Union Minister of Heavy Industries &
Public Enterprises (MoHI & PE), Shri Anant G Geete today inaugurated a
new state of the art and modern test facilities installed as a part of the
National Automotive Testing and R & D infrastructure project (NATRiP) at International
Centre for Automotive Technology (ICAT), Manesar in Gurgaon district of
Haryana.
Speaking In the august presence of Shri R K Singh, JS in the
Department of Heavy Industry ; Shri Sanjay Bandhopadhyaya, CEO & Project
Director, National Automotive Testing and R & D Infrastructure
Project(NATRiP), Shri Geete said the new facilities
at ICAT have come up as a part of the initiative from the Govt. of India in
form of the NATRiP project. The NATRiP project with was setup in line with the
vision of automotive mission plan 2016 ; “To emerge as the destination of
choice in the world for design and manufacture of automobiles and auto
components with output reaching a level of US$ 145 billion accounting for more
than 10% of the GDP and providing additional employment to 25 million people by
2016.”
NATRiP has helped realize this vision in form of an ambitious project for setting up
world-class automotive testing and R&D infrastructure in the country to
·
deepen manufacturing,
·
encourage localized R&D,
·
boost exports,
·
and converge India’s unparalleled strengths in
IT and electronics with automotive engineering sectors, to firmly place India
in USD six trillion global automotive business.
Shri Geete said NATRIP
has facilitated introduction of automotive safety, emission and performance
standards in the country which are at par with global standards and fast
catching up with the best standards across the globe to ensure seamless
integration of Indian automotive industry with the global industry.
He
congratulated ICAT for successful installation and commissioning of the various
facilities under the NATRiP project catering to the current day and future
requirements of the Indian Auto Industry.
The
facilities present at ICAT provide the best in class state-of-art capabilities
in the country which are at par with the best facilities across the globe. ICAT
offers an opportunity to the auto manufacturers to develop, validate and test
the products and technologies which will help address the challenges faced by
the auto industry in terms of stringent emission norms, increasing concern
regarding the emission levels, depleting conventional energy resources and ever
increasing customer expectations.
The
minister said the automotive industry is about to change drastically due to
energy and CO2 discussion, interconnection and automation. This
results in new requirements on drive trains and transmissions with regard to
efficiency, comfort, dynamics and safety, which in turn lead to a large variety
of competing drive and transmission concepts and to a previously unknown wave
of innovations for components and assemblies.
Shri
Geete said he is happy to acknowledge that Indian automotive industry is
emerging as the preferred choice of destination for automotive players across
the globe. With the “Make In India” initiative of the government, India today
is looked towards by all the major global automotive manufacturers as the
destination of future.
The
Minister also announced the setting up of a National Automotive Board which
will encompass all the Seven NATRiP Ceentres spread across the country. A
souvenir on NATRiP was also released on the occasion.
The
minister said he would like to share certain facts which are projected for the
Indian automotive industry
·
By
2016, India is expected to be the third largest automotive market by volume in
the world.
·
Tractor
sales in the country are expected to grow at CAGR of 8-9% in the next five
years, upping India’s market potential for international brands. Two-wheeler
production has grown from 8.5 Million units annually to 15.9 Million units in
the last seven years. Significant opportunities exist in rural markets.
·
India’s
car market has the potential to grow to six Million-plus units annually by 2020
·
India
is currently the seventh largest producer in the world with an average annual
production of 23.36 Million vehicles, of which 3.57 Million are exported.
·
The
Indian automobile market is estimated to become the third largest in the world
by 2016 and will account for more than 5% of global vehicle sales.
·
India
is the second largest two-wheeler manufacturer, the largest motorcycle manufacturer
and the fifth largest commercial vehicle manufacturer in the world.
The
statistics can go on and on, but the underlying message beneath these facts
indicates towards the presence of indicators of a healthy growth of the Indian
Auto Industry in near future and the years to come.
These
trends offer huge risks and equally outsized opportunities for the auto sector.
The government is committed to develop India into a dynamic hub for the auto
industry with frugal engineering at its core, the minister added.
Shri
Geete highlighted some of the following major initiatives pro-actively taken by
the Government of India to promote these trends:
·
Under
the Union budget of 2015-16, the Government has announced to provide credit of
Rs 850,000 to farmers, which is expected to boost the tractors segment. The
government is aligning to ensure that at least one family member is
economically strong to support the family. This is expected to improve the
sentiments of entry-level two-wheelers.
·
The
Government plans to promote eco-friendly cars in the country i.e. CNG based
vehicle, hybrid vehicle, electric vehicle and also made mandatory of 5 per cent
ethanol blending in petrol.
·
The
government has formulated a Scheme for Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of
Electric and Hybrid Vehicles in India, under the National Electric Mobility
Mission 2020 to encourage the progressive induction of reliable, affordable and
efficient electric and hybrid vehicles in the country.
·
Also,
the well-established Regulatory Framework under the Ministry of Shipping, Road
Transport and Highways, plays a part in providing a boost to this sector.
He
said it is gratifying to note that the infrastructure setup under the NATRiP
initiative such as these excellent facilities at ICAT will significantly facilitate
the auto industry by providing services for testing and development
requirements, encompassing all the domains of automotive technology, to address
the challenges of the current day and help identify best practices and
standardize technologies for the future.
These
facilities provide an opportunity for the industry to undertake technology
development at comparatively much lesser costs for the auto manufacturers when
weighed against with the global automotive development costs. These facilities are
setup by the government of India with a vision to provide the essential impetus
to Indian auto industry which will help drive it to a position where it will
cater not only to the ever-challenging and increasing indigenous demands but
also it will be looked upon by the world to provide solutions for globally
present challenges in the Auto Industry.
The
minister also congratulated the whole team at ICAT and NATRiP for their
meticulous planning and tireless efforts in setting up this excellent centre.
He wished ICAT a great success and hoped that this centre emerges as one of
the leading automotive testing and research centres providing services which
are regarded the best not only in India but across the globe. He also wished that
ICAT plays a pioneering role in helping the Indian Auto Industry achieve the
expected growth and beyond and contribute towards realizing the Indian dream of
being a global leader developing mobility solutions of future for all the
segments of society.
National automotive testing and R & D
infrastructure project (Natrip) project was approved by cabinet committee on
economic affairs (CCEA) in July 2005. The International Centre for Automotive
Technology (ICAT) was set up in 2006 and is the first of the new world class
centres established under the National Automotive Testing and R&D
Infrastructure Project (NATRiP). The Government of India has recognised ICAT as
one of the accredited 'Type Approval and Homologation' agencies in India under
Central Motor Vehicle Rules (CMVR) 126 and has also been recognized as
Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (SIRO) from Department of
Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR), since Feb 2010, by BIS for Tyre
Testing, Safety Glasses and by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) for Emission
and Noise testing of Generator Sets.
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ST/rs