The cold bite of winter in the capital is all set to get scorched with some very hot automobiles, come January 1998. The most important auto fair in this part of the world, Auto Expo '98 gets rolling on the 15th day of the new year.
This time round at the exposition, there are more participants than before, more products on display, and presumably there'll be more visitors too. The obvious difference is that the auto show visitor is likely to be more knowledgeable than at the previous shows. This, because the Indian automotive scenario has undergone dramatic changes that usually take a few decades under n ormal circumstances in any developing country.
It wasn't so only a decade ago. Twelve years back, all India had was three car manufacturers, two utility vehicle manufacturers, three two-wheeler manufacturers and three truck manufacturers. Then came Maruti and the ubiquitous 800 transformed the concept of automobiles in India. But many forget that the first hint of the shape of things to come was in the form of an array of Indo-Jap motorcycles in 100 cc that displaced a few outdated models off the road. While Maruti was just happening, another flurry of Indo-Jap activity heralded the LCV (light commercial vehicle). But an appreciating yen could not come to the rescue of these machines, and they had to bow out to local ingenuity in the form of an LCV designed, developed and sourced completely from India and one that naturally outpriced the competition without sacrificing too much on the performance and quality front.
What followed was a rather more free-for-all era when no less than eight automobile giants from all over the world decided to join hands with Indian manufacturers, or come all on their own, to enter a market dominated by Maruti, now already acquiring legendary heights as the national car maker for India.
Most of the action in the car segment centred around launch-pad models that came in the mid-size segment. The small car, as defined by the Maruti 800, was left unattended and DCM Daewoo, General Motors India Ltd, PAL Peugeot and Mahindra Ford decided to enter their three-box contenders in the market. The Cielo, 309, Astra and the Escort, in that order, were to fight it out with the market leader from Maruti Udyog Ltd, the Esteem. The segment was now crowded but together they managed to sell roughly 50,000 cars in this niche over the last three years. This is a commendable achievement given that the overall automotive market has been impacted both by recessionary effects and stiff competition within the same segment.
But to any manufacturer keen on an emerging market like India, the launch-pad models serve to provide an early entry into the arena and also help the newly formed companies develop the all important sales and service networks, establish the brand names and, in essence, create the strong base on which newer models can be launched in larger volumes in other segments.
While most new car makers can claim to have managed to achieve what they intended with their first entries, there have been casualties too. Automobile Peugeot has announced the pullout from its Indian operations, an unfortunate fallout of when things happen at a faster clip than usual.
But there are positive attributes too. The automotive accessories industry is now revitalised and is gunning for world markets, thanks to the strict quality standards necessitated by the influx of international players in India.
And Auto Expo '98, for the first time, will help to showcase the not-too-distant movement of these new companies. Here, the visitor will have access to a broader automotive picture of the motoring highway beyond the realms of just Cielos, Esteems, Astras and Escorts.
Motorists in India, whether commuters or hobbyists, who have been following newspaper reports over the last six months, will be familiar with the proposed small car projects (from Daewoo and Telco) that will mean so much for the country's first-time car buyers. The choice in the mid-size stable will also widen with the arrival of newer versions, derivatives (like wagons) and engine options that will become available. These cars are bound to be more environment friendly, and will probably be fuel injected, turbo charged models to ensure complete combustion and hence better emissions.
All this makes Auto Expo '98 a time to celebrate the car, the best possible time for a peek at the kind of wheels that will be driving you into the next millennium.