already exporting their products in reasonable volumes.

Availability of easy financing options has been a major reason for the dramatic growth the automobile market has witnessed in recent times. Maruti has set up a separate financing unit in association with banks. GM has one of the largest financing companies in the US and can easily bring them into India should it so decide.

Clearly the customer is in for some good times with a wide range of models to choose from, better quality and prices and easy financing options - a far cry indeed from the days when one had to book a Premier car and wait for years after paying an advance.
 
Automobile Industry is highly competitive. Within the blink of an eye the new brand is entering or the existing brand is launching new product. Recently the Romeo guila revealed his new elegance and elite car to give competition to its nemesis BMW, Mercedes, Audi. Well. It is highly cluttered segment too where numerous brands are competing with each other.
 
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