TrelleborgVibracoustic (TBVC), the global market leader in automotive anti-vibration solutions (AVS), has just consolidated its operations in India. The former joint venture Sigma Vibracoustic India (SVIL) has now been fully integrated into TBVC, making the new entity the most dominant player in the AVS segment in the country.
TBVC designs, develops and manufactures a complete range of automotive anti-vibration solutions for both passenger cars and commercial vehicles, including powertrain, drivetrain, chassis, suspension and exhaust mounting solutions, and has specialist teams for air springs as well as tuned mass damper applications.
The integration of SVIL into TBVC has come at a time when the Indian automotive industry is poised for rapid growth. With hopes of positive reforms and policies from the new Government at the Centre, both the passenger car and commercial vehicle segments can be expected to get back to shape towards the end of the current calendar year. TBVC seems to have timed and executed its plans for perfection and is now ready to embark on a new growth phase in the Indian market.
We spoke to Mr. Joergen Scholl, President-Region India, TBVC, Mr. Ravinder Arora, Managing Director, Sigma Vibracoustic (India) Pvt. Ltd., and Mr. Dinesh Pawar, General Manager, Trelleborg Automotive (India) Pvt. Ltd., in an exclusive interaction to get details of the company’s plans.
Says Mr. Joergen Scholl: “The integration of our Indian operations means we have become the market leader for anti-vibration solutions in India. We believe that in the next couple of years there will be interesting growth rates in the passenger car and commercial vehicle markets in the region, and this is the reason why we are stepping up our local efforts and have created a dedicated organizational structure for India. We will have complete support from our global organization for our Indian business and will keep working to further expand our presence in the market. Our goal is to be the absolute market leader in anti-vibration solutions in India. Depending on forecasts, we believe that by 2017-18 there will be six million passenger cars built in the country and we wish to have a major share of business from the same.”
At the global level, TrelleborgVibracoustic generated sales of around Euro 1.7 billion in 2013. The company employs over 10,000 persons at 38 locations in 18 countries worldwide, with R&D centres in Europe, North America, South America, Asia and India. In India, TBVC has two sites, at Mohali and Noida.
The company, in line with its global policy, works closely with its customers to deliver the best possible solutions. “We try to be where our customers are. We have a lot of global and Indian customers who are supported for any type of application. We are very strong in North America and Europe and are growing fast in China. Since the BRIC countries are a major focus for us, we have plants in Brazil and Russia as well. Our company has good business relations with Japanese vehicle manufacturers, and since the Indian passenger car segment is dominated by Japanese OEMs, this market is very crucial for us,” adds Mr. Joergen Scholl.
With the automotive world undergoing frequent changes, fuel efficiency and weight/space saving are the buzzwords for companies like TrelleborgVibracoustic which has a team of experienced engineers who constantly look for ways to improve its existing product range. In addition, the company continues to work on enhancing the vehicle noise isolation and also on new solutions to improve overall driving experience.
Sharing details on the company’s Indian operations, Mr. Ravinder Arora says: “Under our Business Areas we manufacture engine mounts, chassis mounts, air springs, isolators and dampers which are supplied to major OEMs in the country, including Tata Motors and Mahindra, from our Mohali plant. With products such as engine mounts likely to witness a substantial growth here, we feel it is right to sharpen our focus on this segment. Overall, we will be following our global business structure here in India as we enhance our presence in the country.”
Referring to TBVC’s long-term targets for the Indian market, Mr. Dinesh Pawar observes: “With a growing list of global vehicle OEMs entering the country, TBVC has taken advantage of the situation. The global programs which we are launching in India with the help of the synergies we have developed from our JV have helped us increase our sales in the country.”
With hopes of a revival in the Indian market in the coming months, TBVC expects to outperform the overall market growth in the next couple of years.