Indian Automobile Industry

The Indian Automobile Industry is on overdrive. The rapid urbanization, coupled with an overwhelming growth in the middle class population, has created an Indian market that is extremely conducive for the automobile industry to flourish. Indian automobile industry recorded a growth of 16.07% in 2006-2007.

The Indian Automobile Industry is on overdrive. The rapid urbanization, coupled with an overwhelming growth in the middle class population, has created an Indian market that is extremely conducive for the automobile industry to flourish. Indian automobile industry recorded a growth of 16.07% in 2006-2007.

Automobile industry contributes 4% of the national GDP and accounts for 5% of the industrial output in India. It is moreover, a major employment generator in the country. The Indian automobile industry provides employment to around 13 million people directly or indirectly at present, a number that is likely to double by 2016.

The liberalization policies of government have been one of the biggest factors behind the industry’s rapid growth. Supportive policy measures like relaxation of foreign exchange and equity regulations, reduction tariffs on imports, and banking liberalization leading to a boom in financing driven purchases and convenient EMIs have contributed to the present success of the Indian automobile industry.

With a number of foreign brands joining ranks with the domestic manufacturers, the Indian consumer is now flooded with choice. An average Indian can now select from a wide range of Indian and foreign products. Some of the major Indian players are Maruti Udyog, Tata Motors, Mahindra, Ashok Leyland, Hero Honda and Bajaj. Toyota, GM Honda, Daimler Chrysler, Ford, Volvo and Hyundai Suzuki are the key international players in the Indian Automobile market. However, despite the presence of foreign brands, the domestic companies are still the biggest players. Maruti Udyog and Tata vehicles share the top honors for passenger and commercial vehicles respectively.

The ICRA analysis of the Indian market projects heavy growth for competitively priced sports-utility-vehicles or SUVs and two wheelers. A number of major global brands like Honda, Suzuki, General Motors and Hyundai have launched their products in the SUV segment of the Indian automobile market. An average of 11.5% growth in the two-wheelers sales in 2004-2007 has kept a number of global companies interested in this segment as well. The market has been moreover bolstered by a healthy rise in the sales of heavy commercial vehicles, and the presence of a strong auto component industry that now ranks 2nd in the world.

One of the best things to happen for the Indian automobile market in the recent years was its telling improvement in the export sector. There was a 56% growth in exports from 2003 to 2004. Although economy cars continue to hold the lion’s share of the export market, vehicles worth more than USD 1 billion were also exported in 2004, for the first time in history.

This increasing demand for Indian cars on the foreign shores has helped the country’s automobile industry in two significant ways. First, it has decidedly contributed to the economic growth of the industry. Secondly, it has helped to improve the image of the Indian manufacturing infrastructure at a global level. This increased confidence has resulted in more and more foreign brands opening manufacturing units in India, directly contributing to economy and employment.

The Indian automobile industry is now riding high on success, and the bright picture does tend to obscure the problems and challenges that lay on the track of its growth. Poor road conditions, heavy pollution and large scale traffic related accidents are serious impediments in the way of the industry’s growth. However, steps are being initiated by the government to address these problems at various levels, and solutions are being worked out at a steady pace.